Washington Democrats in Congress prepare to wield new power against Trump

Washington’s Democratic lawmakers will have far more power soon — and they plan to use it to rein in President Donald Trump and his administration.

Sen. Patty Murray intends to prevent Trump from withholding funds from states, curbing his ability to punish regions that don’t align with him politically.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, of Seattle, will demand immigration officials testify before Congress, while Rep. Adam Smith, of Bellevue, plans to probe the Pentagon and Rep. Rick Larsen, of Everett, intends to hunt down missing transportation grants.

The Democratic Party seized the House and Senate in a historic rout this week. That blue wave will carry the Evergreen State’s senators and several of its Democratic representatives into positions of vast influence in Washington, D.C.

The party has largely coalesced around some core pursuits: unyielding oversight of the administration; reversing Medicaid cuts, restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies and reinvigorating federal support for childcare; and pressing to end the war in Iran.

“We are going to work every day to meet the demands of what this country just told us in states like Texas and Kansas, in South Carolina: That people want to lower their costs,” Murray told The Seattle Times on Thursday. “The president will have to decide whether he and Republicans are going to meet those challenges or not.”

If Republicans or the president reject this Democratic agenda, Murray said they will “pay the price” in 2028.

Murray, the longest-serving female senator, is in line to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees federal government spending. She is also set to be president pro tempore, making her third in the presidential line of succession. Sen. Maria Cantwell will chair the powerful Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

In the House, Jayapal will head the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement; Larsen will chair the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and Smith will lead the Armed Services Committee.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Medina, who steered House Democrats’ campaign arm this election cycle, is in line to take a leadership role on a Ways and Means subcommittee, and freshman Rep. Emily Randall, of Bremerton, anticipates a leadership role on an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee.

In conversations with The Times, the lawmakers outlined their aggressive visions to curb Trump’s influence, and investigate the administration and its allies.

They shared plans to protect agencies and revive funding that Trump has slashed or withheld in his pursuit to shrink the federal government, while pursuing guardrails for agencies they say have run rampant, like the departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

“I want us as Democrats, given the mandate we got from the country, to be bold,” Jayapal said of the next Congress.

Power of the purse

While in the minority, Murray has resisted Trump’s proposed budget cuts — participating in negotiations that left federal government spending bills in monthslong stalemates .

As appropriations chair, she will plan to write language into federal spending bills that would prevent the president from withholding funds from states — a particular concern, she said, as the Trump administration has often targeted states governed by Democrats.

“We can use our appropriations bills to put in accountability and constraints on this president,” she said, “and we will look for every way we can do that.”

Murray has also launched plans to safeguard the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , signaling a possible blueprint for bolstering other agencies that Trump has undercut during his second term. “Are there other agencies that I am just really concerned about? Absolutely,” Murray said.

Immigration under scrutiny

Jayapal has long vowed to bring immigration officials before her subcommittee. Her broader goal of dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, may be out of reach for now.

“Can we achieve it while Trump is president and if we have a narrower margin in the Senate? I don’t know,” she said. “But what I do intend to do is call all of these people before us.”

And if they refuse, Jayapal said, she will issue subpoenas.

“I do think we’ll have major reforms of ICE,” she added. “We are going to investigate the corruption in the detention centers. We will pass an immigration reform legislation.”

Jayapal also plans to lay the groundwork for her longtime goal of “Medicare for All” — a proposal unlikely to pass during the next two years but one she hopes Democrats could pursue if they “take back the trifecta” and win the presidency in 2028.

Tracking down transportation money

Larsen plans to start investigations into federal transportation and infrastructure funding that was approved for cities and counties that has not been distributed.

“If it didn’t get out the door, why didn’t it get out the door? Why is U.S. Department of Transportation holding those dollars back? We’re going to find those dollars, we’re going to add them up, we’re going to get those dollars out the door,” Larsen said.

He pointed to programs like capital investment grants, which support transit agencies and major projects, including Sound Transit.

Larsen will also oversee the next Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, a major piece of legislation Congress revisits every few years. The bill will come as the nation continues to grapple with deadly aviation incidents and questions about the safety and capacity of the air traffic system.

Healthcare, tariffs and affordability

After helming the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for two election cycles, DelBene expects to shift her focus to House Ways and Means committee work.

Among her targets: Trump’s tariffs, which she argues have driven up costs for American consumers and businesses, and upended Washington’s economy .

“Repealing those tariffs, making sure that Congress is doing its job,” she said, “is absolutely a top issue.”

DelBene said outrage over the high cost of living — like childcare and healthcare — propelled Democrats to their stunning victories. “Public opinion is a powerful thing. It played an important role even during this administration. And I think it will continue to play an important role as we move forward,” she said.

A step up for a freshman

First-term lawmakers are also poised to move into positions of influence.

Randall was elected to Congress in 2024. Now she is preparing to chair a House Oversight subcommittee, giving her a direct role in investigations into the Trump administration as the broader committee angles to take on the Epstein files, the Trump family’s business dealings and the president’s donors.

“I’m looking forward to handing subpoenas out like candy. We have work to do to hold this administration accountable for the chaos they’ve sown,” Randall said Tuesday night.

It’s a striking shift from election night two years ago, when Randall won her race as then-Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election.

“I just remember being really excited about my own election, but like holding back the tears,” Randall said. “Being a freshman in the minority has been really challenging.”

The prospect of working alongside colleagues in the majority is energizing, she said. “It does feel exciting to get to text all these colleagues who I had hoped would be my future colleagues, and now say: I can’t wait to hit the ground running with you, we have so much work to do.”

She also pointed to her repeated visits to the Tacoma immigration detention facility, where she has been raising concerns about detention conditions and the private companies operating the facilities.

Randall said she and Jayapal have discussed using Congress’ budget authority to hold detention contractors accountable, even without cooperation from the executive branch.

Balancing ambition with caution

Smith, who has pledged vigorous oversight of the Pentagon , urged Democrats to take a methodical approach.

“Let’s not rush,” he said.

“We now have a massive caucus with members wide-ranging on the political spectrum. … We still have Donald Trump doing damage every single day as president,” Smith said, also pointing to the nation’s mounting debt and the need to lower healthcare and other costs. “It’s going to take us a little while to figure this out.”

Smith’s caution reflects the challenge of uniting a diverse caucus while confronting the Trump administration and tackling a broad range of policy priorities.

But Democrats’ wide House margin and stunning Senate wins have others feeling bullish .

House Minority Leader and soon-to-be House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries’ 100-day plan, which he unveiled weeks before the election , may no longer reflect the party’s opportunities, Jayapal said. The hyperspecific plan prioritized rollbacks of Trump’s most divisive policies, such as Medicaid cuts.

“He put that together hoping we can win back a House majority, we didn’t know if it was going to be a two-seat majority, a five-seat majority,” Jayapal said from a state Democrats’ watch party in Seattle on election night as the stunning House and Senate wins unfolded.

Perhaps now, bolstered by the blue tsunami, Democrats can go even further, she said. “This is a completely different map for us.”

She paused as television networks called the race for Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. The room erupted into deafening cheers.

“Oh my god,” Jayapal said. Her smile widened as the celebration swept through the room.

For Jayapal, the message from voters was clear: Democrats should use their new power boldly.

Anumita Kaur: akaur@seattletimes.com : Anumita Kaur is the Washington, D.C., correspondent for The Seattle Times, where she covers federal government and national politics with a Pacific Northwest focus.

Brendan Kiley: 206-464-2507 : Brendan Kiley is a reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily for its Pacific NW magazine.