House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic leadership are taking a hands-off approach to Rep. Sean Casten’s bid to replace Rep. Maxine Waters as Financial Services Committee ranking member, multiple people familiar with the talks told Semafor.
That neutral stance has allowed Casten — and other Democrats seeking to challenge top-ranking committee leaders — to quietly advance their efforts even with lawmakers away from Washington.
Democratic leaders are focused on the midterms, and their current stance is the same tack they took two years ago, when another group of Democrats challenged ranking members amid anxiety about their caucus’ ability to rein in President Donald Trump.
Casten, 54, recently began soliciting support to unseat Waters, 88, as his panel’s top Democrat next Congress. Waters is poised to chair the committee — and helm oversight of the administration’s handling of cryptocurrency, the Federal Reserve, and more — if Democrats take the majority.
Casten informed Waters of his interest earlier this week. But his challenge was already dividing the caucus, forcing members to choose between walking the walk on generational change or giving the boot to one of their party’s most widely respected Black progressive women.
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., is mulling a bid of his own, according to a person familiar with the talks. Politico first reported Foster’s interest.
The Financial Services panel isn’t the only one facing a potential shakeup. Two Democrats, Reps. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut and Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, are running against the incumbent leader of the Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia.
Democratic leaders still could have some say in the matter. The committee challenges will be first voted on by the caucus’ powerful Steering and Policy Committee, which is generally aligned with party leadership, before the full caucus will have any input.