Democrats Plan Oversight Probes as Trump Signals Veto Fights Ahead

With Democrats set to hold both chambers of Congress, party leaders are laying out an agenda of investigations, affordability bills and fights over spending, while President Donald Trump has said he will use his veto, PBS News and CNBC reported. The new majorities take office when the next Congress is seated in January, and no hearings or subpoenas have been scheduled, PBS said.

PBS, drawing on reporting from the Associated Press, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, is leading the effort and expected to chair it. His priorities include Trump family business dealings, the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and immigration enforcement, PBS reported. CNBC likewise reported Garcia plans Oversight probes into the Trump family, immigration enforcement, corporate corruption and Epstein. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the senior Democrat on Judiciary, is also part of the effort. Rep. Jared Huffman of California wants to examine the White House ballroom and other construction projects and the Trump family’s role in mineral deals, PBS said.

In the Senate, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who is expected to chair the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, named Trump real estate projects near Washington, crypto dealings, immigration raids and the Department of Government Efficiency, PBS reported. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is in line to chair the Finance Committee, and CNBC said his focus would include billionaire taxes, health care and tariffs. ‘The tentacles of corruption reach deep in this administration,’ Blumenthal said, per PBS.

On the House side, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York is running for speaker and launched his bid in a letter to colleagues, CNBC reported, and PBS reported he has not ruled out a third impeachment of Trump. He also pledged to target price gouging and push for a congressional stock-trading ban. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said he expects to be re-elected majority leader and, per CBS News, said Democrats would ‘entangle’ Trump ‘in legislative razor wire.’ Both Jeffries and Schumer said they had not heard from Trump, CNBC reported.

The White House is not conceding ground. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis called the planned probes ‘sham investigations,’ PBS reported. Trump has said he can work with Democrats on ‘many more things than people understand,’ but also that he would veto bills he considers ‘insane,’ CNBC reported, and AP, via PBS, said gridlock is likely. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont warned his party against turning the term into ‘just a vengeance tour,’ PBS said.

Fiscal fights may come first. CNBC reported a contentious debt-ceiling fight is expected, with Democrats holding leverage. AP’s voter poll, cited by PBS, found about four in 10 voters named the economy their top issue and about half called government corruption crucial to their vote.