Democrats plan to take on Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert

Both congressional Democrats and Republicans have now finalized the list of members who will serve on committees in this Congress, including the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Rep. James Comer, the top Republican in the committee, has promised to be “probably the most diverse committee” in the history of congress, and despite recently trying to clear the air just what the committee has the power to do, which plans. to keep his promise during the midterm campaign cycle to lead an investigation into the Biden administration, the president’s family, and various red-meat conservative cultural issues, such as the cancellation of Newsmax on DirecTV.

The Democrats on the committee will be led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, one of the prominent House managers in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, and he will be joined by an all-star line-up of Democrats, including eight new members.

Between: 45 years Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the Democrats’ first class president, who became the first gay immigrant to serve in Congress. Formerly mayor of Long Beach, California, a city south of Los Angeles, Garcia has taken up the mantle of the House Freedom Caucus gadfly – ridicule some of the most visible right-wing figures, like GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, because of conspiracy thinking on subjects like the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine. This is a personal subject for Garcia, whose mother and father died of complications from Covid in 2020.

He and his colleagues first aimed to hold these GOP investigators accountable — in line with a new Democratic strategy to go after Republican inquisitors.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

I caught up with Garcia on Friday, when he said he was ready to “take it [their] bullshit” and contest every narrative the new committee tries. Our conversation, below, has been edited for length and clarity.

Christian Paz

So you get the job and you’ll be sitting right next to some of the most colorful, conspiratorial, and controversial Republican members of Congress. What do these organizers want, and what do you think watching from the outside?

Rep. Robert Garcia

Well, clearly, Kevin McCarthy put the most extreme members of the caucus on Oversight. We have people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Paul Gosar. This is a guy who takes cues from QAnon, who attacks vaccines, who is obsessed with Hunter Biden’s laptop and the president. So, it is important that we are ready every day to show up, fight the facts, push back with a lot of energy. And we. I’m fired up to take folks like Marjorie Taylor Greene on, take her bullshit, take her lies, and make sure there’s a strong voice on our side that’s actually pushing the truth.

Christian Paz

Because you will be on the Oversight Committee with some of the most well-known members of the Freedom Caucus. Rep. James Comer, the chairman, has said he expects it to be one of the most exciting committees in congressional history. And you’re going to have something like the star Democrats on this committee — Maxwell Frost, Dan Goldman, Summer Lee, Jamie Raskin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — have you talked to your colleagues about what you’re trying to prioritize, and what narrative you’re trying to adjust or change?

Rep. Garcia

Wow, I really like the freshmen who are on the committee. I have spoken to Maxwell [Frost, of Florida]and to Dan [Goldman, of New York]and for Summer [Lee, of Pennsylvania] and I think we are all just fired up to take the lies and fight the extremists on the other side. People like Marjorie Taylor Greene have a big megaphone that they use to hurt people. Consider what they say about vaccines, for example. It is a shame that they are causing harm to America in this country and they will use this committee to weaponize science and facts and truth and it will be our duty to call them out. I think we are ready to do that.

With the new students on this committee, and the whole committee, it’s fun. To be able to be on the committee with people like Katie Porter and AOC and Jamie Raskin, and then freshmen – we’re going to be very prepared.

Christian Paz

Some of these issues – Covid, immigration – are also very personal, right? They have an impact on your life and you have a relationship with them. So I’m wondering how you think about handling that topic and what your concerns and expectations are from Republicans.

Rep. Garcia

Chairman Comer noted that the first hearing will be in the pandemic, and it will happen [this week]. The truth is that they will use this hearing to try to dismantle support for pandemic prevention and will attack how the government is responding.

I was the mayor of my community during a pandemic that devastated the community. Schools were closed and people were dying. In my city alone, we lost over 1,300 people. I lost both parents to the pandemic. So I’m very aware of the importance of vaccines, the importance of pandemic prevention, and what’s happening on the ground. Mayors are on the front lines of responding to the pandemic. And if there is a failure in government, the Trump administration leaves cities and states early.

So I look forward to talking about these topics from a position of authority and experience, personal experience and personal loss, but also managing the city that President Biden calls. [out as] has one of the best pandemic responses in the country. He called Long Beach a national model. California Governor Gavin Newsom said we have the best response in the country as it relates to the pandemic. So I will be very involved in coming up.

