The Hill News

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) will serve as the ranking member of a subcommittee on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee after being pushed out of the top Democratic spot on the full panel just weeks ago.

Towns stepped down from the top Democratic spot on the panel after Democratic leaders told him they wanted a more combative personality in that role. Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is expected to investigate all corners of the Obama administration, and Democrats elevated Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), a serious yet aggressive member they believe can go toe-to-toe with Issa and ensure the panel’s investigations aren’t solely focused on embarrassing the White House.

Cummings on Thursday tapped Towns as the ranking member of the subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management, which has jurisdiction over the government management and accounting measures, the economy, efficiency and management of government operations and activities (other than procurement and data standards), federal property and reorganizations of the executive branch, according to the release.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), who was next in line for the ranking position after Towns but also was passed over for the top spot, did not receive a ranking member subcommittee slot, though she remains on the panel.

Other subcommittee ranking members include: Rep. Stephen Lynch (Mass.) on the subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy; Rep. Danny Davis (Ill.) on the subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives; Rep. John Tierney (Mass.) on the subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations; Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) on the subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending; Rep. Mike Quigley (Ill.), on the subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs; and Rep. Gerald Connolly (Va.) on the subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform.

Other Democratic members of the panel include Rep. Bruce Braley (Iowa), Rep. Lacy Clay (Mo.), Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Rep. Chris Murphy (Conn.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Rep. Jackie Speier (Calif.) and Rep. Peter Welch (Vt.).