committee assignments aoc

First St SE, Washington, DC 20004 --> Constituents Only: 718-662-5970 or Email Me | Out of District: (202) 225-3965

Committees and Caucuses

In addition to their other responsibilities, Members of Congress are appointed by the Majority and Minority Leaders to serve on House committees. Committees are small groups of Members, both Democrats and Republicans, who hold committee hearings and debate legislation specific to the focus-area of that committee .

A committee is usually the first stop for a bill. So, for example, if a bill is focused on Wall Street regulation, it will usually first be debated by the Committee on Financial Services – because Wall Street regulation falls within that committee’s ‘jurisdiction.’ If a majority of Members of that Committee vote to support the bill, then it will go to the House floor where all Representatives vote on it.

Although Members can request which committee they serve on, they are not guaranteed a spot. House Leadership will sometimes appoint a Member to a committee because it aligns with their professional expertise or their district’s interest - for example, several Members of the House Armed Services Committee are veterans or represent districts with large military bases. Since committees can dictate which legislation makes it to the floor for a larger vote, there is sometimes intense competition for committee spots, and then seniority or more political considerations dictate who House Leadership chooses for those spots.

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez serves on The Committee of Oversight and Reform , which is the main investigative committee in the House. In January 2023, she was selected as the Vice Ranking Member — the #2 spot for Democrats on the committee. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has used these committee hearings to pressure big pharma into bringing down the price of prescription drugs. Under the Trump administration, she also led President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to state on the record that President Trump was engaging in tax fraud and to name other potential witnesses. And more famously, it was through an Oversight and Reform Hearing, that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez pressured Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook’s failure to fact-check political advertising.

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez also serves as a first-time member on The Committee on Natural Resources and as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources . This committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, irrigation and more. Already, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has used her time on the Natural Resources Committee to propose an amendment requiring the collecting of public health data in response to new drilling on federal lands .

Unlike Committees, Members can usually join a Caucus without being appointed and there’s no limit on the number of members. Caucuses generally serve to build voting coalitions . For example, in 2019, the Congressional Progressive Caucus had enough of their Members willing to withhold their votes from a bill that gave big giveaways to major pharmaceutical companies– that House leadership was forced to alter the bill to protect employer-sponsored health plans from drug spikes, among other changes.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus , the Democratic Women’s Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , the Congressional Progressive Caucus , the LGBT Equality Caucus , Congressional Bangladesh Caucus and the Quiet Skies Caucus   - a caucus in support of reducing aircraft noise pollution. The Congresswoman represents the community surrounding LaGaurdia Airport.

More on Committees and Caucuses

Senior Reporter & Arya Hodjat at The Daily Beast 

The man known as “ Roaring Kitty ,” the YouTube personality who helped spark last month’s  frenzy over GameStop sto

Cory Stieg at CNBC

New York. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared some of her secrets to staying organized and prepared during congressional hearings in an  Instagram story Monday — and they are techniques anyone can use.

Berkeley Lovelace Jr. at CNBC

House Speaker  Nancy Pelosi  has brokered a deal with a key block of Democrats that threatened to derail passage of her sweeping bill overhauling drug prices.

Poppy Noor at The Guardian

It isn’t often that you hear someone rave about a great congressional hearing they’ve seen online. Heck, outside of big national events, I’m going to bet you have never willingly watched C-Span.

Kari Paul at The Guardian

'So you won't take down lies?': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenges Facebook CEO – video

John Haltiwanger at Business Insider

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Thursday confronted a drug company CEO about the high cost of an HIV-prevention drug.

Jay Willi s at GQ

Caroline Fredrickson at the New York Times

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez acted like a good prosecutor while questioning Michael Cohen, establishing the factual basis for further committee investigation.Joshua Roberts/Reuters

  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Representative for New York’s 14 th District

pronounced a-luk-ZAN-jree-uh // oh-KAH-see-oh kor-TEZ

Ocasio-Cortez is the representative for New York ’s 14 th congressional district ( view map ) and is a Democrat. She has served since Jan 3, 2019. Ocasio-Cortez is next up for reelection in 2024 and serves until Jan 3, 2025. She is 34 years old.

Misconduct/alleged misconduct

The House Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe" that Ocasio-Cortez accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021, which she paid for after the investigation began. The matter is pending before the House Committee on Ethics.

Ocasio-Cortez was arrested at a protest in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on July, 19 2022. The same month the Committee published a committee report indicating they will pay a $50 fine.

