Nancy Pelosi urges Dems to block AOC from top spot on House Oversight Committee: report

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been working to defeat Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s plans to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee in the new Congress. Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly seeking to become the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, the Daily Mail reported. The 35-year-old congresswoman would have to defeat Virginia Rep. Gerry Connelly, who has served in the House since 2009, for the position.

While Pelosi is no longer leader of the House, the veteran congresswoman, who has been in Congress since 1987, still holds a great deal of power within her party and has publicly backed Connolly, who is 74. She has reportedly been making calls on behalf of Connolly behind the scenes, as first reported by Punchbowl News.

Ocasio-Cortez said earlier in December that she was speaking with colleagues before finalizing her bid. Connolly announced days after the presidential election that he had been diagnosed with the rare esophageal cancer, and while be would be undergoing chemo treatments, he was confident that he would get the spot.

Whoever holds the ranking position come the 2026 midterms could hold massive power if the Democrats are able to flip the House in 2026. In the House Oversight Committee, Rep Jamie Raskin currently holds the ranking member position but is seeking the top Democrat spot in the House Judiciary Committee, where Ranking Member Jerry Nadler has stepped aside and thrown his support behind Raskin.

A report from Politico stated that Ocasio-Cortez had gained the support of the majority of Democrats on the committee, however, the Steering and Policy Committee and the full caucus will ultimately decide who takes the seat. 

Rep. Judy Chu said, "She’s a very effective messenger, and that’s kind of the conclusion people have drawn from this election — that we haven’t had effective messengers."