Christian Paz

Have you talked to some other student representatives about specific issues or items that you plan to address or respond to?

Rep. Garcia

We’ve all talked – all the freshmen that are in Oversight – we all know each other, we’re all friends, we all support each other. And the great thing that we are all united in, is that we will not allow extreme voices on the far right to go unchecked. And when you have someone like Greg [Casar of Texas]and Jared [Moskowitz of Florida] and [Dan Goldman] and [Maxwell Frost], and many others – we are all ready for this moment. And we are also grateful to the leader for believing in us to be that voice, because we know the importance of this committee, and what the Republicans will try to do for the country through this committee. We know we are on the front lines of this war.

Christian Paz

You definitely started that fight on Twitter at least, taking some shots at Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. What is it about them that makes you a particular target?

Rep. Garcia

The two of them, almost more than most people in Congress, have pushed the craziest lies and lies. So I think it’s time for them, and not allow them or give them space to continue doing this. The thing about our class is that we’re also impatient and aggressive, and we want to make sure that we’re quick to bounce back. And that’s what we’re really focused on.

Christian Paz

It’s really interesting, because the quick response and counter-message is not necessarily something that the former class of Democratic members of Congress is particularly good at, especially in today’s media environment. What is it about you and your classmates that makes you a better fit for this match?

Rep. Garcia

The group of incoming freshmen is very connected to our community at home, we know the power of communication to the public, to a younger audience, to people who are frustrated with politics. People like Comer, and Taylor Greene, and Boebert, and Gosar – all of these people do not represent the mainstream of American politics or the mainstream for anything. They are on the edge. The Freedom Caucus is on the edge of the country. So all of us who entered as freshmen – you probably know this – we are unforgiving, we are all angry about the injustice in this country, and for me, personally, when we hear or see people. like Marjorie Taylor Greene lying about the vaccine that could have saved my mother’s life, that she would have been the first to take it, that, to me, is unacceptable.

Christian Paz

It also seems to me like the new class of Democrats is more versed in social media, cultural references, and take advantage of different communication ecosystems, something the previous committee in the Obama years, did not have or could not do well. You’re tweeting about it RuPaul’s Drag Racefor example, when teasing Rep. George Santos and Taylor Greene.

Rep. Garcia

I think it’s true. One thing you have from a lot of freshmen is that we come from different backgrounds and you started to see that happen in Congress a few years ago, when different types of people started getting elected. It’s more of a working class group of newcomers. They are people who are perhaps a little aggressive, a little impatient, which means we bring ourselves. For me, yes, I happen to be a RuPaul’s Drag Race fans, I love drag, I love it as a great art form. And I will never apologize.

When you have people attacking artists, like drag performers, and you have people attacking trans people, they need to be called out. For me, as a gay person and as a queer person, I have a responsibility to call them out. And I will use whatever tools are available to do so.

Christian Paz

You will also be on the Homeland Security committee. What will be the minority and try to solve?

Rep. Garcia

Well, our plan is to win back the House in two years. But yeah, not much is going to happen in this Congress. Republicans are focused on the national abortion ban, demonizing gay children, the war on books and women – but we have heard from some more moderate Republicans, interested in immigration reform, and they know there is a labor shortage and immigration reform can help.

Being on Homeland Security is an opportunity, too, for progressives on committees … to bring attention to issues of justice for immigrants, for people seeking asylum at the border, and making sure the agency does its job and doesn’t harm people. And we want to protect the American people from all kinds of attacks, and that includes domestic terrorists, and that includes white supremacy.

Christian Paz

And you will also be on the committee with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Rep. Garcia

Well, I don’t know what kind of luck of the draw I have that he also happens to be in Homeland Security, which is, like, totally crazy.

But, again, it is very important for the committee to resist the demonization of migrants and attacks on asylum seekers and to be in a position where federal law enforcement agencies can be scrutinized.

Christian Paz

And finally, on a more personal level – are you ready? To face the attacks of these supporters of the right-wing members have online or in real life, here in DC or at home?

Rep. Garcia

I’ve always thought about it. But I’ve experienced more than most, as a queer immigrant. Gay people [and] immigrants are some of the most resilient people in this country. This time requires a different type of leadership and members of Congress. That brought our class and we are excited and ready to go.