Democrats who won control of the House in the 2026 midterms plan to launch oversight investigations into the Trump administration, reversing two years of limited scrutiny by the Republican-led Congress.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin told The New York Times in late October that potential targets include pardons granted by President Donald Trump, possible corruption in government contracting, and the Trump family's cryptocurrency deals.
The shift marks a departure from recent practice. When Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 7, 2025, she refused to answer many questions from Democrats and launched personal attacks against them instead.
Congressional oversight gives Congress the power to ensure that laws are faithfully executed through hearings, demanding information, and holding the executive branch accountable. Though not explicitly named in the Constitution, the framers viewed it as a key component of legislative authority. James Madison wrote in Federalist 51 that separate branches should have the power to keep each other from becoming too powerful.
Early congressional investigations began almost immediately. In 1790, Congress investigated Robert Morris, superintendent of finances during the Continental Congress. In March 1792, an investigation exposed businessman William Duer, who failed to furnish military supplies to the War Department, contributing to a U.S. military defeat in the Northwest Territory.
The Supreme Court established the legal foundation for oversight in McGrain v. Daugherty in 1927, holding that congressional committees could issue subpoenas and force witnesses to testify. Two years later, in Sinclair v. United States, the court ruled that witnesses who lied to Congress could be charged with perjury.