California’s lawmakers to gain power if House flips
WASHINGTON — If Democrats flip the House in Tuesday’s election, the party’s California congressional delegation is poised to benefit.
California Democrats are in line for party leadership posts and chair positions on nearly 1 in 5 House committees. Although a divided Washington probably won’t agree on much legislation, a number of Californians would nevertheless be positioned to be visible and vocal checks on the Trump administration.
The prominence of California is expected to start at the top, with Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. The San Francisco congresswoman is the clear front-runner to be speaker in a Democratic House.
“It’s extraordinarily important to push back against a president who is very anti-California, and you think about the talented delegation we have,” said Steve Haro, a lobbyist and former senior staffer for California Democrats Sen. Dianne Feinstein and ex-Rep. Xavier Becerra.
“The influence and power they’re going to wield and the respect they have of their current colleagues will put California in a great driving position to push back against the White House and potentially get some serious legislation done,” Haro said.
Pelosi has said she would use control of the House to seek common ground with President Trump on areas such as immigration, infrastructure, drug prices and gun violence protection. And, she noted, it would force Trump to work with some of the Democrats he has antagonized the most.
Among them is Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles, whom Trump has regularly belittled on Twitter and on the campaign trail. She is in line to take over the House Financial Services Committee if Democrats gain a net of at least 23 seats on Tuesday and assume control of the lower chamber.
The committee has jurisdiction over Wall Street, banking, federal monetary policy, housing, insurance and urban development. Waters and other Democratic chairs would have plum vantage points from which to call hearings, conduct investigations and exact concessions on any legislation Republicans want to pass.
In a recent speech, Waters talked about being in line to be the first African American and first woman to chair the “powerful” financial services panel. While Waters has a track record of being able to reach across the aisle to negotiate legislation, she also signaled that she wouldn’t shy away from using her post to conduct oversight and carry out party priorities.
“That’s all of Wall Street, that’s all the insurance companies, that’s all the banks,” Waters said, adding that she had CEOs worried. “I have not forgotten you foreclosed on our houses. I have not forgotten you undermined our communities . ... I’m going to do to you what you did to us.”
Three other California Democrats are in line to become committee chairs should the party retake the House.
Burbank Rep. Adam Schiff would be poised to run the Intelligence Committee, displacing current Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Tulare. Schiff recently authored an opinion piece in the Washington Post laying out his case that “a Democratic House would check this erratic president.”
“Given the wealth of disturbing conduct by the Trump administration, our caucus ... will need to ruthlessly prioritize the most important matters first,” Schiff wrote.
Schiff said he would pick up the investigation into Russian interference to boost Trump in the 2016 election, including looking into “serious and credible allegations the Russians may possess financial leverage over the president.” His committee would also conduct oversight of the U.S. intelligence apparatus.
San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren is in line to take over the House Administration Committee, giving her control over the operations of the House and federal elections. That could position Lofgren to play a major role in shaping any voting legislation Democrats pursue in response to Republican measures billed as fighting election fraud, which Democrats argue suppress voting among minorities and lower-income Americans.
Riverside Rep. Mark Takano is expected to chair the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs if the Democrats run the House. The panel oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans’ benefits.
The power shifts would extend throughout subcommittees. Lofgren would be in position to run the subcommittee that handles immigration policy. Palo Alto Rep. Anna Eshoo has the seniority to lead subcommittees on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which covers the tech sector. St. Helena Rep. Mike Thompson has seniority on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee’s health panel. San Rafael Rep. Jared Huffman is the top Democrat on the water, power and oceans subcommittee.
Other members of the state’s delegation are hoping to join Pelosi in the Democratic caucus’ leadership, including Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland. She and Rep. Linda Sánchez of Whittier (Los Angeles County) have declared their interest in the No. 4 spot in Democratic ranks, which is being vacated by New York Rep. Joe Crowley, who lost his primary.
All the leadership positions are voted on within the Democratic caucus, which is expected to hold elections Nov. 28. The speakership must be ratified by a majority of representatives on the House floor as well.
Haro, the former Feinstein and Becerra staffer, noted that Californians are also in line to play prominent roles on the chamber’s minority caucuses. Those could count upward of 100 members depending on the results of the election, which Haro called “a serious voting bloc.”
A Democratic House would cost some California Republicans their power, of course. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield would have to settle for minority leader. That position requires a majority vote only of his Republican colleagues, though it’s unclear if he would face any resistance over losing the midterm election.
Other demotions would include Nunes on Intelligence. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton (Orange County), is retiring, leaving open the spot atop the House Foreign Relations Committee.