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Despite recovering from hip replacement surgery in Luxembourg, Nancy Pelosi has been working behind the scenes to block Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid to become the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee. Her opposition to the high-profile lawmaker suggests that Pelosi’s support for younger Democrats stepping up to leadership roles doesn’t extend to all members.
The House Democratic Steering Committee selected Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) over Ocasio-Cortez during its meeting Monday evening. Connolly, who had Pelosi’s backing, also received the endorsement of the center-left New Democrat Coalition on Friday. According to reports from Punchbowl News and Axios, Pelosi has been making calls and actively campaigning for Connolly.
Despite this setback, Ocasio-Cortez intends to stay in the race ahead of the full caucus vote, a House Democrat confirmed to the Washington Examiner. However, Pelosi’s influence over the broader caucus poses a significant hurdle.
Pelosi’s support for Connolly comes just days after praising younger members who are vying for leadership roles. “I’m supporting the newer members who are running for office,” Pelosi said in an interview with Catholic National Reporter last week. “This is with all the respect in the world for the chairmen who had been there and the contribution that they had made over time. But now others have come forward.”
“I respect the fact that they’re ready to take charge of their committees, and I support that,” she added.
At 74, Connolly is twice the age of Ocasio-Cortez, who is 35, and he recently announced he has esophageal cancer, which could affect his ability to attend Congress next year. Nonetheless, Pelosi’s backing highlights ongoing doubts about Ocasio-Cortez, despite her strong communication skills, which some Democrats argue would be an asset on the high-profile committee.
The rocky relationship between Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez stretches back to 2018, when Ocasio-Cortez defeated then-Rep. Joe Crowley in a primary upset. Since then, Pelosi has often been at odds with Ocasio-Cortez and other “Squad” members, grappling with their outsider approach as they transition to operating within the institution.
Ocasio-Cortez is not alone in her push to challenge tradition and seniority within the party. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) is challenging Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) for leadership of the House Judiciary Committee. Similarly, Rep. David Scott (D-GA) dropped his effort to remain the ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, opening the door for Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Angie Craig (D-MN) to compete for the role.
The growing number of younger Democrats challenging senior leadership signals a broader trend within the party as they prepare to counter President-elect Donald Trump and the Republicans’ agenda.
