If Democrats win back the Senate in November, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren could hold sweeping new power over American laws. This shift would move the party closer to Sanders’ style of economic populism. Sanders, a senator from Vermont, is likely to chair the panel that oversees labor, education, and healthcare. Elizabeth Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, would take over the Banking Committee. She is known for being a fierce critic of Wall Street.
Both men and women in Washington have moved closer to Sanders and Warren in the last two years. They filled a power gap left when President Joe Biden stepped back from the political stage. Along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they are now the most popular surrogates for candidates this cycle. A win for Democrats would let them turn this influence into a real agenda. This agenda, which adopts a more adversarial stance toward big business and the private sector, would be.
Being a committee chair gives leaders tools to mark up legislation and subpoena witnesses. Sanders and Warren already serve as ranking members of their committees. Warren has found success with progressive policies even while Republicans run Washington. With bipartisan support, a landmark housing bill she authored became law just three months ago.
Other Democrats are ready to push the party further left too. Should Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse assume control of the Judiciary Committee, he is anticipated to show less deference to Republicans. He once challenged the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin for the position. Greater influence on the Appropriations Committee is also expected for Sen. Chris Murphy. He currently oversees spending for the Department of Homeland Security. This agency has become controversial over aggressive immigration tactics that caused a government shutdown earlier this year.
A blue wave materializing next Tuesday determines this new power. To reclaim the chamber from Republicans, Democrats must secure at least four additional seats. Flipping the House is considered a more realistic outcome since the GOP margin is narrower there. The plan also assumes long-shot scenarios do not happen. For example, it assumes former Sen. Sherrod Brown does not reclaim the Banking gavel.
The path to these leadership roles relies entirely on the election results. The Washington Examiner reported that Sanders and Warren could wield this new gavel power if the party retakes the Senate. Without those four seats, the current leadership structure likely stays in place. The financial sector could face more scrutiny only if Warren gets her chance to lead the Banking Committee. The labor and healthcare sectors could see more oversight only if Sanders gets the chair.
The clock is ticking until the final count is known. Every seat in play now determines who holds the gavel. The question on everyone’s mind is whether Democrats can flip enough seats to make this shift real. The answer comes next Tuesday.
