The Brief

The new top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform committee is ready for a fight.

"I think I got elected because I am aggressive," Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in an interview. "I think that we've got to be fighters in this moment."

In June, House Democrats picked Garcia, a sophomore congressman, over several more senior colleagues to lead their party on the committee. At 47, the Californian who came to the U.S. from Peru as a young child, is the youngest ranking member in Congress.

Known for its raucous hearings and investigations into some of the most prominent and divisive areas of American politics, the House Oversight Committee is among the most high profile arenas in Congress. The committee chair has the power to subpoena witnesses and the broad authority to dig into virtually any topic — that has included the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, steroid usage in Major League Baseball, and the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Garcia succeeds the late Gerry Connolly, D-Va., who died in May following a battle with cancer, and Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., who briefly filled the role for Democrats on an acting basis.

He comes to the job at a moment when Democrats are craving more direct confrontation with President Trump and Republicans in Congress, but as ranking member, he faces inherent challenges. Unlike the GOP chair, he's unable to set the agenda for the committee and lacks subpoena power.

That doesn't faze Garcia, who said he's ready to lean into the fray. 

"People are just pissed off at what's happened with Donald Trump, Elon Musk, the House Republicans," Garcia said. "And people want to see a good fight."

Garcia already has a reputation for doing just that.

In February, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tried to censure Garcia for his comments on CNN saying Americans want Democrats to "bring actual weapons to this bar fight" while referencing Elon Musk's government work. Days later, Garcia got a letter from the Department of Justice which said it takes "threats against public officials very seriously."

Garcia said his words were not a threat, and that he wouldn't be intimidated.

"You got to stand up to bullies," Garcia said. "I've done that my whole life."

From Peru to Long Beach

Garcia was born in Peru and immigrated to the United States as a young child with his mother.

"My mom, when we first got here, she cleaned houses. I remember watching her and my aunt going to these homes," Garcia said. "I remember thinking, 'Wow, it would be so nice to live in a place like this.'"

His family settled east of Los Angeles in Covina, as undocumented residents. At the encouragement of his mom, Garcia applied to California State University, Long Beach, where he got his start in politics as student government president.

"When I was in college, most of the time I was not a citizen," Garcia said. "And I remember thinking, 'Wow, I'm getting these opportunities to represent all these folks. I can't even, like, vote in an election myself.'"

Then-student government president Robert Garcia (middle) stands with fellow students Chance Decker (left), Casey Mercer (left of center), Sheryl Mauricio (right of center) and Wayne Stickney-Smith (right).

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Courtesy California State University Long Beach, University Library

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Ultimately, Garcia became a citizen in his 20s, along with his mom, because of the amnesty law signed by President Ronald Reagan.

After graduation, Garcia started a local news site called The Long Beach Post, but before too long, politics would come calling again. He won a seat on the city council, and then at just 37 years old, won election as mayor.

During Garcia's second term as mayor, the pandemic hit Long Beach and the world.

"Both my mom and my stepdad died due to COVID, which is horrific, obviously," Garcia said. "And I was the mayor at the time. And so that really had a profound impact on me. Particularly what Donald Trump was saying and doing in that first term."

He said this motivated him to run for national office in 2022, when a House seat representing the Long Beach area opened up.

At his swearing in, Garcia became the first openly gay immigrant to serve in Congress.

'A bully pulpit to refute'

During his first term, Garcia quickly rose up the Democratic ranks, gaining a seat on the Oversight Committee after being recruited to the panel by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a former ranking member himself.

Raskin said Garcia is the right pick for this particular moment on the Oversight panel.

"I think that what we see shaping up in this century is a battle between right wing authoritarian populism and progressive multicultural populism," Raskin said. "And he is very in touch with all of the new movements of our day and not in any kind of dogmatic or politically correct way. But it's part of who he is."

As ranking member on the committee, Garcia is taking on a key role among Democrats and bringing a younger perspective to party leadership at a moment when many voters are calling for generational change.

And although his powers in the minority will be limited, he's still seeking answers from the administration.

"We still have the power to investigate even in the minority," Garcia said. "We're asking Homeland Security and Secretary [Kristi] Noem for answers on a variety of questions and demanding that members of Congress be allowed their oversight responsibility."

Raskin said Garcia's biggest weapon as a ranking member will be his increased visibility.

"What Robert gets is a bully pulpit to refute and rebut all of the propaganda and disinformation coming forth from James Comer and the GOP," Raskin said, referring to the panel's GOP chairman. "So he'll be playing offense and defense at the same time."

When asked if there are any current areas of common ground between Republicans and Democrats on the committee, Garcia said no.

"These folks are not interested in bipartisanship," Garcia said. "And so I don't see a lot of places there that there's a lot of shared interests."

Now, Garcia said he's working to flip the House. And if he becomes chairman of the committee under a Democrat majority, Garcia said he knows who he'd investigate.

"Folks like Stephen Miller, folks like Elon Musk," Garcia said. "These are people that need to be held accountable for what they've done to the public, no matter how much money they have or how powerful they may be, or close to the president they may be."
Copyright 2025 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.