Spectrum News - Garcia to lead Democrats in first oversight hearing as ranking member Thursday: 'welcome to the new Democratic party'

Since becoming the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee this summer, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., has been just about everywhere. 

From cable news hits on just about every channel, to podcasts, and shows with independent journalists, Garcia has taken a flood the zone approach, discussing Democrats’ efforts to release the Department of Justice’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In one of his first acts as ranking member, Garcia managed to get the Republican-led committee to subpoena the Trump administration for the files, including the “birthday book.”

“Welcome to the new Democratic Party. I think Democrats are looking out and electing folks that are going to punch back,” said Garcia in an interview Wednesday on Capitol Hill, less than 24 hours before his first hearing as the committee’s top Democrat. “We’re going to have Republicans kind of throw everything at us. We can’t just sit back and allow bullies to not get some of their own medicine.”

“Republicans use every tactic in the book to move their legislation and ideas forward, and we should do the same,” he added.

President Donald Trump originally made the campaign promise he would release the Epstein files but has since backtracked, calling it “a hoax.” Earlier this month, Democrats released a sexually suggestive note included in the so-called “birthday book” that was purportedly signed by the president, who has repeatedly denied the signature was his. 

Garcia says he doesn’t buy it.

“What is Donald Trump saying — that somehow someone slipped a birthday note 15, 20 years ago, into a book to start a conspiracy theory about him? This book has existed for almost 20 years, and Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were, per Jeffrey Epstein, best of friends,” said Garcia.

Garcia’s high visibility and bulldog approach is exactly why fellow Democrats passed over more senior members of their party to elect Garcia as the panel’s ranking member in June, following the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

“He is a member’s leader. He makes sure that everything’s moving smoothly; he’s hired great staff. Everything on the committee is running extremely professionally, strategically. And he’s a great communicator. So all around a major win,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who serves on the panel.

But that approach has also led to some brushups, including with the committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

“Garcia, he’s been on the job for about two weeks. He’s proven to me to be a real big drama queen because this is all about providing transparency, the American people and justice for the victims. It’s not about scoring political points. So hopefully he’ll mature up and get serious about the investigation,” Comer told reporters when exiting a Republican conference meeting last week.

Garcia took the criticism in stride. 

“He said I’m a drama queen because I’m gay, which obviously, you know, it’s a little homophobic, but that’s fine,” he said, shrugging it off. “I think he’s just concerned that he actually has someone opposite of him that is going to push back just as hard, and I’m going to give just as much as he goes and probably annoys him a little bit.”

When the Oversight Committee gavels in on Thursday, the panel will hear from witnesses such as Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, City Council Chair Phil Mendelson, and the city’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb. The hearing’s focus will be on crime policies in the nation’s capital, which comes just weeks after President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard soldiers to patrol Washington, despite violent crime being at a 30-year low.

As the onetime mayor of Long Beach, Calif., Garcia brings a unique perspective to the hearing.

“Crime has been getting lowered in DC. They should allow DC to continue to lower crime. And if the President wants to help the District, give them the resources. Let them hire more police officers, give them more budget to expand libraries and parks, give them more resources for mental health professionals to help people that are on the street — not bringing the National Guard, that have resorted to picking up trash. We have National Guardsmen picking up trash in D.C. versus actually doing their jobs. I think it’s a shame,” he said.

As Garcia’s star power continues to rise within the party, he has also become one of the most vocal and visible critics of the president. When asked if he is concerned if President Trump would pursue him as he has done with Democrats such as Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Garcia said he would not be intimidated. 

“He sent his Department of Justice against me just months ago, when he had his former U.S. Attorney say that I was being investigated for things I said about Elon Musk — basically for calling Elon Musk a dick, which he is, in my opinion,” said Garcia with a shrug. “He’s already done it, we pushed back. Didn’t silence us. And I’ve had all sorts of efforts by Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace trying to censor me. All these crazy actions — none of that works on me.”

“I’m here because I want to represent our communities back home and push back,” he continued. “Donald Trump can continue — he may come after me more — that’s fine. I’m not afraid of that.”