With control of Congress secured after the midterms, Democrats are preparing to launch a wave of investigations into the Trump administration while simultaneously navigating internal leadership battles that threaten to distract from their oversight agenda. The party’s gains in Mississippi and Colorado were confirmed this week, and the Alaska Senate race remains too close to call, though Democrat Mary Peltola holds a narrow edge over incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Sen.-elect Scott Colom (D-Miss.), who will become the first Black senator from the state since 1881, is set to appear on Sunday’s political talk shows, underscoring the historic nature of the Democratic wave. But the party’s unity is already fraying as lawmakers jockey for leadership positions in the 120th Congress.
Senate Leadership Showdown
In the upper chamber, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) faces a challenge from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who announced his bid Thursday and has garnered support from progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.). The closed-door leadership vote will occur after the new Congress convenes in January, but the public jockeying has already exposed a generational and ideological rift within the party. Van Hollen is scheduled to appear on several Sunday shows to make his case.
House Leadership Race Heats Up
House Democrats are moving faster, with their leadership election slated for next week. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is widely expected to secure the speaker nomination, and Rep.-elect Cait Conley (D-N.Y.) has voiced support for him. Conley will appear on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss the party’s direction.
Meanwhile, House Republicans, preparing for the minority, elected Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as their leader this week, a shift that signals a more confrontational approach. Jordan is slated to appear on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” while outgoing Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will discuss lame-duck GOP priorities on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Impeachment Vote Fallout
The Democrats’ oversight ambitions hit a snag this week when 11 House Democrats missed a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allowing Republicans to table the measure. Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) had introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, citing his handling of the Iran conflict. Rep.-elect JoAnna Mendoza (D-Ariz.) vowed to “100 percent” support impeachment in the next Congress, telling CNN that Hegseth “has blood on his hands.” Mendoza is scheduled to appear on “This Week.”
Nvidia Scandal Spurs Oversight Demands
The party is also pressing for investigations into the Trump administration’s oversight of tech deals, particularly after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned amid an affair scandal involving an alleged Chinese spy. Top Democrats on trade committees have asked the Commerce Department to preserve records related to the approval of Nvidia’s H200 chip sales to China, raising concerns about “basic due diligence.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who reportedly pressured Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the omission of Nvidia customer Megaspeed from a national security list, will appear on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Jim Himes (D-Conn.) will discuss the national security implications on “Face the Nation.” The scandal has also drawn comparisons to accusations of gaslighting by Trump in his handling of the affair.
Starlink and FAA Ground Stop Add to Agenda
Democrats are additionally demanding answers from Elon Musk’s SpaceX over a slowdown in Starlink services in Ukraine in October, which was later restored. Senators have asked Musk to preserve records related to the incident, highlighting concerns about his influence in global affairs.
Meanwhile, the FAA’s nationwide ground stop on Friday, which halted air travel for over four hours, has prompted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to face questions. The incident adds to a growing list of issues Democrats plan to scrutinize, including the legality of Trump’s border asylum ban, which the Supreme Court will review.
As Democrats gear up for their oversight role, they face pressure to balance their investigative zeal with internal cohesion. The leadership contests will test whether the party can unite behind a common agenda, especially as divisions among Republicans offer an opening for Democratic gains.