Contact Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

I am a constituent..

I live in New York’s 14 th congressional district.

I have an opinion I want to share.

I want to urge Ocasio-Cortez to take an action on a bill.

Visit Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s website »

Look for a contact form on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s website to express your opinion.

I need help, have a question, or want to schedule a tour.

I’m having a problem with a government agency, need legal help, want to schedule a meeting or White House tour, or have another question.

Visit Ocasio-Cortez’s Website »

Head over to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s website . If you are having a problem with a government agency, look for a contact link for casework to submit a request for help. Otherwise, look for a phone number on that website to call her office if you have a question.

I am not a constituent.

I live elsewhere.

Not all Members of Congress will accept messages from non-constituents. You can try your luck by visiting Ocasio-Cortez’s website . Otherwise, try contacting your own representative:

Find Your Representative »

I am not sure.

I’m not sure if I live in her district.

You are currently on the website GovTrack.us, which has no affiliation with Ocasio-Cortez and is not a government website. Choose from the options above to find the right way to contact Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez proposed $21 million in earmarks for fiscal year 2024, including:

• $3.0 million to New York City Housing Authority for “Middletown Plaza Elevator Replacement”
• $3.0 million to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District for “Barge Removal Feasibility Study”
• $3.0 million to GrowNYC for “New York State Regional Food Hub”

View all requests and justifications on Ocasio-Cortez’s website »

View analysis and download spreadsheet from Demand Progress Education Fund »

These are earmark requests which may or may not survive the legislative process to becoming law. Most representatives from both parties requested earmarks for fiscal year 2024. Across representatives who requested earmarks, the median total amount requested for this fiscal year was $39 million.

Earmarks are federal expenditures, tax benefits, or tariff benefits requested by a legislator for a specific entity. Rather than being distributed through a formula or competitive process administered by the executive branch, earmarks may direct spending where it is most needed for the legislator's district. All earmark requests in the House of Representatives are published online for the public to review. We don’t have earmark requests for senators. The fiscal year begins on October 1 of the prior calendar year. Source: Appropriations.house.gov . Background: Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Ocasio-Cortez is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the House of Representatives positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills Ocasio-Cortez has sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 3, 2019 to Aug 20, 2024. See full analysis methodology .

Committee Membership

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sits on the following committees:

• Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee Ranking Member
• House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Health Care and Financial Services subcommittees

Bills Sponsored

Issue areas.

Ocasio-Cortez sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Housing and Community Development (18%) Environmental Protection (15%) Commerce (12%) Labor and Employment (12%) International Affairs (12%) Crime and Law Enforcement (12%) Finance and Financial Sector (9%) Energy (9%)

Recently Introduced Bills

Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced the following legislation:

• H.Res. 1354: Impeaching Samuel Alito, Jr., Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United …
• H.Res. 1353: Impeaching Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, …
• H.R. 7782: Green New Deal for Public Housing Act
• H.R. 7569: DEFIANCE Act of 2024
• H.R. 7422: Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2024
• H.R. 5572: Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act
• H.R. 5154: CHARGE Act of 2023

Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.

Voting Record

Ocasio-cortez voted nay, ocasio-cortez voted no, missed votes.

From Jan 2019 to Jul 2024, Ocasio-Cortez missed 50 of 3,076 roll call votes, which is 1.6%. This is on par with the median of 2.1% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.

Show the numbers...

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

• unitedstates/congress-legislators , a community project gathering congressional information
• The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
• Office of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez for the photo
• GovInfo.gov , for sponsored bills

Pronunciation Guide

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pronounced:

a-luk-ZAN-jree-uh // oh-KAH-see-oh kor-TEZ

The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:

Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.

[error message]

• Find Your Representative
• 118th Congress, 2nd Session

Member Profile

• Phone Directory
• Vacant Offices
• Legislative Profiles
• Historical Profiles
• Biographical Directory
• Membership Demographics
• Member FAQs
• Member Profiles

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

New York (NY) – 14th, Democrat

Hometown: East Elmhurst

Oath of Office: Jan. 07, 2023

Overview & Contact

• Energy and Mineral Resources
• Health Care and Financial Services

Recent Votes

Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More

Continue in Browser

Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts.

Please enter a valid zipcode.

AOC takes leadership role on key congressional committee

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first arrived on Capitol Hill with a dose of star power, having toppled a giant in her party.

Now in her third term, the Bronx and Queens representative’s personal power inside Congress is growing as she takes on an influential new role as the No. 2 Democrat on a key committee.

