(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly “actively working to tank” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez, D-N.Y., in her bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Pelosi, 84, is working behind the scenes to torpedo the youthful Ocasio–Cortez, 35, instead for the 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., to take the role, Punchbowl News reported on Thursday.
NEWS: Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is actively working to tank AOC’s bid for the top Dem spot on the House Oversight Comittee, I’m told.
Pelosi has been making calls & campaigning on behalf of Gerry Connolly, who’s running against AOC. More in @PunchbowlNews midday: pic.twitter.com/zYwS628uas
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 12, 2024
The former House speaker has been “making calls” to colleagues to try to stop Ocasio–Cortez, who is currently in the lead, from replacing 62-year-old Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., according to the outlet.
This comes as decades-old Democrats desperately try to cling onto power against their younger colleagues, Axios noted.
“Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting,” one senior House Democrat told the outlet.
I support @RepRaskin for ranking Democrat on Judiciary Committee and @AOC for ranking Democrat on Oversight. Now that @PunchbowlNews is reporting Pelosi is "actively working to tank" AOC's chances, I support it even more. How has old guard of Dem leadership worked out for us?
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) December 12, 2024
Ocasio–Cortez’s leadership bid is reportedly supported by “pretty much the entire [Oversight] Committee” and a majority of Democrat lawmakers, according to Axios.
One House Democrat told the outlet their “gut tells me she gets it.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told CNN on Thursday that he supported Ocasio–Cortez’s bid to be top Democrat on the committee.
“I’m a big AOC fan,” Comer said. “Obviously, I don’t agree with very much of her policy, but I think she’s a good person, I think she’s very well-spoken.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on AOC’s bid for top Democrat:
“I’m a big AOC fan.” pic.twitter.com/RJsii4Tzfr
— Julianna Frieman (@JuliannaFrieman) December 13, 2024
Comer mentioned his poor relationship with Raskin and said he expects to have a “good working relationship” with Ocasio–Cortez if she is successful in achieving the No. 2 spot.
“I tell the press when they ask about the race for ranking member, the Democrats have nowhere to go but up after having Jamie Raskin for the last four years, so, I think AOC would be great,” Comer said.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
