Nancy Pelosi is reportedly working against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‘s (D-NY) attempt to become the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
The former Speaker of the House is endorsing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) for the prestigious position and is “actively trying to undermine” AOC’s candidacy while “making calls” in favor of Connolly, according to a report from Punchbowl News published on Thursday.
The article indicates that Pelosi’s covert actions demonstrate the significant “political capital” she’s willing to invest in Connolly’s campaign—the outcome of which will be determined next week.
The individual who secures the committee’s leadership will be responsible for monitoring President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration closely.
Nevertheless, the final decision rests with the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which will determine who to put forward for a recommendation to the entire Democratic caucus.
Both Connolly and AOC are confident that they have the necessary votes to succeed, as reported by NBC News.
The relationship between Pelosi and AOC is complex—so much so that it inspired an off-Broadway production that debuted in New York over the summer.
Entitled N/A, the play featured Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe portraying the first female Speaker of the House and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, respectively. Although its inspiration was never specifically identified, it was widely perceived that N/A drew from the dynamics between Pelosi and AOC.