Late last month, Ocasio-Cortez was selected for the job of vice ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee. The position puts her in a prime spot to push back on the GOP agenda.

What You Need To Know

Rep. alexandria ocasio-cortez is now the number two democrat on the house oversight committee, serving as maryland rep. jamie raskin's deputy already, ocasio-cortez has proved herself more than eager to spar with the panel’s republicans, giving her a key role in shaping the democratic message rep. james comer, the republican committee chairman, said of ocasio-cortez that while he does not agree with her "ideology," he does "take her very seriously and i respect her position.".

Excited and humbled to share that this evening I was selected to serve as @RepRaskin ’s #2 on the House Oversight Committee. Thank you to my colleagues on @OversightDems for entrusting me with this responsibility. I’m thrilled to get to work with our incredible Oversight team! — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 31, 2023

“We need to steer the Republican majority back into focusing on the issues that matter to everyday Americans and everyday New Yorkers,” she said in an interview.

Already, she has proved herself more than eager to spar with the panel’s Republicans.

“We could be talking about bringing down the costs of prescription drugs. We could be talking about abortion rights, civil rights, voting rights, but instead we’re talking about Hunter Biden’s half-fake laptop story,” she said at a recent hearing regarding Twitter. “This is an embarrassment.”

So far, in addition to Twitter, the Republican-led committee has held hearings on the southern border and the misuse of coronavirus aid.

At the COVID relief hearing, she publicly questioned the committee’s GOP Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, asking why he recently  chose to send letters  to three Democrat-led states —  including New York  — with allegations of fraud.

Why, she wondered aloud, not Republican-led states, too?

“The bipartisan nature of oversight is what gives it its power,” she said. “The methodology for these three states is highly questionable.”

Asked about Ocasio-Cortez’s handling of her new role, Comer said, “I think she represents a certain block of the American people really well.”

“I don’t agree with her ideology, but certainly I take her very seriously and I respect her position,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the congresswoman’s Democratic colleague Rep. Dan Goldman, a freshman who is new to the panel, praised her as cutting through the noise.

“Her lines of questioning have been very incisive and very much on point, calling out the Republican nonsense on the other side,” said Goldman, who represents Manhattan and Brooklyn.

As vice ranking member, Ocasio-Cortez is deputy to Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin. The two have worked together previously, including  teaming up  last Congress to  demand answers  on the conditions at the Rikers Island jail complex.

In an interview, Comer said investigating Rikers is not something on his agenda “right now.”

Ocaso-Cortez’s office stressed that even as the minority party in the House, Democrats can still continue to press for answers, including sending letters like they did last Congress.

LATEST NEWS

The Establishment Strikes Back

Henry Cuellar and centrist Democrats mutiny against progressives in a key committee fight.

by Alexander Sammon

December 18, 2020

Tom Brenner/Pool via AP

AOC in August during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing

Committee assignments are one of the least eye-catching parts of politics, but they’re also one of the most important ways in which actual political power is wielded. Certain committees in the House, like Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, have outsized influence and money power. (They are often called the “money” committees, not just because they’re where the action is but because members can earn lots of money in campaign contributions from industries with business before them.)

Deliberations over the next several days will be extremely important for progressives in the House, as they angle to lock down seats on these powerful committees for their members. To that end, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was expected to secure a prized position on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a seat vacated by outgoing New Yorker Eliot Engel. Among other issues, the committee has jurisdiction over health care and climate change issues, a natural for a congresswoman who has championed Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Ocasio-Cortez was expected to cruise comfortably to the position. She was the first to raise her hand for the seat, and she won the backing of dean of the New York delegation Rep. Jerry Nadler. But last week, as Politico reported , Long Islander Kathleen Rice made an out-of-nowhere, last-second bid for the seat, interrupting the process. Rep. Rice is a backbencher from the party’s right flank who, in 2018, refused to support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Without the support of Nadler, and with the famous opposition of Steering Committee leader Pelosi, Rice’s attempt didn’t seem to be serious.

More from Alexander Sammon

But in a surprise, last-second Steering Committee meeting on exclusive committee assignments Thursday, which was scheduled at 10 p.m. the night before, centrist Democrats put on a show of support for Rice and against AOC, in what looks to have been a process-defying attempt to keep AOC out of the seat. Fellow New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries came out in support of Rice, contra Nadler, as did Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL).

