CNBC reports that the newly elected Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are preparing to pass a rapid succession of bills once they take over next January, taking on hostile President Donald Trump.
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The purpose of the legislative push is to demonstrate that a united Democratic caucus will take swift action on the issues on which it was elected, particularly oppressive high prices on everything from gasoline to groceries.
Within the first 100 hours after being sworn into office, House Democrats plan to bring legislation to the floor that would restore enhanced health insurance subsidies that expired in the Republican-led Congress and reverse Medicaid cuts signed by President Trump last year.
Democrats, likely led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is expected to become the first black House speaker in U.S. history, also plan to push legislation that would repeal President Trump’s sweeping tariffs and reaffirm Congress’s role in setting import taxes. And they will likely vote again on legislation to end the Iran war or force President Trump to seek Congressional authorization to continue the war. Some details of the Democrats’ plan were previously reported by the New York Times.
But Democrats will need to balance these legislative priorities with the robust oversight and investigation agenda the party plans to scrutinize President Trump, his family, Cabinet members and business allies.
Jeffries told CNBC on Wednesday: “We have not initially assessed who will be the subject of this investigation. We will have discussions over the next few weeks.”
“But clearly, things are not going well for the American people. Capitalism is collapsing, as so many working-class Americans and middle-class Americans are experiencing. We have to make sure we build an economy that works for ordinary Americans, a free market economy,” Jeffries said.
Democrats, who have been campaigning for months, touted a message of affordability. And in the final months of the election, as corruption emerged as a top issue for voters, they sought to link the Trump administration’s perceived bad behavior to Americans’ pocketbooks.
Leading Democratic Party members are already taking similar steps to win a majority in both chambers.
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement Wednesday that the committee’s top priorities “will be affordability for us and accountability for them.”
Wyden said the committee will redouble its efforts to ensure billionaires pay their fair share of taxes, address “corporate pressure on our health care system,” and reaffirm Congress’ authority over trade. He also vowed to target “special interests” who have been collusive with President Trump for the past two years.
“From the banks that helped cover up Epstein’s crimes, to the insurance companies that delay and deny medical care to generate profits, to the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies that raise prices while reaping the windfall from President Trump, they will all be held accountable before the Senate Finance Committee for their role in harming the American people and enabling President Trump’s corruption,” Wyden said.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has vowed to tackle issues such as President Trump’s family, corporate corruption, overreach at the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the handling of files related to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Garcia issued a sharp two-word statement Tuesday night as the election results tilted toward Democrats: “Lawyers, stand up.”
And Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a member of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a recent interview with CNBC that she believes Democrats should not only target people like Elon Musk, but also Cabinet members such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Attorney General Todd Blanche.
But she acknowledged that pursuing so many potential targets at once could be challenging, especially with an unwieldy and ideologically diverse Democratic caucus.
“I think what we should do is pick one or two cases that we think are the worst examples of corruption and have the most evidence of wrongdoing,” Jayapal said. “There’s a lot going on, but I think it’s important to focus on the couple.”
Meanwhile, other Democrats are pushing for some kind of ethics reform proposal, including a ban on stock trading and the use of prediction markets by government officials, a federal ban on gerrymandering and limits on super PAC spending.
“My hope is that when Democrats have a majority, they will pass strong legislation banning stock trading in Congress, the executive branch and other areas, and that this will be part of a larger ethics reform package that we pursue,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner (DR.I.), a longtime supporter of such legislation.
