The Democrat Party’s long-running argument over age and power has landed directly on Rep. Maxine Waters’ doorstep.
Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois has told Waters he plans to challenge her for the top Democratic position on the powerful House Financial Services Committee, opening an ugly intraparty fight just weeks before the midterm elections.
Waters is 88 years old and has led committee Democrats since 2013. If her party wins control of the House, the post could put her back in the chairwoman’s seat with jurisdiction over banks, the Federal Reserve, cryptocurrency policy and major investigations.
The generational clash is now out in the open:
This is more than a symbolic protest. Casten, 54, is actively seeking support even though he would have to leapfrog several more-senior Democrats to claim the gavel or ranking-member post.
Bloomberg Law reports that Casten personally informed Waters of his plan on Tuesday, turning private grumbling over seniority into a direct challenge. Casten would have to leapfrog several Democrats with more committee seniority, but his candidacy puts the caucus on record: members will have to choose between the leader who has run their side of the panel since 2013 and a younger lawmaker openly campaigning on change.
The committee’s reach raises the stakes. Its Democratic leader helps shape the party’s approach to banks, financial regulation, cryptocurrency and the Federal Reserve.
If Democrats win the House, the victor could also control hearings and investigations as chair. The contest is over one of the caucus’s most powerful economic-policy posts, not a ceremonial title.
The timing is brutal for Waters. Younger House Democrats have been demanding generational change, and several longtime committee leaders have already faced serious challenges from within their own ranks.
Waters is not waiting around to see whether her colleagues rally behind the challenger.
She has reportedly enlisted moderate Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and progressive Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to help organize support across the Democratic caucus. That is a revealing pair: Waters is trying to show that she can still command votes from both wings of the party.
Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio has also been encouraged by some Democrats and lobbyists to consider entering the race. Beatty’s spokesperson says she intends to support Waters, while Rep. Emanuel Cleaver has publicly praised Waters’ experience and toughness.
The Congressional Black Caucus is also rallying behind Waters, giving her a major bloc of votes as she works to stop the revolt. The support story still triggered a blunt response about the congresswoman’s age:
Bill Foster, 71, serves as the top Democrat on the committee’s Financial Institutions Subcommittee. His possible entry would give members a second alternative to Waters and could split the anti-incumbent vote.
Semafor reports that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders are taking a hands-off approach. That gives Casten and other challengers room to solicit commitments while lawmakers are away from Washington, instead of having leadership shut the contest down on Waters’ behalf.
The report says Democratic leaders are focused on the midterms and are following the same playbook they used during earlier challenges to veteran committee chiefs. It also confirms that Foster is considering a bid.
The first major test will come before the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, a powerful body generally aligned with party leadership. Only after that stage would the full caucus get its say.
That means Jeffries may be publicly neutral, but the party machine will still have plenty of influence over how this fight ends.
The story continued to spread Saturday as the party’s age-and-power fight drew more attention:
The irony is hard to miss. Democrats have spent years presenting themselves as the party of youth, change and the future while some of their most powerful members refuse to loosen their grip on Washington.
Now that contradiction is producing an open revolt. Waters is calling in favors, potential rivals are circling, and Democratic leadership is standing back while the knives come out.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
The post Democrats Turn On Maxine Waters As Fight For Powerful Committee Post Erupts appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.
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