Most vocal in his opposition to Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy was Texas’s Henry Cuellar, the caucus’s most conservative member. After Ocasio-Cortez was nominated and seconded, Cuellar opposed, commenting: “I’m taking into account who pays their dues and who doesn’t work against other members whether in primaries or in other contexts,” according to a source with knowledge of the meeting. After Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) called for a vote on the two candidates came an unusual outcome: Rice crushed AOC 46-13.

Many of the representatives that came out most forcefully against Ocasio-Cortez have close ties to oil and gas.

A similar situation existed with the Energy and Commerce Committee seat vacated by incoming New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan. That seat was expected to go to progressive Texan Sylvia Garcia, but was contested by her moderate colleague from Texas, Lizzie Fletcher. Garcia, the other priority for progressives in Energy and Commerce, was left off the slate without even a vote. Fletcher, who has a troubling track record on unions, got endorsed by Pelosi. The Texas AFL-CIO famously came out against Fletcher’s candidacy for Congress, and declined to endorse her even against a Republican incumbent.

The result is both a resounding and surprising defeat for progressives, who just days ago had no reason to believe both Ocasio-Cortez and Garcia would be left off the committee, or even that this would be settled this week.

Many of the representatives who came out most forcefully against Ocasio-Cortez have close ties to oil and gas, especially Cuellar. But perhaps more important was Cuellar’s personal opposition to AOC, as evidenced by his statement. Ocasio-Cortez backed Cuellar’s primary challenger, 27-year-old progressive Jessica Cisneros, in March’s primary. Cuellar won narrowly, with backing from the Koch political network and some last-minute campaigning from Speaker Pelosi herself, despite the fact that Cuellar regularly votes against the Democratic caucus and has routinely fundraised for Republicans. According to multiple people familiar with the proceedings, Ocasio-Cortez’s recent interview with The Intercept , where she said Speaker Pelosi needed to go, though there was no one to replace her, loomed over the proceedings.

Rice’s triumph is especially surprising, given that she is not known to be well liked within the caucus. She made powerful enemies of Pelosi and Nadler, and was shut out of a much-desired spot on the House Judiciary Committee just two years ago, because of her refusal to back Pelosi’s speakership in 2018. It’s unclear how her selection might influence her vote this time around. AOC, meanwhile, voted for Pelosi’s speakership.

It’s not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has been frozen out of Energy and Commerce. In 2018, she made a play for a vacant seat, only to be turned away on the grounds that it couldn’t go to a freshman. It was given to sophomore Tom Suozzi instead.

Sylvia Garcia, meanwhile, was expected to be a priority for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, given that the seat was once held by Lujan, a Latino. But in a meeting last week, it was Cuellar who again voiced opposition, leading some to believe that the seat would not be filled by a representative from the state at all.

There are plenty of committee assignments left to be announced, and progressives did win a handful of priority appointments on the money committees. New York Rep. Ritchie Torres got a spot on Financial Services, and Adriano Espaillat made it onto Appropriations. But the treatment of AOC and Garcia looks like a shot across the bow that will have progressives on high alert. If other committee assignments go this way, it will become an open question as to whether a newly united progressive bloc will oppose Pelosi’s speakership come January 3.

This story has been updated to clarify the nature of a report on fracking co-authored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).

You can count on the Prospect , can we count on you?

There's no paywall here. Your donations power our newsroom as we report on ideas, politics and power — and what’s really at stake as we navigate another presidential election year. Please, become a member , or make a one-time donation , today. Thank you!

About the Prospect / Contact Info

Browse Archive / Back Issues

Subscription Services

Privacy Policy

DONATE TO THE PROSPECT

Copyright 2024 | The American Prospect, Inc. | All Rights Reserved

latest in US News

First time homebuyers in this state get $30K grant -- but US...

Emily Ratajkowski fires back after stranger heckles her skimpy...

Man drowns in lake after saving two people — including...

Grocer turned lawmaker torches Harris' price control plan: 'Nail...

NYPD detective arrested for drunk driving near police headquarters

Calif. woman allegedly posed as 'Russian police' before trying to...

Rockaways residents' outraged over noise from nearby amphitheater

TikTokers panic over viral 'phone pinky' deformities: 'We all got...

Breaking news, aoc and ‘squad’ allies named to house oversight committee, expected to influence biden.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and two of her “Squad” allies were appointed Tuesday to the House oversight committee, giving the legislators a valuable perch to influence President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.

