After 100 days on the job, Rep. Dan Goldman is quickly establishing himself as a thorn in the side of House Republicans.
The New York Democrat is using his post on key committees to question their investigations of President Joe Biden’s White House and their defense of former President Donald Trump.
What You Need To Know
- Although new to Congress, Rep. Dan Goldman is already a familiar face on Capitol Hill, having previously served as an impeachment lawyer
- The New Yorker is using his post on key committees to question the Republican Party’s investigations of the President Joe Biden’s White House and their defense of former President Donald Trump
- Since entering office, Goldman says he has met with community leaders back home and invested resources into his district office
- To skeptical progressives on why they should trust him, Goldman says that after 100 days he has “been able to demonstrate by action what [his] true values and priorities and policy views are”
“I urge Mr. Palmer, if he wants to understand what actually happened, to read the 300-page report that we published on the first impeachment investigation,” Goldman said to a colleague at a recent hearing.
Although new to Congress, Goldman is already a familiar face on Capitol Hill. He entered office in January after previously taking a prominent role as the lead counsel for Democrats during Trump’s first impeachment.
Goldman, 47, won his seat after winning a competitive primary in New York’s heavily Democratic 10th district, which runs from lower Manhattan to western Brooklyn.
“It’s very unusual to have a member of Congress who’s much more familiar with what goes on in Washington than what goes on in their district,” Goldman said in an interview with Spectrum News NY1 to mark his 100th day on the job.
Since entering office, he said, he has worked to fill in that gap by meeting with community leaders and investing resources into his district office.
On Capitol Hill, he has been front and center in the effort to remove scandal-plagued Congressman George Santos, teaming up with fellow New Yorker Ritchie Torres to file an ethics complaint.
He also has introduced legislation, including a bill setting standards for early voting in federal elections.
“We ought to be doing everything possible to allow every American to vote,” Goldman said. “It doesn’t matter the party — it’s not a partisan thing — but we need to encourage more engagement and more participation, because that’s how our democracy thrives.”
Last summer on the campaign trail, Goldman faced skepticism from progressives, who hit him repeatedly over his wealth and a comment he made on abortion.
Asked why those progressives should trust him now, Goldman said that he has “been able to demonstrate by action what [his] true values and priorities and policy views are.”
“I am invested in making sure that we are building for our families, we are protecting our freedoms and we’re focused on preserving our future,” Goldman said.
Asked for examples, Goldman cited his advocacy on environmental issues and his engagement, for instance, on plans to renovate the Brooklyn Queens Expressway.
As he settles into this new role, Goldman says there are several Democrats he looks up to and goes to for advice. From New York, he pointed to Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Rep. Grace Meng.
Outside of the Big Apple, he named Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. Ted Lieu of California. Raskin is the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, of which Goldman is a member. He also served as the lead impeachment manager during the second Trump impeachment.
In terms of Republicans he could see himself working with, he said he has been talking to his neighbor from Staten Island, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, about potential legislation in response to the death of Michelle Go.
