The Establishment Strikes Back AOC in August during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing Committee assignments are one of the least eye-catching parts of politics, but theyâre also one of the most important ways in which actual political power is wielded. Certain committees in the House, like Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, have outsized influence and money power. (They are often called the âmoneyâ committees, not just because theyâre where the action is but because members can earn lots of money in campaign contributions from industries with business before them.) Deliberations over the next several days will be extremely important for progressives in the House, as they angle to lock down seats on these powerful committees for their members. To that end, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was expected to secure a prized position on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a seat vacated by outgoing New Yorker Eliot Engel. Among other issues, the committee has jurisdiction over health care and climate change issues, a natural for a congresswoman who has championed Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.