Ocasio-Cortez, author of the Green New Deal, recently was denied her request for a seat on the House energy and commerce committee. Democrats voted 46-13 to instead appoint centrist New York Democrat Kathleen Rice.

But the oversight committee appointment, announced Tuesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), will allow the self-labeled socialist to push Biden and his appointees on adoption or implementation of policies across the federal bureaucracy.

The 31-year-old legislator, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, will be joined on the committee by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who was an original member of Ocasio-Cortez’s four-person “Squad,” also called “AOC plus three.”

Former St. Louis area protest organizer Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who posed for a celebratory “Squad” expansion photo as she was sworn in on Sunday, also will be on the oversight committee.

Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and “Squad” associate Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) were on the oversight committee in the past two-year House term, but during that period, most of the action — notably including President Trump’s impeachment — was delegated to the Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

Prior to Trump’s presidency, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform was a frequently news-making investigatory panel. Under Trump, its focuses included a hearing last year grilling Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on cost-cutting reforms made before the election and hearings focused on the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The committee is chaired by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Pelosi said Tuesday that Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) also will rejoin the committee after earning significant attention for her emotive interrogations of witnesses.

Although Ocasio-Cortez supported Biden, she said Sunday that “we have to push the Biden administration hard. This whole thing ‘We can’t cancel student loan debt’ is not gonna fly.”

Watch CBS News

House committee assignments once were the seat of power. Do they matter anymore?

By Zak Hudak

April 15, 2021 / 4:41 PM EDT / CBS News

House Democrats celebrated in early February when they successfully removed Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments. It was a move they thought would neutralize the freshman congresswoman who promoted conspiracy theories about mass shootings and the government when she was a candidate. 

But Greene, who also spread falsehoods about the 2020 election , saw an opportunity. 

"I woke up early this morning literally laughing thinking about what a bunch of morons the Democrats (+11) are for giving someone like me free time," Greene tweeted the following day. 

And she's probably still laughing: in her first three months in office, the congresswoman from Georgia raised $3.2 million from more than 100,000 donors, her campaign said last week.

But without a place on any committees, where the details and language of bills are traditionally hashed out, she is relegated to the far end of the bench as a legislator. Paired with her newfound publicity, Greene has found herself in a paradoxical role that could become more common in Congress. 

Facing allegations of breaking sex trafficking law and having intercourse with a 17-year-old girl, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida became the latest member at risk of losing his committee assignments. If the allegations are found to be true, House Republicans will kick Gaetz off his committees, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said late last month.

But in Greene's case, the House Republican Caucus voted not to do so. It was  the Democrats who brought a resolution to the House floor and overpowered the Republicans with the help of about a dozen GOP members who crossed party lines. 

It was the first known instance of the majority party voting to overturn the will of the minority party in order to remove one of their members from committees, and Republicans have signaled they're ready for revenge whenever they retake the House. 

This may come to pass soon. Democrats have what is in practice a bare two-seat hold because of vacancies that are unfilled, and the reapportionment from the 2020 census is likely to mean that in the 2020 midterm elections, some Democratic-dominant states will lose seats while more GOP-friendly states gain them.

Still, before the vote, McCarthy said that  "the resolution sets a dangerous new standard" and warned Democrats, "You'll regret this." 

The next month, McCarthy introduced his own resolution to remove Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell from his post on the Intelligence Committee over allegations a Chinese spy raised funds for his campaign a half decade ago. The measure failed along party lines, but the message was clear. 

Committee assignments are important to most members of Congress because they allow them to shape laws and become specialists on particular areas of legislation. After a member introduces a bill, the House Speaker or parliamentarian assigns the bill to one or more committees.

Then it's up to the committee chair, who is almost always a member of the majority party, to decide which bills to consider. At committee hearings, less influential members have the chance to air the concerns of their constituents with a greater authority than they hold on the floor. They also get the chance to question experts and stakeholders about policy. 

Before a bill can reach the floor, a majority of a committee's members must agree on the specifics and language of it. Greene, who had been assigned coveted posts at both the Budget and the Education and Labor Committees, has lost the ability to directly participate in that process. 

"She has been neutered in a sense because the policy that we bring to the floor is so important," said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida who introduced the resolution to remove Greene from her committee assignments.

On the floor, Greene can still debate and vote on amendments to the bill along with the other House members and then vote on the bill in its entirety. But while bills can change drastically after reaching the floor, they are typically most influenced in committees.

