Each congressional Democrats and Republicans have now finalized the lists of members who will sit on committees this Congress, and that features the high-profile Home Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Rep. James Comer, the highest Republican on the committee, has already promised it will likely be “in all probability essentially the most thrilling committee” in congressional historical past, and regardless of not too long ago attempting to clear the air about simply what the committee has the ability to do, he plans to make good on guarantees in the course of the midterm marketing campaign cycle to steer an onslaught of investigations into the Biden administration, the president’s household, and quite a lot of red-meat conservative cultural points, just like the cancellation of Newsmax on DirecTV.
Democrats on that committee can be led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, one of many high-profile Home managers within the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, and he’ll be joined by an all-star line-up of Home Democrats, together with eight new members.
Amongst them: 45-year-old Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the Democrats’ first-year class president, who’s the primary homosexual immigrant to serve in Congress. Previously the mayor of Lengthy Seashore, California, a metropolis simply south of Los Angeles, Garcia has already taken on the mantle of Home Freedom Caucus gadfly — mocking among the proper wing’s most seen figures, like GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, for his or her conspiratorial excited about topics just like the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine. It’s a private topic for Garcia, whose mom and stepfather died of Covid problems in 2020.
He and his first-term colleagues intend to carry these GOP investigators accountable themselves — becoming the new Democratic technique to go after their Republican inquisitors.
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I caught up with Garcia on Friday, when he informed me he’s able to “tackle [their] bullshit” and contest each narrative the brand new committee tries to weave. Our dialog, under, has been edited for size and readability.
Christian Paz
So you bought your assignments and also you’ll be sitting throughout from among the most colourful, conspiratorial, and controversial Republican members of Congress. How are you anticipating these committees to behave, and what do you suppose it will likely be like to look at from the surface?
Rep. Robert Garcia
Nicely, clearly, Kevin McCarthy’s put essentially the most excessive members of his caucus on Oversight. We’ve people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Paul Gosar. These are people that take their cues from QAnon, which might be attacking vaccines, which might be obsessive about Hunter Biden’s laptop computer and the president. So it’s essential that we’re prepared each single day to indicate up, to struggle again with information, to push again with as a lot vitality as they’re. And we’re. I’m fired as much as take people like Marjorie Taylor Greene on, tackle her bullshit, tackle her lies, and be sure that there are sturdy voices on our aspect which might be really pushing information.
Christian Paz
Since you’re going to be serving on the Oversight Committee with among the most well-known Freedom Caucus members. Rep. James Comer, the chair, has mentioned to anticipate it to be some of the thrilling committees in congressional historical past. And you should have one thing like a star-studded solid of Democrats on this committee, too — Maxwell Frost, Dan Goldman, Summer season Lee, Jamie Raskin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have you ever had conversations along with your colleagues about what you’re attempt to prioritize, and what narratives you’re attempt to set or change?
Rep. Garcia
Nicely, I’m actually excited concerning the freshmen which might be on the committee. I’ve been speaking to Maxwell [Frost, of Florida], and to Dan [Goldman, of New York], and to Summer season [Lee, of Pennsylvania] and I believe we’re all simply fired as much as tackle the lies and tackle the extremists on the opposite aspect. People like Marjorie Taylor Greene have an enormous megaphone that they’re utilizing to harm folks. Take what they’re saying about vaccines, for instance. It’s shameful that they’re inflicting hurt to Individuals throughout this nation and so they’re going to make use of this committee to weaponize science and information and fact and so it’s going to be our job to name that out. I believe that we’re prepared to do this.
With the freshmen which might be on this committee, and the entire committee, it’s thrilling. To have the ability to be on a committee with people like Katie Porter and AOC and Jamie Raskin, after which the freshmen — we’re gonna be actually ready.
Christian Paz
A few of these points — Covid, immigration — are additionally actually private, proper? They’ve had an impact in your life and you’ve got a connection to them. So I’m questioning the way you’re excited about dealing with these matters and what particularly you’re fearful about and anticipating from the Republicans.
Rep. Garcia
Chairman Comer has famous that the primary listening to goes to be on the pandemic, and it’ll occur [this week]. The actual fact is that they’re going to make use of these hearings to attempt to dismantle help for pandemic prevention and that they’re going to assault how the federal government responded.
I used to be mayor of my neighborhood the complete time the pandemic was ravaging communities. Colleges have been closed and other people have been dying. In my metropolis alone, we misplaced over 1,300 folks. I misplaced two dad and mom to the pandemic. And so I deeply perceive how essential vaccines are, how essential pandemic prevention is, and what really occurred on the bottom. Mayors have been on the entrance traces responding to the pandemic. And if there was a failure in authorities, it was the Trump administration leaving cities and states to fend for themselves early on.
So I stay up for talking on that subject from a place of authority and of expertise, each of private expertise and private loss, but additionally managing a metropolis that President Biden known as [out as] having probably the greatest pandemic responses within the nation. He known as Lengthy Seashore a nationwide mannequin. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, mentioned we had the most effective response within the state because it pertains to the pandemic. And so I’m going to be very engaged developing.
