Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) said Monday that if Democrats regain control of the House in the upcoming midterm elections, congressional investigations into President Donald Trump’s administration would be a top priority.
Speaking on MSNBC’s The Last Word with guest host Jonathan Capehart, Dean was asked whether a Democratic majority would examine the role of Steve Witkoff, who has served as a special envoy while also maintaining private business interests.
“Congresswoman, if Democrats retake the majority in November’s elections, will they look into the dealings of Steve Witkoff in his dual role as being an envoy?” Capehart asked.
“I’m sure we will,” Dean responded. “I’m sure that it is a responsible oversight that we will do.”
Dean expanded her remarks beyond Witkoff, suggesting that broader investigations would likely examine additional administration officials and business relationships.
“You’ve seen the recent reporting around Mr. Lutnick and Mr. Trump and their sons,” she said. “We have to have oversight into the corruption, the cruelty, the rubble and the rot that is this administration.”
Her comments signal that Democrats intend to make congressional oversight a central focus should they reclaim the House majority. Throughout Trump’s presidency, Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly argued that aggressive oversight is necessary to examine ethics issues, executive branch actions, and potential conflicts of interest. Republicans, meanwhile, have frequently characterized many of those investigations as politically motivated.
Dean then shifted the conversation to foreign policy, describing a bipartisan dinner she had just attended at the Embassy of Qatar alongside Republican and Democratic members of Congress.
According to Dean, ambassadors from Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia participated in discussions about the changing dynamics of the Middle East following the recent conflict involving Iran.
“I just came from a dinner, again, bipartisan Republicans and Democrats, we were invited to the Embassy of Qatar,” Dean said. “The ambassador of Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia were there talking about the region and the change in the region as a result of this war in Iran.”
Dean said the diplomats emphasized their desire to move forward rather than revisit past disputes.
“They, to a person, said, we don’t want to look back,” she explained. “We are where we are, but we want to be responsible partners for peace, responsible partners around Israel.”
According to Dean, the discussions centered on two primary objectives: ensuring the continued flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“They want to work from the basis of this MOU, number one, to get the strait open. Fully, fully. And number two, to be sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon,” she concluded.
