Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Friday formally launched a bid to steer Democrats on the Oversight and Accountability Committee within the subsequent Congress — a strong seat that may play a outstanding function within the celebration’s effort to push again towards President Trump in his second time period.
The transfer units up a contest between Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) to switch the panel’s present rating member, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who’s stepping right down to assume the highest spot on the Judiciary Committee subsequent 12 months.
Connolly, 74, is the extra seasoned lawmaker, having served on Oversight for all of his 16 years within the Home. And he is pointing to that have to make the case that he is the higher match to confront Trump, significantly with regards to the GOP’s acknowledged plans to shrink the federal workforce within the title of presidency effectivity and deficit discount. Connolly, who hails from a northern Virginia district simply throughout the Potomac River from Washington, represents a big variety of federal workers, and has a protracted document of combating to guard them from blunt cost-cutting efforts.
Ocasio-Cortez, 35, was the youngest lawmaker in congressional historical past when she arrived within the Home in 2019. Since then, she’s constructed a nationwide model as a fierce voice for progressivism. And she or he’s arguing that it is time for the older technology of Democrats to move the torch to a youthful group of lawmakers — an concept that’s gained some steam within the celebration in a 12 months when the growing old President Biden was nudged out of a reelection bid over issues about his stamina and psychological acuity.
With subpoena energy and jurisdiction over a broad array of matters, the Oversight Committee is among the many extra highly effective panels within the Capitol. From the minority, Democrats won’t management these subpoenas, or have the ability to dictate what points get hearings, however the rating member can have a high-profile platform to push again towards the Republicans’ legislative agenda and any GOP plans to proceed investigations into the Biden administration or the Biden household.
Ocasio-Cortez has mentioned she characterised her relationship with Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) as “not bad,” pointing to their shared perception in reforming pharmacy profit managers, or PBMs. However she’s additionally vowing to offer Republicans “hell” on these points the place they disagree.
Ocasio-Cortez isn’t alone is in search of to leap over extra senior lawmakers to take high seats on committees. Already, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) has pushed Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) out of the rating member spot on the Pure Assets Committee. Raskin’s bid to steer the Judiciary panel pressured Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) to desert that seat. And a number of other Democrats on the Home Agriculture Committee are difficult Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) for the highest spot on the panel.