A large part of the perfect storm that brought down former Representative Steve King after eight terms was his diminished ability  to legislate, said Sarah Chamberlin, the founder and president of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Chamberlin's PAC spent over $100,000 supporting Representative Randy Feenstra's primary bid against King after the longtime congressman was taken off his committees by his own caucus for speaking in support of white supremacy.

The assignments King lost included one on the Agriculture Committee, where bills critical to the Iowa farming communities he represented are written.

"Whatever you think of Steve King, it's clear that he's no longer effective," a local conservative said in a television ad Main Street ran ahead of the election.

But Georgia voters in the 14th Congressional District are likely to view Greene's removal differently because it came from the opposing party.

"It makes you almost a martyr to the primary voters," Chamberlin said. "We did not hit Steve King on his comments [in support of white supremacy] because we didn't want to make him a martyr. We wanted to stick to business."

Greene also differs from King in that her banishment came with Democrats in control of the House, Senate and White House. Arguably, representation on the committees under these conditions matters less. Republican Representative David Schweikert of Arizona said that true bill authorship has been consolidated within the Democratic party's House leadership.

 "There was always, 'Hey here's our big picture agenda.' And you could, as a member, bust your hump to influence its drafting and design. Now, even the language comes down from on high, not just the concept," Schweikert said. "In many ways, last year and this year, committees have become more theatrical."

Without a chance to take part in those theatrics, Greene makes mischief on the House floor, often delaying proceedings by introducing motions to adjourn that are certain to fail. And even without committee assignments, she can certainly still introduce legislation. Greene recently  recently announced a bill to cut Dr. Anthony Fauci's salary to $0.

While these actions had little tangible results, they're causing concern among Democrats, some of whom want Greene removed from Congress outright. Before the vote to take Greene off her committees, Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of California introduced a resolution that would expel her from Congress, but this would require a two-thirds vote rather than a simple majority.

"She still maintains the ability to cause trouble. She maintains the ability to introduce legislation that's bonkers and has no chance of getting passed but feeds her base," Gomez said. "I don't think she ever had an intention of really legislating so removing her [from committees], although punishment, is probably not as severe as it needs to be."

But it's still up for debate whether Greene's position was strengthened or weakened politically by her loss of committee assignments. Under different circumstances, committee shakeups have sparked consolidation along the fringes of the GOP. When a group of far-right Republicans had their assignments changed by party leadership in 2012, Schweikert lost an enviable spot on the Financial Services Committee. He said the Democratic action against Green could backfire.

"It's the law of unintended consequences," Schweikert said. "It was a moment like this that created the Freedom Caucus. Is this a moment where you've created someone who's going to have a national platform?"

• Marjorie Taylor Greene

CBS News reporter covering the House.

More from CBS News

Harris accepts historic nomination, calls on nation to move past division

Watch: Kamala Harris' full speech at the 2024 DNC

Foo Fighters say they did not OK Trump using "My Hero" at Arizona rally

Dramatic images show lava spew from huge volcanic fissure in Iceland

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar get committee assignments after Democrats kicked them off

WASHINGTON — House Republicans have reinstated far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona on committees again after Democrats stripped them of that privilege in 2021, multiple GOP sources said.

The GOP Steering Committee, which doles out committee gavels and seats, voted to give Greene and Gosar spots on the Oversight and Accountability Committee, which plans to launch numerous investigations into President Joe Biden and his administration .

Gosar also secured an assignment on the Natural Resources Committee. Democrats had booted him off both panels in the last Congress.

Greene also won a seat on the Homeland Security Committee, which Republicans will use to focus on border security and to investigate Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Last week, a House Republican from Texas filed articles of impeachment against Mayorkas.

A spokesperson for Greene confirmed her appointments. She had taken fire in recent months from the right for defending Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during his tumultuous, successful quest to become House speaker, but her gamble appears to have paid off.

Greene and Gosar are allies of former President Donald Trump and members of the House Freedom Caucus.

In February 2021, the House, then controlled by Democrats, voted to remove Greene from the Budget Committee and the Education and Labor Committee after her social media posts revealed she was spreading dangerous and racist conspiracy theories .

The Democratic majority chose to pursue  a proposal  to remove Greene from her committees after House Republican leaders opted not to act against her. Greene, a freshman lawmaker at the time, had come under fire for having expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, embracing calls for violence against top Democrats and suggesting that the Newtown, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, school shootings were staged.

Later that year, in November, the House voted to remove Gosar from his two committees — Oversight and Reform and Natural Resources — after he posted an animated video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking Biden. As part of the measure, Gosar was censured, which is considered the harshest punishment against a member in the House, after expulsion.

