Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is strongly contemplating a bid to turn out to be the highest Democrat on the highly effective Oversight and Accountability Committee, a pivotal seat that can play a distinguished position in pushing again towards the incoming Trump administration within the subsequent Congress.
“I’m interested in jumping in, and I’m having a lot of conversations with my [colleagues],” Ocasio-Cortez advised reporters Wednesday morning within the Capitol.
If she jumps into the race, it could arrange a contest towards Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who introduced his candidacy for the seat Tuesday. The place is being vacated by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who’s leaving to problem Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) to turn out to be the senior Democrat on the Home Judiciary Committee.
Connolly has much more expertise on Oversight, having served on the panel for all the 16 years he’s been in Congress. He’s making the case that his lengthy years and legislative successes on the committee makes him one of the best match for the spot.
However Ocasio-Cortez, who was named the vice rating member of the panel within the present Congress, is countering that Democrats want newer members, and recent concepts, in additional locations of energy — a development that started final yr when former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her high deputies stepped out of management, permitting Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his crew to exchange them.
“I think that this is just an important moment of generational change in the Caucus,” Ocasio-Cortez stated.
“What we’ve seen in terms of the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Leader Jeffries — how having a facilitated shift and evolution in our leadership while we also have the continued leadership of emeritus positions — has been very strong and an enormous asset to the Caucus.”
Ocasio-Cortez touted her work with Raskin within the present Congress, saying the pair has written a profitable blueprint for counter-messaging the GOP’s script from the minority — a method she would proceed if she ascended to the highest spot.
Which means “being able to use the committee as both a substantive and also communicative platform for public education,” she stated, “and doing real legislative work and investigatory work that the committee is empowered to do.”
She stated she additionally has one thing of a very good rapport with Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who’s poised to stay in that place within the subsequent Congress.
“As the vice ranking member of the committee, I’ve had to work with him a lot,” she stated.
“And while there are places where we give the Republican majority hell, as we’ve seen, there are other areas where I’ve been able to have substantive conversations with him, such as on the issue of pharmacy benefit managers and going after this PBM system.”
Ocasio-Cortez stated she’s already spoken to a number of members of the Democratic management a few potential run. She declined to relay their response, nor did she point out a timeline for her final determination.
“I’ll let you all know,” she stated.
