Democrats elected Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) as the party’s top lawmaker on the House Oversight Committee, handing him the responsibility to lead the party’s defense as Republicans prepare to launch a number of investigations into the Biden administration over the next two years.

Raskin defeated Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) in a 133-75 vote during a closed-door caucus meeting to secure the position as the committee’s ranking member, a Democratic staffer told the Washington Examiner. Raskin’s victory marks a rare moment of surpassing a more senior member of the party for a top position, sidestepping the party’s traditional method of choosing committee leaders.

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In his position as ranking member, Raskin will work opposite Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who will serve as the committee’s chairman and head the panel’s investigations. Comer has already announced a slew of investigations into the Biden administration, including inquiries into the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, the crisis at the southern border, as well as the financial dealings of the president’s son Hunter Biden.

Raskin has become a well-known member within his party, serving as the chairman of House Oversight’s Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee in the current Congress. Before that, the Maryland Democrat managed both impeachments of former President Donald Trump and was a member of the Jan. 6 committee investigating the Capitol riot.

Raskin will replace Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) as she leaves Congress after losing a primary challenge from Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) earlier this year.

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Several Democrats praised Raskin shortly after his win on Wednesday, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who was elected to become the House minority leader in the next Congress.

“As we chart our path forward, it is crucial that we have strong, principled leadership at the helm of each of our committees,” the representative from New York said in a statement.

Original Location: Jamie Raskin elected as top Democrat on House Oversight Committee

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