As minority leader, McCarthy had delivered a veiled threat before the vote to remove Gosar, warning Democrats that if Republicans won control of the House in the 2022 election, Democrats’ seats on committees might not be safe.

Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington.

Scott Wong is a senior congressional reporter for NBC News.

• National Security
• Environment
• Special Investigations
• More Ways to Donate
• Impact & Reports
• Join Newsletter
• Become a Source

© THE INTERCEPT

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What Matt Gaetz and AOC Talked About During Kevin McCarthy’s Speaker Vote

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Matt Gaetz wanted to know if Democrats would bail out the would-be Republican speaker. Not a chance, she told him.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on WhatsApp

Opponents of  Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the House speakership are digging in after a tense discussion on the House floor between Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The pair’s conspicuous exchange in the back of the chamber on the first day of the 118th Congress was caught on C-SPAN — and noted by many members in the building. Thanks to Gaetz and his far-right allies, McCarthy, a California Republican, failed to win the speakership on the first round of voting.

Gaetz told Ocasio-Cortez that McCarthy has been telling Republicans that he’ll be able to cut a deal with Democrats to vote present, enabling him to win a majority of those present and voting, according to Ocasio-Cortez. She told Gaetz that wasn’t happening, and also double-checked with Democratic party leadership, confirming there’d be no side deal.

What happened here? Can anyone read lips? pic.twitter.com/r7PR3Srcyg — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 3, 2023

“McCarthy was suggesting he could get Dems to walk away to lower his threshold,” Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept of her conversation with Gaetz on McCarthy’s failed ploy. “And I fact checked and said absolutely not.”

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York won all 212 of his party’s votes, a show of unity that, if it holds, requires McCarthy to win over all but four of his colleagues.

Gaetz, who has shown a willingness to break with the GOP establishment, said that his crew of McCarthy opponents was dug in and would continue to resist him, adding that McCarthy has been threatening opponents with loss of committee assignments. A private gathering of Republicans ahead of the vote had been heated, multiple sources said. (Gaetz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

McCarthy and Gaetz presented their positions in dueling press conferences Tuesday morning. McCarthy said that Gaetz and his allies had requested plum committee assignments in exchange for supporting his speaker bid. McCarthy also accused Gaetz of telling Republican members that he was willing to elect Jeffries as speaker rather than accede to McCarthy. Gaetz told reporters that he and his allies didn’t trust McCarthy.

Join Our Newsletter

Original reporting. fearless journalism. delivered to you..

Ahead of the second round of voting, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who won six votes for speaker in the first round, nominated McCarthy again. Then Gaetz rose and nominated Jordan. All 19 McCarthy opponents voted for Jordan in the second round, leaving McCarthy again at 203 votes — 15 short of what he needed.

Rep. Paul Gosar , R-Ariz. another McCarthy opponent, also huddled with Ocasio-Cortez in the chamber, where they discussed the possibility of adjourning the House. (Gosar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

In the first round, McCarthy won just 203 votes, losing 19 of his colleagues. McCarthy has been insistent on remaining in session, as have his opponents. Adjourning without choosing a speaker would be embarrassing to Republicans but might also give time for McCarthy to break the opposition one by one.

Ocasio-Cortez was noncommittal on the tack, as an adjournment strategy would require party leadership.

Contact the author:

AOC and Mo Mitchell on the Midterms

AOC: The New York State Democratic Party’s Corruption May Have Cost Democrats the House

Conservatives Only Care About the Incarcerated When It Comes to the Capitol Rioters

GOP Lawmaker Who Voted Against Paid Sick Leave in Florida Takes Paid Leave From Congress

Latest stories.

Kamala Harris Mentioned Palestinian Suffering — in the Passive Voice

Akela Lacy, Ali Gharib

Democrats united behind Kamala Harris, but tension over Gaza simmered throughout the DNC.

Democrats Abandoned Their Anti-Death Penalty Stance. Those on Federal Death Row May Pay the Price.

Liliana Segura

Witnesses to Trump's execution spree are dismayed by Democrats' decision to remove death penalty opposition from their party platform.

The U.S.-Led Ceasefire Talks Are Just Buying More Time for Israel’s Genocide

Sunjeev Bery

Breaking this cynical cycle requires getting honest about Biden and Harris’s roles in this blood-soaked charade.

