text: Good morning. Here’s your Early Warning for Monday, 20 December 2021.TODAY’S BRIEFING:GOP to hammer Biden admin in 2023Legislation targets Iranian drone attacksFreedom to Vote Act would establish national voting standardsRepublican Senators want to expand support to UkraineRussia-NATO SITREP: Euro energy prices rise, NATO talks likely to failIndo-Pacific SITREP: CCP oversees Hong Kong elections, Japan deepens ties to TaiwanDomestic SITREP: Americans to struggle with winter heating costsFar Left Activity Rollup & OutlookUpcoming Event CalendarSITUATIONAL AWARENESSGOP TO HAMMER BIDEN ADMIN IN 2023: According to leaked documents, Republicans under House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy plan to investigate Biden administration wrongdoing if the GOP takes the House in 2022 elections. As House Speaker, McCarthy said he would issue so-called “preservation notices” to order Biden Cabinet members to preserve documents and communications for future oversight. (Analyst Comment: Democrats expect to lose the House and possibly the majority in the Senate, clearing a path for GOP-led investigations. The GOP can initiate a number of investigations for border policies, energy policies, international deals, and corruption inside the Justice Department. Impeachment would be impossible without firm control of the Senate. – D.M.)IRANIAN DRONES: Bipartisan leadership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced legislation to counter Iran’s ability to procure and use lethal drones. The Stop Iranian Drones Act of 2021 would bolster previous legislation designed to limit the ability of American adversaries such as Iran and their proxies to use drones to attack U.S. military interests in the region, in addition to commercial facilities, oil and gas infrastructure, shipping vessels, and other potential targets. (AC: In November, Iranian proxy groups used two drones carrying explosives in an attack on the Iraqi Prime Minister, who was not hurt during the attack. Other failed attacks since 2020 have targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, according to former intelligence officials. Iran officially condemned the attack, however, Iran’s inability to control their armed proxy groups in the Middle East will likely result in continued drone attacks because these methods are relatively cheap and effective. – M.S.)FREEDOM TO VOTE: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) continues to lobby for the Freedom to Vote Act, which would enable Congress to change voting laws. During a recent floor speech, Klobuchar said expanding the ability to vote and establishing national voting standards are key to the foundation of the country. “The Constitution anticipated that perhaps we would need a federal response when, in the words of the Constitution, as written by our founding fathers, that Congress can make or alter the rules regarding federal elections… That is why we must now establish national standards for voting, completely allowed for in the Constitution, to make sure all voters can cast their ballots in the way that works best for them regardless of what zip code they live in. The need for federal action is urgent,” she said. The bill would add a number of rules, including guards against replacing state election officials and “sham audits.” (AC: Attempts to adopt national voting standards will restrict the freedom of states to run and oversee their own elections. Several legislative efforts remain underway to nationalize voter registration, appoint national election controllers, and remove the state’s ability to control the redistricting processes. – D.M.)