5 Files.. Democrats Intend to Use Congressional Committees to Confront Trump

The broad gains achieved by Democrats in Tuesday's US midterm elections gave the party an opportunity to set its agenda for the next two years and use House and Senate committees to tighten oversight of President Donald Trump's administration and policies.

Although Trump was not a candidate in the election, he was present in voters' calculations, and their positions on his policies contributed to significant Democratic gains in both chambers, according to "Bloomberg".

The agency suggested that Democrats will focus on 5 main files over the next two years: parliamentary investigations, government spending, the war with Iran, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies.

Investigations and Pursuit of the Trump Administration
Investigations were one of the most prominent pledges made by Democrats during their campaigns, as they even linked the cost-of-living issue to promises to investigate corruption allegations and hold Trump and his associates accountable.

According to "Bloomberg", most House committees and subcommittees are expected to use their powers to summon witnesses and request documents to conduct investigations into the administration's activities, with efforts led by two key committees: the Oversight Committee, which is expected to be chaired by California Democrat Robert Garcia, and the Judiciary Committee, which is likely to be headed by Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin.

Garcia provided an indication of his oversight intentions on Tuesday evening when he posted a brief message saying: "Get lawyers!".

Raskin and Garcia had held discussions with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the leading candidate for Speaker, regarding their plans to intensify oversight of Trump and his administration.

In addition to the tariffs imposed by Trump, his immigration policies, and stock market transactions, Raskin said there are plans to delve deeper into investigating the president's relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes.

Democrats did not run on a pledge to impeach the president, but the possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings remains among the options on the table, according to the report.

Garcia and Raskin are expected to work alongside new Republican leadership in the committees, after the term limits for Republican James Comer chairing the Oversight Committee and Republican Jim Jordan chairing the Judiciary Committee expire, under party rules governing office-holding.

Jordan is also seeking to compete for the position of House Republican Minority Leader.

The Weapon of Spending and Budget
Democrats will have greater influence in confronting Trump's budget proposals and attempts by his administration to withhold funds previously approved by Congress.

Connecticut Democrat Rosa DeLauro is expected to chair the House Appropriations Committee, while Washington Senator Patty Murray will chair the corresponding committee in the Senate.

Both are prominent advocates for domestic program spending and opposed Trump's demand to raise the defense budget to $1.5 trillion.

One of DeLauro's priorities is reversing cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.

However, Democrats will still need to reach understandings with Republicans to pass government funding bills, given that overcoming procedural filibusters for these bills in the Senate typically requires support from 60 members.

Murray will deal with new Republican leadership in the Senate Appropriations Committee, after current chair Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins lost her re-election bid. Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski is among the top candidates to take the role of Ranking Member.

The primary task for legislators after the election is to reach an agreement ensuring continued government funding beyond the December 11 deadline.

Many legislators want to pass funding bills covering the remainder of fiscal year 2027, but this requires resolving disputes over the size of appropriations for the US War Department.

Democratic control of Appropriations Committees would grant them broader powers to investigate how the Trump administration spends government funds.

They intend to regularly summon White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, having accused him of ignoring congressional decisions on spending allocations.

DeLauro and Murray seek to include safeguards in funding laws preventing the administration from cutting expenses approved by Congress.

They successfully included a provision in the temporary funding law passed in September that temporarily suspends a proposal by Vought granting politically appointed officials wider powers to control grant funds.

Appropriations Committee members also plan to investigate Justice Department efforts to create a fund compensating victims of what the government calls "weaponization of state institutions", as well as examining donations from companies and individuals for the White House ballroom project, and gifts provided by foreign governments to Trump.

Confronting Trump on Iran
While it is difficult to attribute Republican election losses to a single issue, "Bloomberg" viewed the war led by Trump against Iran as one of the main factors negatively affecting the party's results.

Democratic efforts to address the war may take multiple forms, including using annual defense authorization and military spending laws, conducting investigations, potentially seeking to impeach US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and introducing new resolutions on presidential war powers.

The Armed Services Committees in the House and Senate will be at the forefront of entities involved in this file.

Washington Democrat Adam Smith is expected to regain the chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee, coordinating with Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, the candidate to chair the corresponding Senate committee.

The House Armed Services Committee may establish a new team to oversee US military operations and the administration's foreign policy. Leadership positions designated for Republicans in both committees remain contested.

Alabama Republican Mike Rogers has reached the maximum term limit for leading Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee and needs a waiver from party rules to continue in the position, facing competition from Mississippi Republican Trent Kelly and Texas Republican Ronny Jackson.

In the Senate, Mississippi Republican Roger Wicker is expected to become the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee.

Tightening Oversight on Artificial Intelligence
Warnings issued by AI companies about potential existential risks of the technology raised concerns during the final stage of the midterm campaign, while Congress struggled to reach a regulatory framework for the sector.

According to "Bloomberg", passing comprehensive legislation to impose controls on AI does not appear imminent, as Democrats move toward intensifying investigations into companies operating in the field and their executives, aiming to strengthen oversight of the technology.

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell is likely to chair the Senate Commerce Committee, replacing current chair Texas Republican Ted Cruz.

In the House, New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone seeks to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee, succeeding Kentucky Republican Brett Guthrie.

Both committees are among the key entities expected to lead legislative work related to AI.

Some Democrats won in swing districts after pledging during their campaigns to limit the construction of AI data centers and the development of advanced models.

But the party remains divided on the best ways to regulate the sector, with proposals ranging from temporarily freezing development to subjecting AI systems to independent and rigorous assessments.

Shifts in the Cryptocurrency File
Efforts to establish a clear regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies saw millions of dollars spent and tens of thousands of hours allocated, but stalled after senators and the White House failed to reach an agreement on ethics and conflict-of-interest provisions that would have restricted profitable crypto projects owned by Trump.

California Democrat Maxine Waters is likely to chair the House Financial Services Committee, but she faces competition from Illinois Democrat Sean Casten, who seeks to end her long tenure leading Democrats on the committee.

Arkansas Republican French Hill is expected to take the role of Ranking Member on the committee, after winning re-election in a race that was more competitive than anticipated.

But the biggest challenges for the crypto sector may come from the Senate.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is expected to chair the Banking Committee; she is one of the sector's most prominent critics, particularly regarding its financial ties to Trump.