The Daily Populous Saturday December 7th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by CBSnews

Washington — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York launched her bid Friday to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee as the party looks to replace its veteran leaders on several key panels.

"This is not a position I seek lightly. The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump's second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one," the New York Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues on Friday.

"In the 119th Congress, Oversight Committee Democrats will face an important task: we must balance our focus on the incoming president's corrosive actions and corruption with a tangible fight to make life easier for America's working class," she added.

While Democrats will remain in the minority when the new Congress convenes next month, a victory would place Ocasio-Cortez in line to chair the powerful Oversight Committee if Democrats retake the House in 2026, halfway through President-elect Donald Trump's term. The committee led numerous investigations into the first Trump administration after Democrats won the House in 2018.

Her candidacy sets up a challenge against Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who is also seeking to fill Rep. Jamie Raskin's position. Raskin, of Maryland, is leaving the post and angling to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the longtime Democratic leader of the Judiciary Committee, ended his bid to continue leading the panel after Raskin announced his challenge.

There's also an effort to replace the aging Democrats atop the House Agriculture Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York hasn't given a public endorsement or condemnation of the committee shakeups, but told reporters Friday that "the caucus is working its will, and we're doing it in a cordial fashion."

Wings81 on December 6th, 2024 at 20:13 UTC »

Push this woman to the moon and line up behind her.

2centsofhumor on December 6th, 2024 at 20:01 UTC »

She's been the one Democrat who clearly knows what we're up against and is up for the fight. Haven't seen anything close from anyone else in the house since the election, which is a shame because this is the time to step up..

Designer_Buy_1650 on December 6th, 2024 at 19:53 UTC »

Perfect choice. Smart, articulate well studied.