Wall Street had better brace itself, because the House Financial Services Committee is about to be loaded with some big names from the left wing of the Democratic Party.
Per Bloomberg, those names include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Katie Porter (Calif.) and Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii).
“AOC” confirmed the news of her appointment on Twitter.
Financial Services is one of just four exclusive committees in the House. It oversees big banks, lending, & the financial sector.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to sit on this committee as a freshman, and look forward to working under the leadership of @RepMaxineWaters! https://t.co/kIq5iDcrTV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 16, 2019
“Personally, I’m looking forward to digging into the student loan crisis, examining for-profit prisons/ICE detention, and exploring the development of public & postal banking. To start,” she tweeted.
Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib both identify as democratic socialists. Gabbard—who intends to run for president next year—is an ally of Bernie Sanders, who is also a democratic socialist. Porter studied law under Elizabeth Warren at Harvard—both Porter and Warren identify as capitalists, but neither is any kind of friend to Wall Street.
According to Bloomberg‘s sources, all four have been nominated for the committee by the Democrats’ steering committee, making them a shoo-in for membership. The panel will be chaired by Maxine Waters (Calif.), who is on the moderate wing of the Democrats.
As reported by Politico, then confirmed by the Boston congresswoman herself via Twitter, the progressive Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) will also be joining the committee.
To anyone that’s ever come home to an eviction notice, felt overwhelmed by student debt or worked the 2nd&3rd shift – when I learned that I was appointed to the Financial Services Committee @FSCDems tonight I thought of you. We belong everywhere. I’ll never stop fighting for you.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) January 16, 2019
“To anyone that’s ever come home to an eviction notice, felt overwhelmed by student debt or worked the 2nd&3rd shift—when I learned that I was appointed to the Financial Services Committee @FSCDems tonight I thought of you,” Pressley tweeted.