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Politico
a day ago
- Politics
- Politico
Robert Garcia is a young Democrat with an old-style approach to moving up the House ladder
Rep. Robert Garcia wants to usher in a new era for Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. But don't ask the 47-year-old Californian if he's seeking 'generational change.' Garcia has instead fashioned his candidacy for his party's top leadership post on the panel around his experience as a big-city mayor and contributions on the Oversight panel, sidestepping the age and seniority questions that have roiled the Democratic Party. That careful approach — calibrated to appeal widely inside a House Democratic Caucus whose members are both eager to promote fresh faces and wary of sticking fingers in the eyes of party elders — has allowed Garcia, only in his second term, to emerge as the prohibitive favorite in the closely watched internal contest to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly. Garcia has emerged as a middle-ground choice ahead of next week's caucus election for Oversight ranking member that is putting two older lawmakers — Reps. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, 70, and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland, 76 — against two younger Democrats: Garcia and 44-year-old Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas. His careful pitch was on display in a recent interview, when he sought to thread a needle between a Democratic base demanding an aggressive confrontation with President Donald Trump and the more delicate sensibilities of fellow House Democrats, whose votes he is courting. 'The seniority system in Congress is not going to go away,' Garcia said, playing down the notion that the race is a proxy battle in a larger war over the future of the Democratic Party. 'There's an opportunity here to expand who's at that table, and I bring a different kind of experience. I may not have the most time served in Congress, but I certainly would put my experience up against anybody's.' His approach was no doubt informed by the last election for Democratic leadership of the Oversight panel, where Connolly was elected at age 74 last year over 35-year-old progressive stalwart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Connolly's sudden illness and death from esophageal cancer in May only served to rekindle the quiet but urgent conversation about whether Democrats need to promote younger leaders. Crockett has been more outspoken in presenting herself as the face of that younger, more confrontational generation. She's built a reputation as a partisan brawler in viral committee-room exchanges and cable-TV appearances. She has raised eyebrows inside the caucus, for instance, by openly discussing pursuing a Trump impeachment should Democrats retake the majority next year. 'For me, it starts with: How do we motivate the base? I think that I am the singular candidate that can really motivate and excite the base,' she told reporters last week leaving a closed-door candidate meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. Committee leadership contests, however, tend to center on inside-the-building glad-handing than appeals to voters at large, and that is the campaign Garcia has undertaken. After backing Ocasio-Cortez for the Oversight job last Congress, Garcia has taken pains to avoid the pitfalls she faced. He has personally met with all but a handful of the 214 sitting House Democrats, according to a person granted anonymity to describe his strategy. In the interview, the former mayor of Long Beach cast himself less as an anti-Trump attack dog and more as a consensus-builder. He shied away from talk of impeaching Trump, calling it 'premature' without buy-in from other Democrats, and emphasized that the committee would do more than bulldog the Trump administration under a Democratic majority. That has been welcome to members who have been put off by some of Crockett's comments, including her willingness to entertain impeachment. 'You can't get out ahead of your skis if you're weighing something as serious as this, that requires real buy-in from battleground members and safe-seat members,' said one battleground Democrat who was granted anonymity to react candidly. There are signs the more prudent approach is paying off. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has already endorsed Garcia, the only Latino member running for the job, while other powerful groups including the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus and New Democrat Coalition appear unlikely to endorse. He's also expected to receive strong support from the 43-member delegation of California Democrats — a historically formidable bloc — and he's earned plaudits from colleagues who appreciate the millions of dollars he's raised for the party and candidates as they gear up for an expensive fight to retake the House. 'I really value the people who pay their dues early and on time and who give to other people,' said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), a DCCC national finance co-chair who is supporting Garcia. Garcia isn't entirely playing the inside game by any means. He has occasionally sought to bait his Republican colleagues on the Oversight panel and at times has tested what kind of rhetoric crosses the line. At a hearing of an Oversight subcommittee set up to work alongside Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative, Garcia announced he would display a 'dick pic.' He proceeded to unveil a headshot of Musk, after reminding colleagues how Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — the well-known conservative provocateur who chairs the subpanel — had shown nude photos of presidential son Hunter Biden at a previous committee meeting. Garcia is also among a handful of Democrats — alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver and California Sen. Alex Padilla — who have found themselves in federal law enforcement crosshairs under Trump: In February, a prosecutor appointed by Trump threatened to investigate him after he openly suggested that the public wants Democrats to 'bring actual weapons to this bar fight' for democracy. Garcia denied making any actual threat and said he would not be intimidated. 'I'm not afraid of Elon Musk, the richest man on the planet, or Donald Trump, or other folks that are trying to cause harm,' he said in the interview — a sentiment that could appeal to Democrats, like Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, who want younger, more aggressive leaders to step up. 'We as a caucus need to have structures in place to allow young talent to be cultivated whether it is members who have only been here a few years,' said Balint. 'This is what our voters want, so let's do something about it.'
