House Democrats are expected to resume congressional oversight after taking control of the chamber following the 2026 midterm elections. Jamie Raskin cited President Donald Trump’s pardons, suspected corruption in government contracting and the Trump family’s cryptocurrency dealings as possible oversight targets. Their efforts will nevertheless depend on executive-branch cooperation, as the first Trump administration demonstrated by refusing to send officials to testify, withholding documents and ignoring subpoenas. The article traces Congress’s long institutional use of oversight, from the 1790 investigation of public finances to the Watergate inquiry and the post-9/11 creation of the director of national intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security. The authors note that oversight has strengthened American democracy but can also become political theater that diverts Congress from quieter, more consequential work.
Source: Read the original article
