A TRUMP-ERA TEST FOR HOUSE DEMS Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his Democratic leadership team are facing an internal uprising against their party’s top committee members. At least three members are looking to unseat senior incumbents atop the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees in what could be some of the most intense leadership jockeying in the caucus, prompted by the return of Donald Trump and another stint in the minority. Democrats see some committee leaders as vulnerable after the ranking lawmakers faced health struggles and questions about their ability to stand up to Trump. Concerns about fundraising are also fueling the restlessness, with many Democrats concerned that certain leaders aren't running adequate political operations to retake a House majority. (Keep reading for fundraising numbers obtained by POLITICO.) The generational shifts at both the presidential and congressional election level among Democrats have emboldened some in the party to shake things up. The caucus doesn’t have term limits for committee ranking members or chairs, a longstanding gripe of many lawmakers who aren’t able to rise up committee ranks like their term-limited Republican counterparts. House Democratic leaders are largely staying above the fray in the committee races, though a previous generation of leadership stood behind one of the incumbent committee leaders, top House Agriculture Committee Democrat Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) when he was chair, amid public struggles with his health. Democrats also moved to sideline him this Congress during Farm bill negotiations. “There's a recognition in the Democratic Party that we got a tremendous boost when Kamala took over from Joe Biden, and that there are benefits in getting a next generation in visible Democratic leadership," Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) said in an interview. At least two top Democrats are facing challenges — Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources committee who had gone through cancer treatment, and Scott. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) has announced a bid against Grijalva, and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) is challenging Scott. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), meanwhile, formally announced a bid against Scott on Monday morning. It’s not the first time Costa has made a run at the top House Agriculture job. He lost out to Scott when Democrats were in the majority. A Scott spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. At Natural Resources, Huffman said in an interview, “[Grijalva’s absence] has had an impact, and I'm very concerned about hitting the ground running in the next Congress with great committee work. It's just so important. So I'm just focused with great urgency on the needs of the committee and the storm that is coming at us.” Grijalva, in a statement, said he’s still confident he can win. “My decision to serve as top Democrat on the Committee has never been about me; it is driven by a lifelong commitment to amplifying the voices of so many Americans who have been ignored for far too long,” Grijalva said. Although the challengers are publicly insisting they’re not commenting on each others’ races, the Huffman challenge is somewhat complicating the Agriculture committee race. Lawmakers don't want to publicly support a candidate out of concern it could signal support for other challengers in other races. One key factor in the challenges: The anemic fundraising and campaign arm contribution numbers posted by some of the incumbent committee heads (a perennial issue in the caucus). Democratic leaders constantly press their members to help fund the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and committee heads generally are expected to raise more to help their fellow lawmakers. Scott only gave $30,000 to the DCCC this cycle as of the end of October, according to an internal caucus dues sheet obtained by POLITICO, and Grijlava gave $52,000. Huffman kicked in $200,000, and Costa gave $225,000. Grijalva’s allies note that he represents a less-wealthy district than other members. Huffman raised and gave nearly $900,000 for purple-district lawmakers, Costa about $60,000, Grijalva about $35,000 and Scott $10,000. Craig didn’t pay dues to the DCCC, though as a purple-district lawmaker, she’s a beneficiary of the party arm rather than a donor. What to watch for: The party’s identity-based blocs, the tri-caucus of the Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic Caucuses, has generally resisted term limits and stood by long-serving incumbents. But it’s not clear if committee heads will get the full backing of the blocs this time around. Two top Hispanic caucus leaders, Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), issued a joint statement backing Grijalva against his challenger. But the Hispanic Caucus isn’t united in supporting the Arizona Democrat, with some CHC members split on the race. The CBC has not issued any public statement backing Scott. Grijalva, a former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, could also look to help from the left flank of the caucus. What’s next: Democrats’ steering and policy committee, which has power over committee assignments, is expected to be fully constituted and could meet in December. House Democrats bring that under-the-radar panel together through a series of appointments by leadership and elections from regional blocs, making efforts to woo over sizable groups like the California delegation critical. Once the steering committee comes together, under the caucus rules, the steering committee will hold secret ballot elections on recommendations for committee heads that are then sent to the full Democratic caucus. — Nicholas Wu, with an assist from Meredith Lee Hill GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, Nov. 25, as we’re getting ready for the Turkey Trot, followed by the December sprint on the Hill.
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