Nancy Pelosi Actively Works to Block AOC’s Bid for Key Oversight Position

Progressive Democrats expressed their dissatisfaction on Thursday upon hearing that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leveraging her significant political clout on Capitol Hill to oppose Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s attempt to secure the leading Democratic role on a crucial committee poised to investigate the Trump administration in the upcoming years.

Last week, as reported by Common Dreams, Pelosi (D-Calif.) openly supported Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as the top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability for the 119th Congress starting January.

According to Punchbowl News, Pelosi, known for her effective vote-gathering within the Democratic caucus, is also “making calls” to other Democratic members to promote Connolly. The news source highlighted that Pelosi is “actively working to undermine” Ocasio-Cortez’s candidacy (D-N.Y.), a relationship that has been strained as Ocasio-Cortez has pushed for significant changes in areas like climate policy, immigration, and others.

Both Connolly and Ocasio-Cortez are confident in their chances to clinch the top Democrat spot on the committee. Ocasio-Cortez, who was previously appointed as vice ranking member by Raskin, has not received a public endorsement from him despite their close alliance. Raskin is anticipated to take over Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, closely linked to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), is expected to recommend a candidate for the ranking member position, which will then be voted on by the full Democratic caucus.

The centrist New Democrat Coalition backed Connolly on Friday. However, a House Democrat told Axios that Ocasio-Cortez “has pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee with her.”

On the same day, the Congressional Progressive Caucus endorsed Ocasio-Cortez, with Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Chair-elect Greg Casar (D-Texas) stating that her “bold leadership on the Oversight Committee is crucial for Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the House in 2026.”

“During her time on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has been a staunch advocate for the working class,” Jayapal and Casar noted. “Her effective oversight has held major corporations, including pharmaceutical companies, accountable, significantly impacting medication prices such as PrEP.”

As Axios reported, the ongoing leadership challenges within the party by younger members, like Ocasio-Cortez, who was the youngest woman elected to Congress in 2018 at age 29, have created tension. She is a prominent member of the “Squad,” a group known for advocating for comprehensive healthcare reform and previously for the abolition of ICE, which has previously caused friction with Pelosi.

A senior House Democrat expressed concerns to Axios about the implications of these leadership battles.

Ryan Grim from Drop Site News criticized Pelosi’s actions against Ocasio-Cortez as “smacking of pettiness.”

David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, described the situation as Pelosi trying to manipulate from behind the scenes, labeling her actions as those of a “puppet master.”

Last week, Ocasio-Cortez reached out to her colleagues to announce her candidacy for the ranking member position, emphasizing her role in thwarting Republican attempts to misuse the committee’s investigative authority for political gains and her commitment to focusing the committee’s efforts on enhancing the lives of working Americans under a potential future Trump administration.

If the Democrats regain the House majority in 2026, the committee would be in a position to initiate investigations into the Trump administration and would possess subpoena power.