Rice selected over Ocasio-Cortez for spot on Energy & Commerce panel

[left-of-center2012]

House Democrats on Thursday voted to place Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee in the next Congress, selecting her over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Rice, a third-term centrist Democrat, and Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive firebrand, both jockeyed heavily for one of the few coveted slots on the committee. But the Steering Committee — which is tasked with selecting who heads and sits on committees — ultimately selected only Rice, the more senior lawmaker, to serve on the panel.

Both lawmakers have at times been at odds with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), with Pelosi previously blocking Rice from getting a position on the Judiciary Committee after the New York lawmaker opted not to support Pelosi for Speaker in 2019 and played a role in an attempt to oust Pelosi from her leadership role two years ago.

The Energy and Commerce Committee oversees a broad number of policy areas ranging from health care to energy, having played a critical role in shaping policy during the coronavirus pandemic. It is currently chaired by Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.).

Rice currently sits on the House Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs committees.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/530761-rice-selected-over-ocasio-cortez-for-spot-on-energy-commerce-panel

[still_one]

1. F**k the hill. If they can make something more divisive among Democrats than it is, they will

[brooklynite]

4. Let's review...

The Democratic Caucus had a vote on Committee assignments.

The Hill, whic reports on Congressional matters, wrote a story about the Democratic Caucus voting on Committee assignments.

When will the ad was end!!!???

[still_one]

5. The innuendo was much more negative than just a story about the Democratic Caucus voting

on committee assignments and you know it. With words like “progressive firebrand”, “being at odds with Pelosi”, etc

They have a pattern of throwing antagonistic descriptions and misleading headlines all the time, and I wonder if you relish that style of so-called journalism

[brooklynite]

6. Saying AOC is "Being at odds with Pelosi" is "Innuendo"?

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ believes the Democratic Party needs new leadership, telling The Intercept in an interview that it’s time for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to go.

https://theintercept.com/2020/12/16/aoc-nancy-pelosi-needs-to-go-but-theres-nobody-to-replace-her-yet/

The Hill isn't pushing an agenda on voters, because voters don't read The Hill. It's an industry magazine for elected officials and political pros.

[still_one]

16. Glenn Greenwald's former enterprise the Intercept, which has always had a definite bias against

what they refer to as the "establishment Democrats"

and as for the "no agenda" The Hill

"John Solomon
In 2017 owner Jimmy Finkelstein hired political commentator John Solomon as a journalist. Solomon reported directly to Finkelstein which removed him entirely from normal editorial oversight. Solomon regularly inserted material from advertisers into journalistic copy, leading to protests from The Hill's publisher, who subsequently left the paper. Eventually Solomon was rebranded as an opinion contributor. In March 2018 he published an interview and series of columns that promoted a conspiracy theory regarding Ukraine advanced by associates of Rudy Giuliani."

"In January 2020, Politico reported that the owner is looking for potential buyers of The Hill. The same report claimed a senior Hill employee told Politico that Jimmy Finkelstein attended the second 2016 presidential debate as a Trump campaign guest.

In June 2020, Politico reported that Jimmy Finkelstein's wife, Pamela Gross, was involved in getting Melania Trump acclimated to living and working in the White House. Gross' unpaid arrangement was not disclosed in the several dozen articles The Hill published about the First Lady while Gross was advising her from August 2017 to February 2018, nor were more than a select few Hill employees informed that their boss' wife was an East Wing adviser."


http://www.owlapps.net/owlapps_apps/article?id=1760669&lang=en

The Hill and Politico tend to be more gossip publication than not

[brooklynite]

19. The Intercept reported the story because AOC did an interview with them...

[Hortensis]

17. Why are you even arguing this, Brook? Of course The Hill's hostile.

Among things The Hill chose not to cover is that the vote was 46-13. So NOT so contentious after all. If couple of people raised their voices, that doesn't mean dozens of others aren't waiting and doing other work until they can vote.

