Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said during an interview with CNN on Thursday that he thinks Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) may be a good fit for the top democrat spot on the panel, citing his contentious history with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md).
“I’m a big AOC fan,” Comer said. “Obviously, I don’t agree with much of her policy, but I think she’s a good person. I think she’s very well-spoken.
“I think we’ll have a good working relationship.”
The seat on the House Oversight Committee opened up when Raskin left his post to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
Comer also said he “did not have a good relationship with Jamie Raskin.”
“I don’t think that’s any secret. I tell the press when they ask about the race for ranking member, the Democrats have nowhere to go but up after having [Rep. Jamie Raskin] for the last four years. So I think AOC would be great,” he said.
“This is not a position I seek lightly,” she wrote in a Dec. 6 letter. “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. Now, more than ever, we must focus on the Committee’s strong history of both holding administrations accountable and taking on the economic precarity and inequality that is challenging the American way of life.”
The powerful House Oversight Committee serves as a watchdog over the federal government and provides checks and balances on roles and power in Washington D.C. After Democrats won the House majority in 2018, the committee, the panel notably led numerous investigations into the first Trump administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, 35, is a member of the so-called “Squad” and has been seen as a future leader in the Democratic Party.
Her candidacy sets her up to challenge 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who was just elected to his ninth term.
Comer also commented positively about Connoly.
“Gerry Connolly would be great,” Comer said. “I know Raj Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, their names have been thrown in the hat. But I certainly look forward to working with the next ranking member.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s push to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee seems to be part of a trend of younger House Democrats competing with senior colleagues for major committee positions in the incoming Congress in the wake of the 2024 election.
Such committee shakeups appear to be playing out on three other House committees.
On the House Natural Resources Committee, 60-year-old Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) launched a challenge against his senior colleague, 76-year Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) who has served 11 terms in Congress. Grijalva later dropped his bid and endorsed 45-year-old Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) for the top Democrat role on the panel.
On the House Judiciary Committee, longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) dropped out of the race after Raskin launched his bid to unseat him.
On the House Agriculture Committee, ranking member Rep. David Scott faces the risk of losing his committee leadership position after a pair of junior Democrats, Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.), launched challenges against him.
Democrats will elect their committee leaders behind closed doors next week.