New York Post
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
House GOP launches probe of China-based billionaire linked to protest groups, including anti-ICE agitators in LA
WASHINGTON — House Republicans launched an investigation Friday into a China-based billionaire purportedly backing left-wing protest groups in the US — including one linked to the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots in Los Angeles — and asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to determine whether he was part of a larger Chinese Communist Party influence operation. The reclusive Neville Singham, who was born in Chicago but lives with his activist wife Jodie Evans in Shanghai, 'may have acted as an agent for the CCP' through his support of the demonstrations, GOP members of the House Oversight Committee alleged in letters to the billionaire himself as well as Bondi that have been obtained by The Post. Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Declassification Taskforce Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has threatened to subpoena Singham if he refuses to cooperate with their investigation, drew attention to the CCP's self-described 'Strategy of Sowing Discord' in the letters. 4 The reclusive Neville Singham was born in Chicago but lives with his activist wife Jodie Evans in Shanghai. Getty Images for V-Day 'Under General Secretary Xi [Jinping], the CCP is known for its 'Strategy of Sowing Discord,' which 'refers to efforts to make internal disputes amongst the enemy so deep that they become distracted from conflict,'' Comer and Luna wrote in the letters, which were signed by 19 other Oversight GOPers. 'If you are, in fact, carrying out this strategy on behalf of the CCP, you may have a [Foreign Agents Registration Act] registration obligation. In addition, your funding and relationship with the PSL, which has been implicated in the violence and riots in Los Angeles, may violate other federal laws.' The letters focus in particular on Singham's ties to the Party for Liberation and Socialism (PSL), as well as the People's Forum and the ANSWER Coalition, but request information about 16 other groups. 4 PSL has been involved in the Los Angeles-based demonstrations as well as other protests nationwide against federal immigration actions, according to public social media posts. Toby Canham for NY Post Public social media posts indicate PSL has been involved in the Los Angeles demonstrations as well as other protests nationwide against federal immigration actions, some of which have devolved into riots and property destruction. The People's Forum and ANSWER Coalition have also helped organize large anti-Israel demonstrations in the US since the outbreak of Jewish state's war against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. 'Reportedly, you have supported these groups with the aim of causing destruction and division in our country — including most recently through ongoing riots and violence in Los Angles, California,' the Oversight Republicans said in the letter to Singham. 4 The Oversight lawmakers asked Attorney General Pam Bondi if he was part of a larger Chinese Communist Party influence operation. AP 'You have created an elaborate dark money network which allows you to send funds to a series of non-profits,' they added, 'that have almost no real footprints.' Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), now secretary of state, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had asked Biden's DOJ last year to look into any activities Singham may have been supporting 'on behalf of the CCP' to promote civil unrest in the US, the Oversight panel noted. Both Singham, the founder of the software firm Thoughtworks and a purported admirer of Maoism, and Evans have denied working for the Chinese government, but have shared office space with the Maku Group — a CCP-promoting propaganda network. 4 'You have created an elaborate dark money network which allows you to send funds to a series of non-profits,' the GOP lawmakers added, 'that have almost no real footprints.' Toby Canham for NY Post Dark money nonprofits connected to Singham — including the United Community Fund and the Justice Education Fund — have also bankrolled Maku's operations, according to an extensive New York Times report cited by the Oversight panel. 'Maku's website shows young people gathering in Mr. Singham's office, facing a banner that reads, 'Always Follow the Party,' with an image of General Secretary Xi Jinping in the background,' the Republicans wrote. 'Moreover, it appears that Mr. Singham supports BreakThrough Media, a platform known for promoting pro-CCP talking points and geopolitical interests.' Singham, 71, sold the tech company to a private equity firm for $785 million in 2017. Evans, 70, co-founded the anti-war group Code Pink, which Republicans have also accused of ties to the Chinese government, and currently sits on the board of the People's Forum. Alex Goldenberg, senior advisor to the National Contagion Research Institute, which tracks disinformation on social media platforms, previously told The Post: 'The Singham network operates as a coordinated movement incubator.' The Post reached out to reps for Singham and the Justice Department for comment.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senator ‘manhandled' in melee that upends Republican immigration offensive
