Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin is launching his bid to chair the powerful House Judiciary Committee with a promise to investigate alleged corruption and effect policy changes within the Trump administration.
The Marylander, currently the ranking Democrat on the committee, listed his goals in a letter to colleagues.
He pledged to use “all of the tools of the Majority to extirpate bribery, kickbacks, inside dealing and sweetheart contracts in the government.”
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Mr. Raskin also laid out goals for pressuring the administration to alter its policies, saying Democrats will “rein in ICE” and “rebuild the Department of Justice and the FBI.”
He is also eyeing “ethics reform and a $50 gift ban for the Supreme Court.”
His letter notably does not mention impeaching the president or Cabinet members.
Mr. Raskin spearheaded President Trump’s second impeachment in his first term, and the committee has jurisdiction over impeachment proceedings.
The congressman has expressed doubts as to whether impeachment, which is unlikely to lead to conviction in the Senate, is a good use of Democrats’ time, although he has said it is not a “taboo” for the party.
“I’ve not heard a single person say to me that they think our top priority should be impeachment of Donald Trump,” Mr. Raskin said in September.
In the majority, Democrats say they will subpoena the testimony of Mr. Trump’s allies.
The administration has already indicated it won’t roll over for the incoming Democratic majority.
White House Counsel Will Scharf recently penned a letter to House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia, California Democrat, saying Democrats’ threats are “a clear abuse of power and an affront to our constitutional system of government.”
Mr. Scharf wrote, “The Administration will not be extorted and will not be cowed by unlawful process motivated by animus, pettiness, hatred, or any other unlawful motive to intimidate, penalize, or interfere with the lawful functioning of government.”
It’s unclear who will lead Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee.
The departing chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, has been elected House minority leader for the next Congress.
Several Republican members of the committee were not reelected to the House.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, Wisconsin Republican, has said he’s vying for the ranking member position.
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