How House Dems will resolve the committee conundrums
Plus: News and notes on the seniority debate, Biden’s upcoming economic legacy speech and the NDAA latest.
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👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome back to Once Upon a Hill. Ahead of its first organizing meeting in advance of the 119th Congress this morning, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) will serve as the three co-chairs of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee—a low-key but powerful panel that assigns members to committees and makes policy recommendations to leadership. Wasserman Schultz is the lone returning co-chair while Kelly and Barragán replace retiring Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).
At this morning’s meeting, the committee will consider the nominations for ranking members of the exclusive committees (Appropriations, Rules, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Financial Services) plus the Budget Committee. These rankers sit on Steering and must be approved by the committee and the House Democratic Caucus as the first order of business for the new Congress.
The Steering Committee will meet next Monday afternoon to make recommendations to the full caucus regarding the remaining ranking member positions. The contested races on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Oversight Committees—will be the first positions considered by the committee followed by recommendations for the remaining uncontested ranker positions. Once recommendations for all the ranking members are completed, the committee will organize the membership of each committee with returning members receiving first consideration followed by new members.
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The nuances of seniority • It’s those three contested positions—and unseasonably drama-free year-end government funding sprint—that have produced such intrigue around the normally ho-hum process of granting committee assignments.
Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) are looking to replace Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) as the top Natural Resources Committee Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is up against Rep. Gerry Connolly(D-Va.) for the chance to lead Democrats on the powerful and highly visible Oversight Committee. And Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) believe they’re best suited to lead House Agriculture Democrats given current Ranking Member David Scott’s advanced age (79) and recent health issues.
But if you’re looking for Jeffries to tamp down the public jockeying between the old and new guards, you’ll be waiting a while.
A source close to Jeffries told me the top Democrat would continue be hands-off on most issues and instead empower his ranking members to manage family dynamics as long as the caucus remained unified in its pursuit of reducing the harm of a second Trump administration and winning back the House majority in 2026.
“The caucus is working its will,” Jeffries told reporters last week. “And we’re doing it in a cordial fashion, having internal discussions and deliberations about how to make sure we’re in the strongest possible position moving forward to deal with the excesses of the incoming Trump administration, whenever and wherever that manifests itself.”
Jeffries added that he wouldn’t get ahead of behind-the-scenes campaigning among members who believe the moment calls for what they have to offer the caucus, their committees and the country.
“As per the tradition for decades in terms of House Democratic leadership, we have enormous talent spread throughout the caucus,” he said. “And that talent, of course, includes both more seasoned members who bring great experience to the congressional arena as well as newer members who’ve got a lot of energy and capacity and ability, and we welcome their entry onto the playing field."
The members I spoke to said they preferred leadership’s approach because it gives the rank-and-file space to figure these matters among themselves so no one can say Jeffries or his deputies their thumbs on the scale—even leadership ultimately has the final say.
“Sometimes perception is stronger than reality in situations like these,” a member told me.
The perception from observers of the Congressional Black Caucus is that the powerful bloc would view seniority as a consideration instead of a determination in as Democrats organize ahead of the next Congress since the CBC has yet to endorse Scott to remain as the House Ag ranker.
But several members told me publicly and privately that seniority, which the CBC believes helps to ensure qualified nonwhite members ascend to leadership positions, is more nuanced than simply lobbying for the most senior member.
“Part of our duty is to cultivate leaders,” Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), the new CBC secretary, said. “So as we think about these committee assignments and the long game, we have to think about where people are being placed and having a very specific plan so that members of the Congressional Black Caucus themselves are in positions of leadership and there’s succession planning happening. That’s both at the committee level, but also within the Democratic Caucus.”
Incoming CBC First Vice-Chair Troy Carter (D-La.) the Black Caucus would always advocate for the best member regardless of seniority.
“Seniority without competency or without ability is a challenge. So we will make sure that we will give deference to seniority, but we want the very best person to serve,” he told me. “So sometimes it may not necessarily be in that order. But what will always be in order is the very best person that we have to offer to advance to serve in these chairmanships.”
And outgoing Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford(D-Nev.) said Democrats would lose sight of the forest for the trees.
