Democrats prepare broad oversight agenda after winning Congress

Hearings and subpoenas could reach immigration, public health and war powers

Democrats won full control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, returning to power with an ambitious oversight agenda aimed at President Donald Trump and his administration. NPR based its account on conversations with Democratic House and Senate committee staffers. Trump remains in the White House, so lawmakers are expected to focus more on oversight than legislation. The new Democratic majorities can subpoena records for review and compel individuals to testify before lawmakers.

Public corruption and failing leadership were two of the top issues concerning voters. In an account based on conversations with Democratic House and Senate committee staffers, NPR described a broad set of likely oversight targets. Rep. Robert Garcia, the California Democrat expected to become chair of the House Oversight Committee, put the coming phase bluntly in a statement: “LAWYER UP.”

Democrats are expected to probe the administration’s handling of federal documents about Jeffrey Epstein, its connections to the convicted sex offender and ties Epstein had with other powerful figures, including Trump. Bipartisan congressional action previously forced the administration to release extensive records tied to federal investigations of Epstein’s crimes and other alleged offenses. Democrats maintain that many records were improperly redacted or withheld and that the Justice Department worked to shield Trump from damaging allegations; the department’s leadership has denied those claims. Democrats describe the planned scrutiny as an effort to secure accountability for Epstein’s victims.

In connection with an October report, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said, “Donald Trump says he knew Jeffrey Epstein ‘just like everybody in Palm Beach knew him.’ Not exactly.” Raskin also said, “Evidence involving 11 women tells a completely different and far more damning story about their relationship and the abuse of young women and girls that took place in their network.” Trump has long denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and maintained that his relationship with Epstein ended before Epstein was indicted for soliciting prostitution in 2016.

Democrats also plan to continue inquiries into what they describe as administration efforts to advance the financial interests of Trump, his family, officials and close allies. The president’s continuing interests include Truth Social, cryptocurrency projects and overseas ventures involving his sons and powerful foreign investors. Garcia linked the high cost of living to politicians on both sides of the aisle acting in their own interests. In an MS Now opinion piece last month, he wrote, “Millions of dollars in dark money are flowing throughout our political system.” He also said some members of Congress may be trading stocks based on information the public does not have and that the revolving door between government and lobbying for large corporations keeps spinning.

NPR reported that public support for Trump’s deportation agenda has cratered following high-profile incidents involving federal immigration enforcement personnel, including the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota this year. While in the minority, Democrats documented hundreds of incidents of alleged abuse and misconduct by immigration agents and say they will continue that work. They expect to hold hearings on violence that has largely gone without congressional oversight during the first two years of Trump’s second term, building on an October field hearing in Austin, Texas, about shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said after the hearing: “ICE is a lawless, rogue agency that is causing generational trauma in communities across the country.” She said House Democrats would continue the oversight work and protect communities from Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

In June, Democrats released a report alleging that the Trump administration had undermined public health infrastructure and U.S. scientific research into chronic and deadly diseases. Democrats intend to continue that work in the new Congress, with particular attention to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Democrats also plan oversight of White House projects, including East Wing remodeling, a monumental arch, renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, paving of the White House Rose Garden and the closure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Committee staffers tied the projects to a larger fight over appropriations: Congress has sole authority to decide how taxpayer dollars are spent, and NPR reported that the White House had repeatedly disregarded congressional declarations and rescinded billions of dollars in approved spending.

The agenda also includes oversight of the U.S.-Iran war. NPR reported that Congress has the sole authority to declare war and that presidents are required to seek authorization for the use of military force, a step that has not happened for any Trump administration military campaign this term. Democrats plan to press Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, about the war’s cost to the American public. More war powers votes designed to force Trump to end the conflict are expected, though NPR said some have attracted limited bipartisan support. Previous votes passed but were largely symbolic and did not carry the weight of law. A House impeachment vote on Hegseth could come during the lame-duck session, even before Democrats take control.

Elon Musk has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican politics, according to NPR, which also reported that interruptions to his satellite internet service provider stymied Ukraine’s military operations against Russia. In an October letter, a group of Silicon Valley House Democrats said the 120th Congress would scrutinize federal funding awarded to Musk’s businesses, including whether the companies met contractual obligations and whether safeguards existed against political interference, arbitrary service restrictions and misuse of federal resources. Democrats also may investigate the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which NPR said reduced the government workforce in the first year of Trump’s second term but failed to deliver on its promised trillion dollars in savings.