Democrats want to curb Trump’s power with House majority. This is their greatest tool

House Democrats are eyeing their power over federal spending as one of their strongest tools to push back against President Trump’s agenda if they win back the majority in November.

A Democratic takeover would put Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in line to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, giving Democrats greater sway over the annual spending bills that fund federal agencies and programs.

They could use the process to try to rein in President Trump’s spending priorities, attach restrictions to agency funding and scrutinize how the administration is using taxpayer dollars. 

The strategy could put Democrats on a collision course with the White House and congressional Republicans, particularly if they win a razor-thin House majority. Any spending legislation would still need enough Senate support to overcome the filibuster and eventually Trump’s signature, limiting how far Democrats could go without Republican buy-in.

Still, the appropriations process would give Democrats an opening to force the administration to the negotiating table.

Parks, arts and public hearings

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, told The Hill she plans to hold more public hearings to scrutinize the redirection of some funding from national parks toward projects in Washington, as well as staffing cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency that she said have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to conduct research, enforce environmental laws and regulate toxic chemicals.

She added that her subcommittee has oversight of arts-related agencies, which she argued have “certainly been under assault.”

“For instance, the Kennedy Center, where the president took over the board, has really made major changes there, including attempting to put his name on the building, but also a total lack of transparency about funding and the use of congressionally allocated funds,” Pingree said. 

“So I can see, you know, I can see lots of opportunities for committee hearings, for more investigations, and you know areas where we’ll want to make sure that the money goes where it was intended to: the Forest Service, the national parks, how expensive the Department of Interior. I think we’ll have our work cut out for us,” she added.

Another area Democrats........

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