California Rep. Robert Garcia (pictured above), the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has made clear he plans to aggressively pursue oversight if his party wins control in November.Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images

ByJohn Wilkerson

Sept. 16, 2026

John Wilkerson, a Washington correspondent, is the author ofD.C. Diagnosis, a twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine.

John Wilkerson

[email protected]

John writes about the politics of health care, and he is the author of the twice-weeklyD.C. Diagnosis newsletter. You can reach John on Signal at John_Wilkerson.07.

WASHINGTON — Democrats are vowing to aggressively pursue oversight if they win control of either the House or Senate in November’s midterm elections. Health care issues, including President Trump’s drug pricing deals, are potential targets.

It’s common for parties to turn to oversight when they take control of a congressional chamber. Lawmakers can use oversight to tell a story about the other side. It also avoids intraparty divisions by focusing attention on what the other party has done. And if Democrats want to keep the focus on Trump, even though he can’t run again, oversight is a good way to do that.

Advertisement

If Democrats flip either chamber, they’ll gain subpoena authority, giving them the power to force the administration and company executives to testify and respond to inquiries. However, the administration could forcefully push back on those efforts.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account?Log in

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+.

Already have an account?Log in

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/monthGet Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$30

for 3 months, then $399/year

$30 for 3 monthsGet Started

Then $399/year

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/yearGet Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A QuoteRequest A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/yearGet Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.

SubscribeLog InCongress

,

Donald Trump

,

Drug prices

,

health care costs

,

Policy

,

STAT+Submit a correction requestReprints

  1. John Wilkerson

    Washington Correspondent

    John writes about the politics of health care, and he is the author of the twice-weeklyD.C. Diagnosis newsletter. You can reach John on Signal at John_Wilkerson.07.

Newsletter

The latest updates in federal health agencies, research institutes, and U.S. policy