Pelosi announces Porter, Haaland will sit on Oversight panel

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) will join the House Oversight Committee, taking the places of former Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Katie Hill (D-Calif.). 

Cummings died in October while he was serving as the panel’s leader. Hill resigned in November after she was accused of having a sexual relationship with a staffer. 

Pelosi praised Porter and Haaland, both of whom are first-term lawmakers, in a statement on Tuesday. She called Porter an “unparalleled champion for consumers and working families across America,” and said that Haaland has “distinguished herself as a patriotic, persistent leader.”

“The leadership of these outstanding Members will be vital in advancing the Committee’s work at this important time in our nation’s history: ensuring that the Congress can function as our Founders intended, as a co-equal branch acting as a check and balance on the others, and that our Democratic Majority can continue to achieve progress For The People,” the speaker added.

Porter said in a Tuesday tweet that she was “excited” to join the committee. 

I’m excited to announce that I’m joining @OversightDems. I’ve worked hard during my time in Congress to hold CEOs and top officials accountable to everyday Americans. I’ll be using this new position to continue speaking up for working families. Stay tuned for updates.

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) December 18, 2019

The Oversight Committee is the House’s main investigative panel and was one of the committees that was part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. It has been led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) following Cummings’s death. 

Cummings 68, died from “complications concerning longstanding health challenges,” according to his office. 

Hill resigned after explicit photos of her were leaked, which she said was by her husband, and after she was accused of having an affair with a congressional staffer. She denied the accusations but admitted to an affair with a campaign staffer. 

During her final floor speech, Hill said she was leaving due to a “double standard” faced by women.