Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., questions witnesses throughout a Area Oversight and Govt Reform subcommittee listening to on Feb. 12, 2025, on Capitol Hill.
Rod Lamkey/AP
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Rod Lamkey/AP
The brand new most sensible Democrat at the Area Oversight and Govt Reform committee is in a position for a struggle.
“I feel I were given elected as a result of I’m competitive,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., mentioned in an interview. “I feel that we have to be warring parties on this second.”
In June, Area Democrats picked Garcia, a sophomore congressman, over a number of extra senior colleagues to steer their birthday party at the committee. At 47, the California local is the youngest rating member in Congress.
Recognized for its raucous hearings and investigations into one of the vital maximum distinguished and divisive spaces of American politics, the Area Oversight Committee is likely one of the maximum top profile arenas in Congress. The committee chair has the ability to subpoena witnesses and the wide authority to dig into just about any matter — that has incorporated the 11th of September, 2001, terrorist assaults, steroid utilization in Primary League Baseball, and the federal government’s dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garcia succeeds the overdue Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who died in Would possibly following a combat with most cancers, and Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., who in short crammed the function for Democrats on an performing foundation.
He involves the activity at a second when Democrats are yearning extra direct disagreement with President Trump and Republicans in Congress, however as rating member, he faces inherent demanding situations. Not like the GOP chair, he is not able to set the schedule for the committee and lacks subpoena energy.
That does not faze Garcia, who mentioned he is in a position to lean into the fray.
“Individuals are simply frustrated at what is took place with Donald Trump, Elon Musk, the Area Republicans,” Garcia mentioned. “And other people wish to see a just right struggle.”
Garcia already has a name for doing simply that.
In February, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., attempted to censure Garcia for his feedback on CNN pronouncing American citizens need Democrats to “deliver precise guns to this bar struggle” whilst referencing Elon Musk’s executive paintings. Days later, Garcia were given a letter from the Division of Justice which mentioned it takes “threats in opposition to public officers very critically.”
Garcia mentioned his phrases weren’t a danger, and that he would not be intimidated.
“You were given to get up to bullies,” Garcia mentioned. “I have carried out that my entire existence.”
From Peru to Lengthy Seashore
Garcia was once born in Peru and immigrated to the US as a tender kid along with his mom.
“My mother, after we first were given right here, she wiped clean properties. I take note observing her and my aunt going to those houses,” Garcia mentioned. “I take note pondering, ‘Wow, it might be so great to are living in a spot like this.'”
His circle of relatives settled east of Los Angeles in Covina, Calif., as undocumented citizens. On the encouragement of his mother, Garcia carried out to California State College, Lengthy Seashore, the place he were given his get started in politics as pupil executive president.
“When I used to be in faculty, as a rule I used to be now not a citizen,” Garcia mentioned. “And I take note pondering, ‘Wow, I am getting those alternatives to constitute some of these people. I will be able to’t even, like, vote in an election myself.'”
Then-student executive president Robert Garcia (center) stands with fellow scholars Likelihood Decker (left), Casey Mercer (left of heart), Sheryl Mauricio (proper of heart) and Wayne Stickney-Smith (proper).
Picture Courtesy of California State College Lengthy Seashore, College Library
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Picture Courtesy of California State College Lengthy Seashore, College Library
In the end, Garcia become a citizen in his 20s, in conjunction with his mother, as a result of the amnesty regulation signed via President Ronald Reagan.
After commencement, Garcia began a neighborhood information web page referred to as The Lengthy Seashore Put up, however earlier than too lengthy, politics would come calling once more. He gained a seat at the town council, after which at simply 37 years outdated, gained election as mayor.
Throughout Garcia’s 2nd time period as mayor, the pandemic hit Lengthy Seashore and the sector.
“Each my mother and my stepdad died because of COVID, which is horrific, clearly,” Garcia mentioned. “And I used to be the mayor on the time. And in order that in point of fact had a profound affect on me. Specifically what Donald Trump was once pronouncing and doing in that first time period.”
He mentioned this motivated him to run for nationwide place of job in 2022, when a Area seat representing the Lengthy Seashore house unfolded.
At his swearing in, Garcia become the primary overtly homosexual immigrant to serve in Congress.
‘A bully pulpit to refute’
Throughout his first time period, Garcia temporarily rose up the Democratic ranks, gaining a seat at the Oversight Committee after being recruited to the panel via Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a former rating member himself.
Raskin mentioned Garcia is the proper select for this actual second at the Oversight panel.
“I feel that what we see shaping up on this century is a combat between proper wing authoritarian populism and revolutionary multicultural populism,” Raskin mentioned. “And he’s very involved with the entire new actions of our day and now not in any more or less dogmatic or politically right kind approach. However it is a part of who he’s.”
As rating member at the committee, Garcia is taking up a key function amongst Democrats and bringing a more youthful standpoint to birthday party management at a second when many citizens are calling for generational trade.
And even though his powers within the minority shall be restricted, he is nonetheless in the hunt for solutions from the management.
“We nonetheless have the ability to analyze even within the minority,” Garcia mentioned. “We are asking Native land Safety and Secretary [Kristi] Noem for solutions on various questions and significant that contributors of Congress be allowed their oversight accountability.”
Raskin mentioned Garcia’s greatest weapon as a rating member shall be his larger visibility.
“What Robert will get is a bully pulpit to refute and rebut the entire propaganda and disinformation coming forth from James Comer and the GOP,” Raskin mentioned, relating to the panel’s GOP chairman. “So he will be taking part in offense and protection on the similar time.”
When requested if there are any present spaces of commonplace floor between Republicans and Democrats at the committee, Garcia mentioned no.
“Those people don’t seem to be keen on bipartisanship,” Garcia mentioned. “And so I do not see numerous puts there that there is numerous shared pursuits.”
Now, Garcia mentioned he is running to turn the Area. And if he turns into chairman of the committee below a Democrat majority, Garcia mentioned he is aware of who he’d examine.
“Other people like Stephen Miller, people like Elon Musk,” Garcia mentioned. “Those are folks that wish to be held in charge of what they have carried out to the general public, regardless of what quantity of money they’ve or how robust they is also, or with reference to the president they is also.”
