13. March 2026
We Need a New Church Committee Today
— Jacob Tyler —
Many Americans today, even across political lines, share a genuine concern about unchecked power—particularly with intelligence agencies and an increasingly bloated and corrupt government system, that can easily weaponize these shadowy agencies against their political enemies.
Such concerns are rooted in historical trends where government actions have sometimes trampled upon the very liberties the Constitution seeks to protect. The legacy of operations like COINTELPRO and the misuse of surveillance tactics both around the world and on American soil serve as painful reminders of the need for vigilance regarding civil liberties and that such vigilance has been woefully lacking, in spite of the commendable efforts of some.
The increasing polarization in American politics, combined with the use of rhetoric that labels certain groups as "public enemies"— most recently when China Joe Biden's administration literally branded President Donald Trump's entire support base as racist domestic terrorists—has done much to foment legitimate concerns about how dissent is treated and whether or not we will even have a first amendment anymore if things continue as they have been going.
If the Trump administration does not stymie this deleterious trend, the American Republic could be on a crash course with catastrophe on an unprecedented scale.
Just as the original Church Committee established in the 1970s sought to investigate abuses by the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies, many argue that a similar body is needed today. The steps toward reform currently being taken by the Trump administration are encouraging, but Elon Musk's DOGE is not enough. There is a desperate need for a restoration of trust, but even more so for actual accountability for the abuses and overreach that are already rampant in the system as well as in regard to how these agencies operate domestically and overseas in the future.
If we are to actually "drain the swamp" decisive steps need to be taken to run activist judges out of office, pardon the thousands of political prisoners that are rotting in jails even at this very moment, whose names are completely unknown to most Americans and identifying and holding accountable everyone who has been instrumental in the formation and perpetuation of what many have been calling our criminal government for decades now. A thorough investigation into intelligence practices and enacting measures for reform is also of the utmost importance.
Nothing short of this will solve these issues in short order, and doing these things will also open up a broader dialogue about national security and civil liberties while engaging citizens who feel their voices are marginalized.
There is much talk about "what would the Founding Fathers do?" in response to the crisis our Republic faces today. Well, in all likelihood, they might view a new Church Committee a half measure. But it would at least be a good start down the road to reclaiming our American birthright and securing our liberties for us and our posterity.
America doesn't need gun control. Americans don't want gun control. What they do want and need is government control, accountability and transparency. And no PAC out there is more serious about accomplishing this than the National Firearms Coalition.