How Democrats will use their health oversight powers

Talk of subpoenas and warnings to "lawyer up" hint at the extent of the health care investigations and oversight hearings that Democrats are expected to launch once they take control of Congress. Why it matters: Democrats have been building a paper trail for months to probe instances of political interference in vaccine policies, whether Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. benefited financially from vaccine litigation and more. But the early efforts will more likely be directed at making a case for changes to federal Medicaid cuts, showcasing health affordability problems and examining whether federal health agencies are sufficiently funded and staffed. "You don't just do oversight to raise hell," said Tim Stretton, director of the Congressional Oversight Initiative at the Project On Government Oversight. "Trying to create some systematic change is arguably more important." What we're hearing: The House Oversight, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees will be focal points of early activity, along with the Senate health and Finance committees. Some law firms already are advising their corporate clients to cooperate with committee staffs and minimize their exposure to possible negative headlines from hearings. One prominent player will be the likely new House Oversight chair, Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) — the one who publicly warned Republicans to "lawyer up" on Tuesday after Democrats flipped control of the House. The former Long Beach mayor lost his mother, a frontline health worker, and stepfather to COVID and has publicly assailed Kennedy for undermining public health and preventing or delaying needed cures. Bernie Sanders' expected return to chair the Senate health committee will give the Vermont independent another chance to harness public outrage on drug prices and spar with Kennedy over his tenure as health secretary. Zoom in: The power shift in Congress gives Democrats the ability to subpoena witnesses, demand records and hold officials and indivi