House Democrats wait anxiously on AOC's big Oversight decision

One question is dominating the halls of Congress this week: Whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) will run again to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.Why it matters: The role would position the high-profile 35-year-old as one of the formal leaders of House Democrats' anti-Trump resistance at a time when the party's base is demanding a younger, more vigorous opposition.Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the 75-year-old who defeated Ocasio-Cortez for the role last December, is stepping away from it amid his battle with esophageal cancer.After her loss, Ocasio-Cortez received a coveted role on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee but failed to get a waiver to stay on Oversight.That means she would have to jump through more procedural hurdles than other prospective candidates to succeed Connolly — though she is still seen as a possible front-runner.State of play: Most — but not all — of the young, ambitious House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are waiting to see what Ocasio-Cortez does before jumping into the race themselves.That includes Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who is interested in the role only if Ocasio-Cortez doesn't run, as Axios reported this afternoon.If she does go for it, Frost — a 28-year-old member of House Democratic leadership — would support her."A number of members are exploring a run as they wait to see if AOC wants to do it," one House Democrat told Axios.What we're hearing: Several lawmakers who spoke to Axios said Ocasio-Cortez's thinking is genuinely up in the air.The Energy and Commerce role is something of a white whale for her: She sought it unsuccessfully as a freshman in 2019.Ocasio-Cortez told reporters that Connolly's "announcement is not that he is stepping down, so there's presently not a vacancy to run for."Yes, but: Not everyone is waiting on Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is publicly signaling interest in the role and privately jockeying for it.Some of Crockett's colleagues are saying she should get the role as Connolly's vice ranking member — a position Ocasio-Cortez previously held.Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), who is serving as interim ranking member in Connolly's stead, said Monday he would run for the role as well.Ocasio-Cortez would also have to secure a waiver from the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in order to run for Oversight Committee ranking member while not serving on the panel.What to watch: House Democrats seem to be in no rush to organize an election to replace Connolly, with several lawmakers predicting Lynch could serve as interim for an extended period.Connolly has not said when he will formally step down, and the matter didn't even come up in House Democratic leadership and steering meetings on Monday, according to a senior House Democrat.One lawmaker told Axios that, as a large field of potential candidates forms to succeed Connolly, this could be a buffer period to give House Democratic leadership "time to work it out."

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