119th Congress - Key Members to Watch
The 119th Congress begins with one of the smallest majorities since the 1930s with Republicans holding 220 seats to Democrats 215 seats (with two Republican resignations to serve in the Administration, the majority is narrowed to 218 to 215). The narrow margins places more power than ever with each individual Member of Congress as the body moves to address must-pass legislation such as government funding as well as Republicans’ wishlist items like an update to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from the President’s first term.
While much attention will be focused on the Members leading their respective parties (e.g., Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)), as well as committee chairs and ranking members, it is also important to understand the rank-and-file Members to watch including some potential all-stars among the 62 freshmen or first-time Members.
Appropriations Committee
With the President moving to shutter federal agencies, the congressional power of the purse has never been more important - and more in question. House Democrats had numerous vacancies to fill on the committee after retirements of longtime Members such as Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Rep. Matt Cartwright’s (D-PA) loss. Keep a close eye on those Members selected to fill those spots such as Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), and Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), all serving in their fourth terms in office having first won in the 2018 midterm election two years into the President’s first term. In addition, Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN), a third-term member, earns a spot that his predecessor, Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) used to great effect for many years while sophomore members Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) face tall orders in replacing Kilmer and Ruppersberger respectively to champion their regions on the committee.
Energy and Commerce Committee
Former Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) once remarked, “If it moves, it’s energy. If it doesn’t, it’s commerce”, which underscores the wide-sweeping jurisdiction of this committee. Similar to their appropriators colleagues, the committee saw several longtime Members head for the exits with the retirements of Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD). While much ink was spilled on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) appointment to the committee, the other newcomers are worth watching including Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA).
The Freshmen
While new Members are often spending more time figuring out the most efficient routes from their offices to the committee hearing rooms or House chambers, several scored important committee assignments to bolster their legislative wins in their first term. Spots on the Agriculture and Armed Services Committees are hot commodities as both committees have must-pass legislation under their jurisdiction with the Farm Bill and National Defense Authorization Act respectively. Credit to Rep. Eugene Vindman’s (D-VA) team for scoring a seat on both committees although if the committees hold their marathon markups on back to back days like the last Congress, they will need some strong coffee to keep on top of things. Other members to watch on Agriculture are Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA), Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), and Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) who all served in their state legislatures before their elections in November. On Armed Services, Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-CA) returns after a stint in DOD leadership in the Biden-Harris Administration while Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) experience at NASA and in private industry will be an asset as his district remains a hotbed of defense tech innovation.