Christian Paz
Have you ever talked with among the different freshmen representatives concerning the particular points or gadgets that you just all plan to confront or reply on?
Rep. Garcia
We’ve all already talked — all of the freshmen which might be on Oversight — everyone knows one another, we’re all associates, all of us help one another. And the massive factor that we’re all united on, is that we’re not going to permit for the intense voices on the far proper to go unchecked. And so when you’ve gotten people like Greg [Casar of Texas], and Jared [Moskowitz of Florida] and [Dan Goldman] and [Maxwell Frost], and so many others — we’re all ready for this second. And we’re additionally grateful to the management for believing in us to be that voice, as a result of we perceive the significance of this committee, and what the Republicans are going to attempt to do to the nation by way of this committee. We get that we’re on the entrance traces of this struggle.
Christian Paz
You’ve positively began that struggle on Twitter a minimum of, taking some pictures at Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. What’s it about them that makes you significantly goal them?
Rep. Garcia
The 2 of them, nearly greater than most people in Congress, have pushed absolutely the craziest lies and falsehoods. And so I believe it’s time for folks to take them on, and never permit them or give them house to proceed doing this. The factor about our class is that we’re additionally very impatient and we’re aggressive, and we need to be sure that we’re pushing again shortly. And that’s one thing that we’re actually targeted on.
Christian Paz
That’s actually attention-grabbing, as a result of fast response and counter-messaging isn’t essentially one thing that earlier courses of Democratic members of Congress have been significantly nice at, particularly in at this time’s media surroundings. What’s it about you and your classmates that makes you higher fitted to this match?
Rep. Garcia
The group of freshmen coming in are very a lot in contact with our communities again residence, we perceive the ability of speaking to the general public, to a youthful viewers, to people who’re annoyed with politics. People like Comer, and Taylor Greene, and Boebert, and Gosar — all these people don’t characterize the mainstream of American politics or mainstream for actually something. They’re on the perimeter. The Freedom Caucus are on the perimeter of the nation. So all of us which might be coming in as freshmen — you in all probability get a way of this — we’re unapologetic, we’re all pissed off about injustices on this nation, and for me, personally, after I hear or after I see people like Marjorie Taylor Greene lie about vaccines that would have saved my mother’s life, that she would have completely been first in line to take, that’s the sort of stuff, to me, that’s not acceptable.
Christian Paz
It additionally appears to me like this new class of Democrats are higher versed in social media, cultural references, and making the most of a special communications ecosystem, one thing earlier committees within the Obama years, didn’t have or couldn’t do nicely. You have been tweeting about RuPaul’s Drag Race, for instance, when teasing Rep. George Santos and Taylor Greene.
Rep. Garcia
I believe that’s proper. One factor you’ve gotten from a variety of the freshmen is we come from very several types of backgrounds and also you began seeing that occur in Congress just a few years in the past, when totally different varieties of parents began getting elected. It’s extra of a working-class group of latest people. It’s people which might be perhaps just a little bit extra aggressive, just a little extra impatient, so meaning we carry our full selves. For me, sure, I occur to be a RuPaul’s Drag Race fan, I really like drag, I believe it’s an amazing artwork type. And I’m not going to apologize for that.
When you’ve gotten people which might be attacking artists, like drag performers, and you’ve got people which might be attacking people which might be trans, they should be known as out. For me, as a homosexual individual and as a queer individual, I’ve a duty to name them out. And I’m going to make use of no matter instruments I’ve out there to do this.
Christian Paz
You’ll even be on the Homeland Safety committee. What’s it going to be prefer to be within the minority and attempt to get stuff executed?
Rep. Garcia
Nicely our plan is to win again the Home in two years. However yeah, not a variety of stuff goes to get by way of this Congress. Republicans are targeted on nationwide abortion bans, demonizing homosexual children, wars in opposition to books and girls — however we’ve heard from some extra reasonable Republicans, fascinated about immigration reform, and so they perceive there’s a labor scarcity and immigration reform might help.
Being on Homeland Safety is a chance additionally for these progressives which might be on the committee … to carry consideration to points round justice for immigrants, for asylum seekers on the border, and ensuring that these companies are literally doing their job and never harming folks. And we need to shield the American folks from all types of assaults, and that features home terrorists, and that features white supremacists.
Christian Paz
And also you’ll be on that committee with Marjorie Taylor Greene, too.
Rep. Garcia
Yeah, I don’t know what sort of luck of the draw I’ve that she additionally occurs to be on Homeland Safety, which is, like, completely insane.
However it’s going to be, once more, essential on that committee to push again in opposition to the demonizing of migrants and the assaults on asylum seekers and being ready the place the federal legislation enforcement companies can get scrutiny.
Christian Paz
And eventually, on a extra private degree — are you able to take the warmth? To face the onslaught of supporters these right-wing members have on-line or in actual life, right here in DC or at residence?
Rep. Garcia
I’ve positively thought of these issues. However I’ve been by way of greater than most people, as a queer immigrant. Homosexual folks [and] immigrants are among the most resilient folks on this nation. This second requires a special kind of management and Congress member. That’s what our class brings and we’re fired up and able to go.
