Democrat Passes on One of Congress’ Most Powerful Roles
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton had her eyes set on a top seat on the House Oversight Committee, but decided otherwise after a discussion with House leadership.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, 87, is no longer considering running for a top seat on the powerful House Oversight Committee.
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Holmes said: “After consideration and discussion with the House leadership, I have decided not to pursue the ranking member of House Oversight.”
Axios initially reported Wednesday that Norton, who has represented the District of Columbia as a congressional delegate since 1991, was mulling a run to be the ranking member of the investigative panel.
“I may,” Holmes Norton told Axios in an interview at the Capitol Wednesday when asked if she would consider succeeding current ranking member, Rep. Gerry Connolly.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) announced he would be stepping down from the role soon.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Connolly, 75, announced earlier this week that he would be stepping down from the role “soon” amid a battle with esophageal cancer.
Holmes Norton claimed she hadn’t “given it much thought,” but confirmed to Axios that she was considering the position. It seems that’s no longer the case.
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Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch, 70, is slated to temporarily fill in for Connolly and serve as an interim ranking member in the meantime. He has expressed his intent to properly run for the role later, with Connolly’s backing.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) previously ran for the role last year.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
The House Oversight Committee is one of Congress’ most powerful bodies.
It is an investigative panel that serves to keep the entire federal government in check, including the White House and the entire executive branch. The ranking member job is an important role that sets the priorities for the minority members of the committee, which is currently the Democrats.
Other House Democrats that are also reportedly eyeing the role include Rep. Jasmine Crockett, 44, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 35.
Ocasio-Cortez previously ran against Connolly for the role last year, before losing by a 131 to 84 margin in December. The fight for the seat spurred an intergenerational and ongoing civil war between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party, spotlighting the party’s continuous—many have argued harmful—pattern of favoring its older members whose “time has come” over its new talent.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Holmes Norton’s new position
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