“Leader Jeffries and our entire House Democratic leadership team have been very deliberate about making sure that we stay united as House Democrats,” he said. “And what we’re not going to do is allow process, tradition or practice get in the way of the unity on behalf of the American people.”
Meanwhile, another member said they take into account whether senior members pay dues, mentor younger members, attend meetings and is still up the task of leading Democrats on their committee.
“Seniority doesn’t matter when you lose the faith of your committee,” the member said.
And while the focus has been on the CBC, one Black Caucus member told me she received outreach from non-Black colleagues asking them for support to either remain as their committee’s ranking member of fend off a nascent challenge from a younger insurgent.
“We defend seniority the loudest, so it gives everyone else who values seniority cover to benefit from it without catching all the arrows,” the CBC member said with a smirk. “That’s fine though. We can take them.”
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Biden economic legacy speech • President Joe Biden will give a major speech this afternoon at the Brookings Institute on his complicated economic legacy weeks after voters elected Donald Trump to lower everyday costs in a rebuke of the very policies he will tout during the remarks. A White House official said the president will explain how his middle-out-bottom-up playbook has delivered the strongest global economic recovery and laid the foundation for a strong foundation for years to come. While Americans may not feel the full impact yet, Biden will make the case that the seeds have been planted for a new economic foundation that can transform America for generations to come. And as congressional Republicans prepare to extend the Trump tax cuts next year, Biden will argue the country faces an inflection point: Invest in unions and working families to continue growing the middle class or backslide to a brand of trickle-down economics that threatens Social Security, Medicare and the investments that benefit red and blue states. The White House will launch a new website to amplify the speech, which is expected to be attended by economists, academics, labor leaders, consumer advocates and business leaders.
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Zients’s six-week memo • In related news, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients sent a memo to his team highlighting the administration’s achievements and outlining his list of priorities in the final six weeks of President Biden’s term. Zients mentioned accelerating funding from the president’s legislative agenda—including The American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. The White House will also focus on confirming judicial nominees, fully implementing the $2,000 prescription drug price cap for Medicare Part D recipients and canceling additional student debt for qualified borrowers. Zients also said the administration would continue to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza and surge additional military assistance to Ukraine.
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Harris on the Hill • Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Capitol on Monday to swear in Sens.-designate Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen.-elect Pete Ricketts (D-Neb.). In her role as president of the Senate, she also signed the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, which passed the Senate and House by voice vote last week and instructs Congress to posthumously bestow the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm with the highest civilian award given by the legislative branch.
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NDAA update • The House Rules Committee advanced the National Defense Authorization Act to the full House for consideration this week. The procedural vote provides relief for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who would have had to resort to a fast-track process that would have required substantial Democratic support instead of the simple majority threshold he’ll be able to clear under the rule. (Democrats are frustrated the final NDAA excluded expanded access to IVF for veterans and servicemembers and a provision banning medical treatment to minor military dependents who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria.) The House will vote later this week to begin debate on the bill ahead of a vote on final passage before the end of the week.
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Schumer to seek UC on AED bill • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced he will request unanimous consent to pass the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act, which would create a grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training, in addition to supporting the purchase of AEDs and the development of cardiac emergency response plans, which can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest by empowering people nearby to dial 911, start CPR and use an AED. Children who experience cardiac arrest in schools with AEDs are seven times more likely to survive than children in schools without AEDs. Schumer made the announcement alongside Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, who experienced a cardiac arrest in 2023 during a Bills game and had his life saved by an AED. The House passed the HEARTS Act earlier this year.
Do you have questions about the lame-duck session or the incoming Trump presidency? Drop me a line at michael@onceuponahill.com or send me a message below to get in touch and I’ll report back with answers.
Happenings
The House will meet at 10 a.m. with first votes scheduled at 1:30 p.m. and last votes scheduled at 4:30 p.m.
The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the US Postal Service.
The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Energy Management and Technology will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. entitled “Open Border Policies and Threats to Law Enforcement.”
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the District of Columbia budget for fiscal year 2025.
The Senate will meet at 10 a.m. and vote at 11:30 a.m. to confirm Keli Neary to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The Senate will recess until 2:15 p.m. for weekly party lunches.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on mass deportations.
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