Jeffries Stays Out Of The Way As Dems Mutiny Against Senior Panel Leaders

House Democrats are poised to unseat several senior committee leaders, and Hakeem Jeffries is letting it happen.

Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, 76, announced this week that he would step down from the top Democratic spot on the Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, 77, dropped his bid to continue leading Democrats on Judiciary in the face of a tough challenge from 61-year-old Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland. And Rep. David Scott of Georgia, 79, is facing multiple challenges for the top Democratic spot on the Agriculture Committee.

It's akin to a mutiny, especially given Democrats’ typical deference to seniority in who leads panels. But party lawmakers are increasingly anxious about the incoming Trump administration and full GOP control of Congress. Many feel it’s crucial to have leaders who are proven fighters and can effectively push back on Republican priorities like harsh limits on legal immigration. It echoes the argument many used when they called on President Joe Biden to step off the ticket over the summer.

At the center of it all is Jeffries, the minority leader, and his leadership team, who also skipped the seniority line in many ways when they rose to the top ranks two years ago. They have publicly stayed out of it, loath to stand in the way of lawmakers who, like them, chafed at the party’s strict adherence to seniority.

“The caucus will guide these kinds of discussions,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the No. 3 House Democrat. “We’re confident that at this time it’s going to take a Democratic Caucus that’s firing on all cylinders to push back against extremism and to make sure we can carry forward the bipartisan principles that we’ve talked about.”

“The caucus wants to make sure the right folks are leading these committees,” he added.

“I’ll let the challenges speak for themselves," Jeffries said Tuesday evening when asked about the contests.

Contrast that approach with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who would vocally support her preferred committee heads. Several Democrats believe that, by not pushing back on challengers, leadership is tacitly endorsing the removal of the old guard.

“I think they’re trying to create a level playing field,” Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), who is challenging Scott for the ranking position on the Agriculture Committee, said of leadership in a brief interview. Scott has long faced significant concerns over his health and his ability to lead the panel.

Leaders have apparently been working the issue behind the scenes. Members of Jeffries’ extended leadership team held private conversations to hear out the lawmakers who launched bids against ranking members, four people familiar with the conversations said. And 52-year-old Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota launched her own bid for the top Democratic spot on the Agriculture Committee after leadership didn’t wave her off, one person familiar with the conversation said.

A former member of Pelosi’s leadership team, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, said he preferred the deference to seniority but didn’t believe that should be the only measure.

“I'm for seniority. But if seniority is all you consider, then seniority becomes something that won't work well over the long run. So I think the burden of proof is on the person who's saying that the senior person ought not to have it,” Hoyer said.

It’s the latest example of how leadership has maneuvered behind the scenes to pave the way for a new generation of Democrats to rise up. Lawmakers have long groused about the limited pathways to ascend in the caucus without the committee term limits that their Republican counterparts put in place.

“I think we, as Democrats, could do a better job with elevating some of our younger members who have great experience. And [you should] not have to be in Congress for 30 years before you can have a meaningful role in leadership and on policy,” said retiring Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.).

In addition to the drama surrounding Judiciary, Natural Resources and Agriculture, there’s also a blooming fight over who will lead Democrats on the Oversight Committee, now that Raskin is set to take the Judiciary spot. Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has already stepped into the race to replace him, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has said she’s having conversations with leadership and committee members to possibly launch her own campaign. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Ro Khanna of California are also eyeing the perch.

The race could test just how far Democrats are willing to take the shakeup — Ocasio-Cortez is 35 years old and has a reputation for publicly bucking leadership. She called the current situation "an important moment of generational change in the caucus."

Some of the most vocal public voices for change in the party come from younger, purple-district lawmakers who’d also called on Biden to step aside after his disastrous debate against Trump.

“I came out very early saying that I thought it would be good to have an open Democratic primary in the presidential, so you could probably guess how I'm feeling,” said Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.). “There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.”

“We have to look at every, every dimension of how we've both operated policy-wise and operated politically, campaign-wise,” echoed Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.). “And there needs to be accountability. So I think it's time for a new generation of folks to step up, and we'll be supporting them to do so."

The last iteration of House Democratic leadership has also played a quiet role. The influential California delegation, of which Pelosi is a senior member, has been advocating for fellow Californian Rep. Jared Huffman behind the scenes as he tried to land the top Democratic spot on Natural Resources, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

The regional splits among House Democrats has also played a role in the challenges. The Steering and Policy Committee, an internal panel that adjudicates committee assignments, is largely composed of members picked by leadership and elected by regional blocs, giving more influence to large groups like California lawmakers.

In a telling sign of how the tide has shifted against some of the senior committee leaders, the Congressional Black Caucus, which has previously backed Scott as the top Agriculture Democrat, hasn’t issued a statement of support for him so far.

Its outgoing chair, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), told reporters Wednesday that the Black Caucus had invited every Agriculture Committee candidate to a forum with the powerful bloc “for them to outline their goals and objectives for why they seek the position.”

Scott wasn’t present for the Black Caucus’ leadership elections on Wednesday.