The Democrat Ready to Beef Up Pentagon Oversight

Time: “Congress’ weakened oversight role weighs heavy on Smith’s mind. The Washington state Democrat is now the ranking member on Armed Services and a likely candidate to reclaim the chairmanship should his party retake the House. The assumptions that guided his first tenure atop the committee, he says, have largely collapsed.”

“As Democrats increasingly contemplate what governing would look like if they return to power in 2027, few lawmakers could find themselves in a more consequential position than Smith.”