Democrats plan probes of Musk and Miller as they take control of Congress

Oversight push in the new Congress

Democrats won control of both chambers in the 3 November midterm elections and will take up their majorities in January. Robert Garcia, the incoming House Oversight Committee chair, said probes would examine Elon Musk's involvement in the firing of federal workers by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), along with Stephen Miller's role in the immigration crackdown. Elizabeth Warren, set to lead the Senate Banking Committee, warned companies on CBS's Face the Nation that they should prepare for scrutiny, though she named none of them.

“If you've been making your profits by cheating American families and scamming your investors, you'd better get ready for some investigations, serious ones.”

Hakeem Jeffries indicated that he and fellow Democrats would back an impeachment of defence secretary Pete Hegseth.

Immigration and the White House

Stephen Miller has been promoted to White House chief of staff. The immigration crackdown included operations in which federal agents fatally shot two people in Minnesota. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in October found 37 percent approved of Trump's handling of immigration, down from 50 percent when he took office.

October37%

When he took office50%

October

37 %

When he took office

50 %

Data from the article text

What Democrats can pass

Trump's veto means any bill he opposes needs Republican votes, passage through budget reconciliation, or a compromise he will sign. The Senate filibuster remains in place, so Republicans can use it to block incoming Democratic legislation that lacks 60 votes in a chamber. Ballot counting is still ongoing. If Democratic candidates win the two outstanding Senate races, Democrats and their allies would have 56 seats. Power of the purse and oversight are the party's strongest near-term tools.

Education and spending

Patty Murray, poised to lead the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Democrats would fight for affordable child care, schools and higher education rather than foreign wars. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, told the administration to preserve all records. The Trump administration responded that Democrats are rushing to shield a broken bureaucracy. Savannah Newhouse, the Education Department's press secretary, said:

“It is policy malpractice to defend a status quo where roughly 70 percent of students have fallen behind in reading and math.”

Democrats seek to roll back changes including the dismantling of the Education Department and pressure that pushed schools to drop many diversity efforts and protections for transgender children.

Economic relief and the lame-duck agenda

Democratic candidates promised to cut food and healthcare costs, rein in corporations and curb billionaire power. JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor, issued a 75-page list of 200 policy proposals for a day one agenda, Tim Wu is pushing an affordability bill, and Texas senator James Talarico promises universal healthcare. Moderate Democrats are arguing for smaller steps. A recent Equal Rights Advocates Action Fund survey found most voters want Congress to protect social security, raise wages and lower costs. Carrie Joy Grimes, founder of WorkMoney, described voters' support as conditional:

“Everyone's on notice now. This is probation and not a mandate.”

A Financial Times column says the party must restrain administration attacks on the Federal Reserve's autonomy and volatile tariffs. The Democrat-controlled Senate will be able to block blatant political appointees to the Fed board, which could let Jay Powell, the former chair, step down before his term ends in January 2028 if he chooses. Stock markets are turbulent and the AI trade has stumbled.