As a result of the November elections, Democrats will assume the chairs of committees in the House when the new Congress convenes in 2019.
At the macro level, we can expect the Democrats to hold oversight hearings on myriad issues and activities related to the Trump Administration with respect to both policies and politics. Individually, the soon-to-be chairs of the committees, all of whom are seasoned Members, will have different priorities that they plan to emphasize. Earlier this year, Politico profiled a number of the Democrats likely to lead the panels after the switch in control. A shorter synopsis of the new chairs’ backgrounds and their interests is provided below.
Appropriations
Nita Lowey, representing the suburbs of New York City, is expected to take over as the first woman to chair the Appropriations Committee. First elected to Congress in 1988, she has been a tremendous champion of domestic programs.
She has served in the past as the lead Democrat on the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee, which is responsible for funding biomedical and student aid programs. She has made funding NIH a priority in the past.
Armed Services
Adam Smith, representing the 9th Congress District of Washington and one of UW’s biggest backers, is slated to take over the chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC).
A UW alum, he was first elected to Congress in 1996 and has served as Ranking Member on since 2011.
Education and the Workforce
Bobby Scott, who will be in his 14th term from the Newport News area of Virginia, will become the new chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.
As chair, he will drive much of the agenda related to higher education, including the possible reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. He will look to push back against much of the Trump Administration’s attempts to roll back consumer protections with respect to the for-profit institutions and well the proposed changes to Title IX and other civil rights issues. The House Democrats’ HEA bill introduced earlier this year, the Aim Higher Act, will likely serve as the starting point for HEA reauthorization.
Energy and Commerce
The Energy and Commerce has a big portfolio in terms of legislative jurisdiction, including health care. Frank Pallone of New Jersey is expected to assume the chairmanship of the committee.
Pallone helped draft the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010. Possible changes to the ACA and other health care policies will have to go through his committee.
Homeland Security
Bennie Thompson of Mississippi is slated to take over as the chair of the Homeland Security Committee.
As the name states, the committee has jurisdiction over, among other issues, the Department of Homeland Security and its various agencies, including those responsible for immigration matters. We should expect to a flurry of activities around the Administration’s immigration policies and practices.
Judiciary
The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to be taken over by Lowey’s fellow New Yorker Jerrold Nadler.
First elected in 1992, we should expect to see the committee take on the Administration on host of high profile issues, including immigration, gay and LGBTQ rights, and voting rights, just to name a few.
Oversight and Government Reform
Elijah Cummings of Baltimore will helm the Oversight and Government Reform panel.
This committee’s jurisdiction is broad and we should expect myriad subpoenas from and hearings in front of it on a host of matters related to the operation of the government which Democrats believe have not been adequately addressed by the House Republicans.
Ways and Means
The Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over tax matters but other issues of interest to UW as well, such as healthcare. Much of the debate during this current Congress (which wraps up at the end of the year) on the tax bill and the ACA repeal took place in this committee.
Its next chairman, Richard Neal of Massachusetts, has been a member of the panel for 25 year. Changes to healthcare and possible changes to the tax code will have to go through Chairman Neal and his Democratic colleagues in the 116th Congress.