A day where Republicans hoped to put Democratic governors in a bind on immigration turned on its head after California's senior senator was forcibly removed and handcuffed following an attempt to ask a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. As video of Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla's removal by federal law enforcement in Los Angeles spread across Washington, his party demanded accountability and even GOP senators were rattled by the rough treatment of a statewide elected official. The episode largely overshadowed a House Oversight Committee hearing with Democratic governors that was designed to shine a critical spotlight on blue-state immigration Adam Schiff, D-Calif. told reporters afterward that he attempted to contact Padilla immediately after the incident and was waiting to hear back. He said it wouldn't change the way he and other Democrats do their jobs. 'This is not going to deter us,' he said. He disputed the notion, shared by a DHS spokesperson on X, that Padilla's removal was in part due to his failure to identify himself in the room during Noem's press conference. 'I have no doubt that they understood exactly who he was, and that makes it all the more troubling.' Senators reviewed videos of Padilla's treatment by law enforcement agents in the room during the chamber's last votes of the week, they told Semafor. Some declined to comment without seeing more, but his colleagues were clearly unsettled — and the incident offered Democrats the chance to spotlight the military deployments that President Donald Trump has ordered in Los Angeles to tamp down protests against immigration raids. 'I don't know what preceded it … but it looks like he's being manhandled and physically removed, and it's hard to imagine a justification for that,' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Semafor. Schiff, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer all took to the floor quickly to denounce the incident. And news of the arrest rippled through the Oversight panel hearing room where the Democratic governors of Illinois, Minnesota, and New York were taking hours of questions on their states' immigration policies. As photos of Padilla being held on the ground went viral online, Democrats held up printouts and asked Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., to read them into the record. After sharing several of the stories, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., asked Comer to 'commit on the record to subpoenaing Kristi Noem.' Comer refused and grew frustrated as Frost repeated the request instead of letting the hearing continue. 'Shut up!' he said. 'Just shut up!' 'Can't follow the rules, can't follow the law,' snapped Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accusing Frost of being a former member of 'Antifa.' After a pause, she amended that statement to say that Frost had once been arrested at a voting-rights rally. 'Proudly,' Frost countered. The senator addressed his removal on Thursday while still in California, vowing to 'hold this administration accountable.' 'I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room, I forced to the ground and I was handcuffed,' Padilla said at a press conference. 'I was not arrested, I was not detained. I will say this: If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they are doing to farmers, to cooks, to day laborers.' Republicans used their time at the House hearing to accuse the blue-state governors of culpability in the deaths of Americans killed by non-citizens; Democrats often used theirs to say that Trump was shredding the Constitution. When the Padilla incident came up, they said that Democrats were over-selling what happened. 'For the record, he rushed the podium. He was being disruptive,' Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said of still unsure of their broader immigration agenda, have been more confident in accusing the Trump administration of overreach as troops remain on the ground in Los Angeles. And simply put, US senators don't like seeing a colleague pushed onto the ground. Democrats were ready to support New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver after she tried to prevent ICE from arresting Newark Mayor Ras Baraka last month, and denounced it when she was charged by a Trump-appointed US attorney for impeding federal officers. But not every Democrat was comfortable with McIver's physical involvement in that situation, or how she resisted law enforcement as they hauled Baraka away. The video of Padilla, in his state, was more unifying: He interrupted Noem at a media event, did not resist, and was hauled away with TV cameras rolling.
