DeLauro keeps powerful committee post
Rep. Rosa DeLauro may have fewer coveted committee posts to dole out in the next Congress, but she’ll still be at the head of the table when it comes to making those decisions.
In an internal House leadership election Thursday, DeLauro held on to her post as co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, an influential House panel that gives the third-district Democrat considerable behind-the-scenes power in the House. Among other things, the committee gets to decide which Democrats get what committee slots.
“I am honored that the members of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee have put their trust in me to continue helping to lead this committee and to craft good public policy that moves the country forward and strengthens the middle class,” DeLauro said in a statement Thursday.
DeLauro has served as co-chair of the committee for years, but previously her perch came via an appointment from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Then last month, Democrats voted to curb Pelosi’s power to tap her top loyalists for those positions, making them elected instead of appointed jobs.
Proponents of that change said their efforts were never targeted towards DeLauro, who won enough votes on Thursday to keep her title, even as her party girds to move into the minority.
