House Democrats wait on AOC's big Oversight decision
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at a "Fighting Oligarchy Tour" rally in Los Angeles on April 12. Photo: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
One question is dominating the halls of Congress this week: Whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) will run again to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Why it matters: The role would position the high-profile 35-year-old as one of the formal leaders of House Democrats' anti-Trump resistance at a time when the party's base is demanding a younger, more vigorous opposition.
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the 75-year-old who defeated Ocasio-Cortez for the role last December, is stepping away from it amid his battle with esophageal cancer.
- After her loss, Ocasio-Cortez received a coveted role on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee but failed to get a waiver to stay on Oversight.
- That means she would have to jump through more procedural hurdles than other prospective candidates to succeed Connolly — though she is still seen as a possible front-runner.
State of play: Most — but not all — of the young, ambitious House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are waiting to see what Ocasio-Cortez does before jumping into the race themselves.
- That includes Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who is interested in the role only if Ocasio-Cortez doesn't run, as Axios reported this afternoon.
- If she does go for it, Frost — a 28-year-old member of House Democratic leadership — would support her.
- "A number of members are exploring a run as they wait to see if AOC wants to do it," one House Democrat told Axios.
What we're hearing: Several lawmakers who spoke to Axios said Ocasio-Cortez's thinking is genuinely up in the air.
- The Energy and Commerce role is something of a white whale for her: She sought it unsuccessfully as a freshman in 2019.
- Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that Connolly's "announcement is not that he is stepping down, so there's presently not a vacancy to run for."
Yes, but: Not everyone is waiting on Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is publicly signaling interest in the role and privately jockeying for it.
- Some of Crockett's colleagues are saying she should get the role as Connolly's vice ranking member — a position Ocasio-Cortez previously held.
- Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), who is serving as interim ranking member in Connolly's stead, said Monday he would run for the role as well.
- Ocasio-Cortez would also have to secure a waiver from the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in order to run for Oversight Committee ranking member while not serving on the panel.
What to watch: House Democrats seem to be in no rush to organize an election to replace Connolly, with several lawmakers predicting Lynch could serve as interim for an extended period.
- Connolly has not said when he will formally step down, and the matter didn't even come up in House Democratic leadership and steering meetings on Monday, according to a senior House Democrat.
- One lawmaker told Axios that, as a large field of potential candidates forms to succeed Connolly, this could be a buffer period to give House Democratic leadership "time to work it out."