Axios
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Impeachment wars
Rep. Jasmine Crockett's mere mention of a possible impeachment inquiry into President Trump has touched off negative reactions from some colleagues. "I think she's going to turn off a lot more people than gain," a House Democrat told us. Why it matters: House Democratic leaders are staying neutral. But many Democrats are allergic to the word after they impeached Trump twice only for him to return to power with full control of the government. Crockett (D-Texas), asked in a local news interview if she would pursue impeachment if Democrats retook the House in 2026 and she became Oversight Committee chair, said she would "absolutely at least do an inquiry." The other three candidates for the ranking member job on Oversight, Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), told us they wouldn't go that far. 👿 "Turning this ranker race into a proxy for impeachment is unhelpful and unfair to her colleagues," said a House Democrat who predicted Republicans will "try to motivate their base by saying that a Democratic majority will inevitably lead to impeachment." Crockett told us the term "impeachment inquiry" would stress to the public the "next level of gravity" of the subject matter — such as Trump's pardons for big money allies and the Qatari jet scandal. "A lot of times we as Democrats can overthink stuff," Crockett said. "A lot of people ... felt like [Oversight Committee chair] James Comer was an embarrassment. But at the end of the day, who won the House?" The bottom line: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries deferred to House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), whose panel, he said, "has jurisdiction over impeachment."
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lynch, Mfume enter race for top Oversight Committee Dem
Two additional Democrats, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), on Thursday launched their bids for the top Democratic spot on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Mfume, in a letter announcing his candidacy, stated he was 'prepared to meet that moment; as my lifelong friend, successor, and predecessor Elijah Cummings did when he was Oversight Chair under the first twisted Trump administration.' 'The dismantling of our democracy at the hands of the Trump administration and his congressional enablers demands Committee leadership that meets this moment with vigor, experience, principle, and resolve,' Mfume wrote in a 'Dear Colleague' letter. In a letter by Lynch obtained by Punchbowl News, he highlighted his work with the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who stepped back from his daily responsibilities as ranking member earlier this year due to his battle with cancer. Connolly died earlier this month. 'As we all know, Gerry Connolly was all about the work, and I am honored to have earned his trust and endorsement to continue this important work and lead Oversight Democrats at a moment when our decisions and our actions over the coming months may determine the course of our American experiment,' Lynch said in his letter. He also mentioned his more than two decades of experience on the Oversight Committee, which would make him 'well-prepared to manage an extremely talented group of Oversight Democrats as we fight like hell against every action taken by the Trump Administration to curtail individual rights, dismantle our democratic institutions and unload the costs of reckless economic plans onto the backs of America's workers and vulnerable communities.' Earlier on Thursday, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) was the first Democrat to officially announce his candidacy. 'From the Trump administration's attacks on the rule of law, weaponizing the government against its critics, and decimating the services our constituents rely upon–there is a clear and immediate threat to our democracy,' Garcia wrote in a 'Dear Colleague' letter. 'As citizens, patriots, and members of Congress, we must organize, fight back, and defend the principles of freedom, equality, and justice. I'm ready to help lead that fight.' Both Mfume, 76, and Lynch, 70, had voiced interest in the role before announcing their bids. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), 44, has also expressed interest. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who lost her bid for the position to Connolly late last year, passed on running earlier this month. The House Democratic Caucus is slated to hold the election for the ranking member position on June 24. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
