Democrats are prepared to assume control of Congress on Jan. 3, 2026, with immediate plans to address affordability, immigration, and government accountability. As the party prepares to take the majority, the selection of committee chairs has become a focal point for legislative strategy. These roles carry significant power in shaping new laws and leading oversight hearings into the current administration.
Selection Processes and Democratic Priorities
In the House, the Steering and Policy Committee recommends committee chairs based on merit, service length, commitment to the Democratic agenda, and caucus diversity. The full caucus must approve these recommendations before they are presented to the floor as privileged resolutions. In the Senate, party conferences select their own leaders, often through secret ballot, with seniority traditionally guiding choices, though party rules can override this factor.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is poised to become the next House speaker, outlined key priorities during a Monday news conference. He emphasized the need to reverse Medicaid cuts, extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, and end what he described as a costly war of choice in Iran. Jeffries also highlighted the importance of ending tariffs as part of the new legislative agenda.
Key Committee Appointments
Several prominent Democrats are in line to lead major committees. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., is the presumptive chair of the Oversight Committee. After his party secured the House majority, Garcia signaled his intent to launch investigations into the Trump administration. Despite a warning letter from the White House suggesting such probes could be "blatant criminality," Garcia stated that the administration is "clearly hiding something" and that Democrats would not be intimidated. He plans to probe the president's family wealth, the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., is expected to take over the Judiciary Committee. Raskin, who led the second impeachment of President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, has floated holding impeachment hearings for Attorney General Todd Blanche. He has also criticized the Department of Justice’s investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey as "fraudulent."
For Washington State, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., is expected to chair the House Armed Services Committee once again. Smith led the panel from 2019 to 2023 and has served on it since 1997. He has stated his intention to end the war in Iran and investigate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In an interview with political commentator Amanda Nelson, Smith criticized Hegseth for politicizing the Pentagon and undermining its effectiveness. Smith noted that Hegseth’s views, which he described as "Christian nationalist," suggest a belief that the U.S. military is the "army of God" rather than the military of the United States, areas he plans to expose.
In the Senate, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is expected to lead the Judiciary Committee. He will succeed retiring ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Whitehouse has criticized the current state of the panel’s powers and plans to scrutinize how U.S. attorneys and judges are nominated. The committee oversees the Justice Department, federal courts, and confirmation hearings for top officials.