Color Scheme

• Use system setting
• Light theme

Menendez’s Senate replacement has been a Democrat for just five months

When George Helmy is sworn in next month as Bob Menendez’s temporary replacement in the Senate, he will join a chamber where Democrats hold a razor-thin majority, outnumbering Republicans by a single seat, 50-49.

Helmy was selected last week by Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, to fill a seat held for three terms by Menendez, who, before being convicted of trading his political influence for bribes of cash, gold and a Mercedes, was widely viewed as one of the country’s most powerful Democrats.

Helmy, however, is new to the Democratic Party.

He registered as a Democrat in March, six days before the candidate he was supporting in the Democratic Senate primary, Tammy Murphy, New Jersey’s first lady, dropped out of the race, according to Board of Elections records in Morris County, New Jersey. Before then, he was registered as an independent – or “unaffiliated” – voter.

Helmy will serve in Washington only through November. He said he will caucus with the Democratic Party after he is sworn in the week of Sept. 9, and will be a reliable vote for legislation supported by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Joe Biden. His appointment will return the Democratic majority to 51 members, as it was before Menendez resigned Tuesday. That includes four independents who caucus with the Democrats.

“I’ve worked my entire career to advance Democratic priorities,” Helmy said Friday in an email, “and that’s what I’ll continue to do during my short tenure as a U.S. Senator.”

In selecting Helmy, Murphy passed over Rep. Andy Kim, who ran a bruising Senate race against the governor’s wife and went on to win the Democratic primary with 75% of the vote. Supporters of Kim, including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, had urged the governor to immediately appoint the three-term member of Congress to Menendez’s seat, giving him a slight seniority edge in the Senate and a possible head start toward preferred committee assignments.

Murphy said he had decided to appoint Helmy in part because of what he called a state “tradition” to name a temporary caretaker until voters have a chance to elect a permanent replacement. He said any suggestion of “middle school drama” between him and Kim was foolish.

A spokesperson for Kim declined to comment on Helmy’s political affiliation.

Helmy, 44, was a Republican until late 2011, when he switched his registration to unaffiliated – a status he has maintained for most of the past 13 years, according to his voter profile. More than 2.4 million voters in New Jersey are unaffiliated, the second-largest voting bloc behind Democrats.

Helmy, Murphy’s former chief of staff, said his decision to remain politically independent while working for the governor and two Democratic U.S. senators, Booker and Frank Lautenberg, did not interfere with his job.

“I am not a candidate running for office. The work of my career in public service has been to enact the agendas of three statewide Democratic elected officials,” he said, adding, “All three cared deeply about delivering meaningful results for working and middle-class families, which is why I worked for them.”

Helmy joined the Democratic Party once before, in 2018, to vote in the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, where Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, was running. Sherrill won the race, becoming one of four New Jersey Democrats to flip Republican seats that year during former President Donald Trump’s term.

Helmy, who lives in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, with his wife and two sons, renewed his registration as an unaffiliated voter soon after the November 2018 election.

Helmy has agreed to step down from the Senate after the general election is certified Nov. 27, at which point Murphy said he would appoint the winner of the race between Kim and Curtis Bashaw, a Republican, one month early. It has been more than 50 years since New Jersey elected a Republican to the Senate, and Kim is the heavy favorite in November.

A spokesperson for the governor said Murphy would have no comment beyond remarks he gave last Friday strongly in support of Helmy, who he said would be “ready to run this office from Day One.”

“George is the ideal leader to take on this role,” the governor said last week, “and he has more relevant experience under his belt than perhaps anybody in New Jersey.”

This is the second time this year that the governor, a self-described progressive, has worked to boost the political careers of people close to him with roots outside of the Democratic Party.

Tammy Murphy, 59, was a registered Republican until 10 years ago and regularly voted in Republican primaries while her husband, a former Democratic National Committee finance chair, served as ambassador to Germany during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

While running for Senate, she was criticized on social media by supporters of Kim, who missed no opportunity to highlight her arc from Republican to Democrat.

A month before Tammy Murphy dropped out of the race, Kim’s campaign noted that she had had dinner at a New Jersey restaurant with Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The campaign questioned how she could be expected to take on Trump if he is re-elected in November.

According to a photo shared by the restaurant on social media, Helmy and his wife attended the same dinner.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .

5 good questions to ask about Medicare Advantage Plans

Some seniors aren’t sure where to start when choosing a Medicare health plan.

Kyle Donahue

Committee assignments, co-sponsorship memoranda, sponsored legislation, personal history.