Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is preparing to increase her standing in the House of Representatives this year, with the potential being that she might become the second highest-ranking Democrat in the House Oversight Committee.
Although it hasn’t been finalized, Ocasio Cortez’s possible position as the Committee’s vice-ranking member would be a greater elevation for the already well-known progressive. The Committee role would give the Democrat more significant influence over a laundry list of controversial investigations Republicans plan to undertake.
Investigations like Hunter Biden’s business dealings, the “origins” of Covid-19, and the southern border.
On Friday (January 27), when asked about her potential appointment to become the second-highest ranking member on the Committee, Ocasio-Cortez explained that “conversations” were underway, but nothing had been “finalized.”
If Ocasio-Cortez is appointed as the Committee’s second highest-ranking member, she’ll be taking on quite a lot of responsibility, including leading the way on Democrats’ messaging and strategy on a panel chock full of rowdy, conservative Republicans.
Her more prominent role is a result of the chemo the Committee’s highest-ranking member, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), is currently undergoing.
In an interview, Raskin noted he had the “greatest admiration” for AOC’s skill. He stressed that AOC’s skills could be leveraged for “maximum effect… along with all these other amazing new members.”
Yet, similar to Ocasio-Cortez, Raskin refused to reveal whether the New York Democrat would get the role.
Many speculate Ocasio-Cortez could be a shoo-in for the role since she and Raskin worked closely in the last Congress on an Oversight subpanel that she vice-chaired.