Or that Pelosi and other leaders offered recommendations for four out of the five seats but did not recommend a name for the last seat, traditionally reserved for a member from NY. However, that one leader, Jerry Nadler, had endorsed Ocasio.

As for claiming The Hill's agenda doesn't influence a national audience, that's...unworthy. Besides the journal itself, its contributors are all over the media.

[still_one]

21. I think your analysis is right on Hortensis. This vote was not a surprise at all. Rep. Rice has

more experience

[Dem4Life1102]

18. Not totally accurate

She also said

Ocasio-Cortez argued that there are no viable alternatives for House or Senate leadership at the moment

Plus AOC also voted for Pelosi for speaker. Yet Max Rose didn’t and attacked both Pelosi and Schumer in his campaign ads.

[still_one]

20. and without a doubt Rep. Ocasio-Cortez will vote for Rep Pelosi to lead the House again

[Dem4Life1102]

22. I believe she has said she will

while Max Rose campaigned saying that he would vote against her again. Yet some of those who are criticizing AOC supported Rose.

[still_one]

23. Thanks for the background.

[still_one]

25. Based on MSM reports on this, you assessment was on target, and mine was not

[left-of-center2012]

15. What words would you use to describe AOC?

[still_one]

26. Looking at MSM reports on this meeting, I gave too much of a benefit of a doubt to Ocasio-Cortez

It looks like it was quite a contentious meeting

[Irish_Dem]

2. They should give AOC some power roles, not shut her out. nt

[Cha]

11. Rice had more votes.. like

in a Democracy.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Yes, you are right of course.

But with GOPers joining our party, I am afraid we will go too far right.
We need the squad to keep us balanced.

[still_one]

27. Not sure if I see a huge surge of those from the GOP joining us. When you have 120+ republicans

refusing to accept Joe Biden/Kamala Harris as the President and Vice President elect, it makes the idiom jump the shark look mild to what they are doing

[Cha]

29. NO FEAR!

[R B Garr]

3. Rice has seniority and more qualifications

than “firebrand.”

[Cha]

12. Yeah.. I don't like Rice but she's

the one who got more votes.

[wellst0nev0ter]

7. If you challenge Pelosi for leadership, you'll eventually get rewarded

Don't blame me, I don't make the rules.

[Vivienne235729]

8. I am not surprised Rice got picked over AOC. AOC shot herself in the foot

I can appreciate her passion, but she really needs to learn about airing dirty laundry and knowing when to argue privately vs arguing publicly.

[liskddksil]

9. I'm neutral on this one, but Rep. Rice aired more than her share of dirty laundry

as well at Pelosi - I remember after the 2017 GA special election in particular that Ossoff narrowly lost. I actually kind of prefer when things are out in the open, even if it makes people uncomfortable.

[Vivienne235729]

14. Your right. I just don't remember the fluff up between Rice and Pelosi.

I think the word I am looking for is tact. And in a way, she is disrespectful. It's her first year in congress and she's saying publicly that the most senior members of her own party need to go. Do you do that when you first walk into a new job? Tell the partners they need to step back? Tell the team captain they need to be benched? She's not the only one that wants to see progressive ideals come to fruition. I think people just see it differently in how to get it done. She'll need those sr members to help her get things done in congress. Politics is very much a team sport. And she needs to learn to work w her team. Not just the squad. Just my 2 cents....

To add also: having said that, I truly hope to see AOC get into a high ranking committee in another year or so. Her voice is much needed.

[Cha]

13. Amen! Rice did, too.. but she has

more experience & the committee voted her in.

[Gothmog]

10. This was the correct choice

[MineralMan]

28. AOC should probably spend some more time cultivating

other House members, it looks like. The House is a collegial body, and elects its own leadership and committees. Making friends and allies among other House members is the strategy if you want to increase your influence there. If you don't do that, you don't get the votes you need for positions you'd like to fill.

That's really just fundamental politics. Ignore it at your peril, AOC, because how things work in the House is not going to change to suit your preferences.

I'm sorry, but I can't get at all exercised about how the House selects its own members for things.