United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Updated: Wikipedia source
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the House. Its chair is one of only three in the House with the authority to issue subpoenas without a committee vote or consultation with the ranking member. However, in recent history, it has become practice to refrain from unilateral subpoenas. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) served as acting chair of the committee following the death of Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) on October 17, 2019; she was elected chair a month later. Representative Jim Jordan served as ranking member from January 3, 2019, until March 12, 2020. On March 31, 2020, Jordan switched to become the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee instead. Representative Mark Meadows served as ranking member from March 13, 2020, until March 30, 2020, when he resigned his congressional seat to become White House Chief of Staff. Representative James Comer (R-Kentucky) was selected to succeed Meadows on June 29, 2020. Comer became Chair when Republicans regained control of the House majority, with Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) being elected as Ranking Member. Politico reported in late January that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) would be appointed as the Vice Ranking Member. For the 119th Congress, Comer was reelected to serve as Chair. Raskin sought, and won, the top position on the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Gerry Connolly, who previously served as the Chair of the Oversight's Subcommittee on Government Operations during the 116th and 117th Congresses, and Ocasio-Cortez sought the Ranking Member position. The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted 34 to 27 to appoint Connolly, with the full caucus vote being 131–84. On April 28, 2025, Gerry Connolly announced that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term and that he was stepping back from his Ranking Member position. Stephen Lynch was named Acting Ranking Member pending Connolly's formal resignation from the role and the selection of a successor by the House Democratic Caucus. Connolly died on May 21, 2025.