Bay Area Democrats gain clout in House
Even as the final votes are being tallied in the midterm elections, it’s clear that Democrats’ majority in the House next year will be a boon for the Bay Area’s congressional delegation.
Many of the area’s lawmakers — all of whom are Democrats — are poised to run key committees or are angling to be elected to party leadership. Bay Area lawmakers are poised to play key roles on issues from immigration to the environment, voting rights to health care.
Here’s an in-depth look at what local representatives will be up to: San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi: OK, this one’s a bit obvious. The longtime congresswoman is looking once again to be speaker of the House. That position would give her power to control the chamber’s agenda, including what legislation comes to the floor, set rules for the legislative process and have a big hand in selecting key positions on committees. Her election is not a lock, but she’s
campaigning hard. Capitol Hill observers give her the edge — and late Tuesday she won a significant victory when a Democrat who had been pondering a challenge, Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, backed off and endorsed her.
Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee: The progressive leader is looking to break into House leadership, running for the Democrats’ No. 4 spot. That position (caucus chair) was opened when New York Rep. Joe Crowley was defeated in his primary by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Lee is running against New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow Congressional Black Caucus member, potentially splitting that key voting bloc. Lee also has posts on the House Appropriations and Budget committees, where she works on her antipoverty agenda.
San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren: The congresswoman hasn’t made any formal announcements yet, but is expected to keep panel positions where she has seniority. That would put her in charge of the House Administration Committee, where she would oversee internal House functions as well as legislation that would affect elections. Democrats are looking to pass bills out of the gate next year that they say will strengthen democracy (read: voting access). Lofgren is also expected to keep an influential post running the Judiciary subcommittee that handles immigration.
Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna: Khanna sits on the Armed Services Committee and the Budget Committee, but his top priority in Congress has been bringing the benefits of the tech industry, including jobs and investment, to rural and underserved communities around the country.
San Mateo Rep. Jackie Speier: Speier serves on the Intelligence Committee, which may well revive its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, and Armed Services, where she is in position to chair the military personnel subcommittee. Palo Alto Rep. Anna Eshoo: The close friend of Pelosi and longtime congresswoman has announced she is running to chair the health subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which would give her a powerful vantage point over any legislation or hearings on health care legislation. Democrats made preserving the Affordable Care Act and its protections on coverage for pre-existing conditions the biggest message in their successful House midterm campaign. The broader committee also plays a key role over the tech industry.
St. Helena Rep. Mike Thompson: Thompson is expected to remain chair of the party’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which could gain prominence with the influx in the House of several new members who ran progun-control campaigns. He is also in line to chair a subcommittee on the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, possibly its health panel.
San Rafael Rep. Jared Huffman: The congressman is in line to chair the water, power and oceans subcommittee on the Natural Resources Committee. That would give him jurisdiction over California-related issues such as commercial fishing, ocean protection and water management. He also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Dublin Rep. Eric Swalwell: Swalwell is rumored to have presidential ambitions and has been making trips to Iowa, the first state to hold caucus votes in 2020. In the House, he will probably remain on the powerful Judiciary and Intelligence committees, which have given him a forum for sounding off on Russian interference in U.S. elections. He is in line to lead the Intelligence Committee’s CIA subcommittee, which oversees the spy agency’s conduct and budget. Swalwell is also likely to remain co-chair of the party’s Steering and Policy Committee, which has sway on policy priorities and party committee assignments.
Concord Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: DeSaulnier serves on the Education and Workforce Committee, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. On those committees, he’s focused on worker protections and promoting Bay Area infrastructure.