House Democrats could be facing another problematic leadership fight atop the chamber’s Veterans’ Affairs committee in coming months.
Walz has been on the committee since joining Congress in 2007, six years longer than Takano. But he ranks lower on the seniority list because of a waiver he received years ago to sit on three congressional committees instead of the standard two. If he had dropped off one of those other committees, he would be in line for the leadership post already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Democratic leadership\u2019s decision at that time to pass over Walz, a veteran, for Brown, whose relationship with Republican colleagues and veterans organizations was frequently strained, upset many in the community, and left party officials scrambling to assure all sides that Walz would play a prominent role on the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, for the second session in a row, Democrats could be faced with a choice between passing over a highly respected veteran for the top Veterans’ Affairs Committee post or breaking seniority tradition to pass over a minority candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walz has made it clear that taking over the ranking member chair \u2014 and possibly the chairmanship, if Democrats can win back the House this fall \u2014 is a top priority for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
In his letter to colleagues, Walz said that “our VA system is in crisis” and “now, more than ever, Democrats need a strong, respected voice to address these problems head on and build the coalition required to get veterans and their families the care they deserve.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Takano has been active in the interim role over the last few weeks, even as Congress was on legislative recess. He was a speaker at the Democratic convention in July and has been a vocal critic of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, particularly with respect to his plans to shift more resources to private care options outside the Veterans Affairs system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leadership elections for both parties will take place after the fall elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n