Congrats to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) – see his statement and fundraising email, below – on winning the vote a few minutes ago to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee. The final vote was 131-84 over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Good luck to Rep. Connolly in both his battle against esophogeal cancer as well as the fight for democracy!
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Connolly Statement on His Election as Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee
Washington, DC – Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement after the House Democratic Caucus elected him Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability:
“I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee.
“We know what the Republican playbook will be. We have seen it before. They have demonstrated that they are willing to traffic in debunked conspiracy theories and enable the worst abuses of the Trump Administration. This will be trench warfare. Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting. We will be disciplined. We will be laser focused on getting results on the kitchen table issues that affect the American people the most. We will stand up for our democracy and for truth. And we will protect the tremendous and historic progress we have made as House Democrats.”
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I wanted you to hear it from me first — my colleagues have just elected me to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee!
This is a big deal.
The Oversight Committee is one of the most powerful tools we have to hold the powerful accountable. And with Trump back in the White House and MAGA extremists controlling Congress, this role is more important than ever.
In 2017 and 2018, I used my perch on the Oversight Committee to expose Trump’s conflicts of interest, stop his war on the post office, and even save a federal agency. Now, I’m going to be the top Democrat on the committee.
As Ranking Member, I’ll have the authority to investigate, expose, and fight back against their agenda. Whether it’s holding Trump’s cronies accountable, protecting the rights of everyday people, or defending democracy itself, I’m ready for the fight ahead.
This isn’t just a new title — this is the beginning of a whole new chapter.
I’ll be honest: This is going to be a battle every single day. MAGA has already shown that they’ll stop at nothing to push their agenda. They have deep pockets, powerful allies, and they are ruthless.
They’re going to try to rig the system in their favor — just like they always do. They’ll spread lies, shield corrupt allies, and chip away at our democracy, bit by bit. But I’m not going to let that happen.
Thank you for being by my side,
Gerry Connolly
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