GOP Probes Into Obama Administration Coming to YouTube

Rep. Darrell Issa speaks on "Fox News Sunday" on Jan. 2. (FNC)

For those who can't get enough of the congressional hearings on C-Span, YouTube is now getting in on the act with a new partnership with House Republicans who have pledged to investigate Obama administration activities.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced Wednesday that every hearing the panel has conducted since 2009 will be made available on YouTube.

"No congressional committee has done this before," Issa said in a YouTube video making the announcement. "Going forward we'll keep sharing high quality videos of tough oversight work. Under Speaker John Boehner, transparency through technology will be crucial to shaping a government that does more with less."

"Active citizen-watchdogs, armed with the raw material of Washington, will help today's new Congress deliver tomorrow's more efficient, more effective American government," he added.

House Speaker John Boehner said the move helps fulfill the Pledge to America's commitment to a more transparent and accountable government.

"Increasing transparency by making more high-quality government video available and easy-to-find represents a significant step in doing just that," he said in a written statement.

The YouTube channel is already up and running with nearly 500 videos posted to the page. But don't be in a hurry to watch new hearings; it will take about a week for them to be posted to the page, a spokesman for Issa told FoxNews.com.

Viewers may be in for a flood of videos when this year's hearings get underway. As chairman of the committee, Issa wields subpoena power that he can use to flood the administration with demands for information.

Issa has said his probes will likely include the WikiLeaks release of secret diplomatic cables; the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the foreclosure crisis, and alleged corruption in Afghanistan.

Democrats have tapped Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., to play defense and he has already launched a counteroffensive against Issa for asking businesses which of the Obama administration's new regulations are killing jobs. Cummings has accused Issa of being more interested in pleasing businesses than "protecting the American people."