Former Long Beach Mayor is now leading Democrats on oversight in DC

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.

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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."
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