Democrats went with the old guy with experience over AOC to lead them in the House Oversight Committee after Jamie Raskin went to Judiciary. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez had been Vice Ranking Member, or Raskin’s #2. Some Democrats aren’t happy about this, but it’s more or less how things in Washington work. Loyalty and experience get rewarded.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes certainly didn’t hold back, “The refusal of older members of the Democratic Party to let go of power is “genuine madness” Chris Hayes said Tuesday following Rep. Gerry Connolly’s election to head of the Oversight Committee.”
Source: NBC News
WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia on Tuesday defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in the race to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee as rank-and-file lawmakers favored a more senior member of the party’s caucus to take on the second Trump administration rather than a young progressive star.
In a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting, the secret-ballot vote was 131 to 84, according to a lawmaker in the room.
After the vote, Connolly told reporters the most “capable” candidate won.
None too gracious, but Connolly has been on that committee for the past 15 years and twice failed to lead it before.
The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which is closely aligned with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., backed Connolly over Ocasio-Cortez in a 34 to 27 vote Monday, a source said.
The position opened up after the top Democrat on Oversight, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, challenged Jerry Nadler of New York for a similar post on the Judiciary Committee, prompting Nadler to bow out.
Ocasio-Cortez was doomed after this vote.
Connolly, 74, is a senior member of the Oversight Committee and was first elected to Congress in 2008. Even though he announced last month he had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, he beat back a challenge from Ocasio-Cortez, 35, the progressive hero who was first elected in 2018.
In the end, the 74-year-old with cancer was seen as the better choice by Democrats to take on the Republicans.