Congressional Democrats: Waiting to Get Things Done Again

Our state’s elected officials stick around. The “Gold Dust Twins,” Senators Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson, served together for 28 years. Nowadays, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have been in office since 2001.

With seniority comes power, and the opportunity to get stuff done. Ditto in the House, where Rep. Adam Smith has chaired the Armed Services Committee and has been in the House since 1996. Rep. Rick Larsen, serving his 13th term, is in line to chair the House Transportation Committee if Democrats retake the House.

It’s a big “if.” The Republicans go into November midterms enjoying a 53-47 Senate advantage, plus a favorable electoral map; the GOP has a 221-214 House advantage. The Dems need only to flip four seats for Adam Smith to reclaim Armed Services and Larsen to gain Transportation’s chair.

These lawmakers got stuff done early in this decade, when they held committee chairs. Sound Transit’s light rail service would have terminated in Tukwila were it not for Murray. Cantwell authored the CHIPS Act, with incentives to get American firms back into manufacturing computer chips. Adam Smith been playing defense, pushing back on Trump’s bid to politicize the military. He made common cause with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. Smith is known for going on Fox News and in cool, rational terms, blowing away jargon-spouting far-right talking heads.

https://www.postalley.org/2026/02/16/congressional-democrats-waiting-to-get-things-done-again/