Congressman Jim McGovern on Midterms, Iran War and Democrats
“People don’t like the fact that the president and his family have made billions of dollars off the presidency”
By-Hank Stolz
Graphic-Radio Worcester
Questions, Concerns, Opinions?
TEXT US! >> 774-364-8255
Worcester, MA- Congressman Jim McGovern discusses the Democratic Party’s sweeping midterm election victories. McGovern emphasizes that voters prioritized affordability and corruption concerns, and outlines key legislative priorities including reducing healthcare costs, reversing Medicaid and SNAP cuts, ending the war in Iran through defunding efforts, and putting a stop to what he feels are illegal tariffs.
McGovern Calls for an End to the War in Iran
“First of all, I think the war is illegal, number one. He has not gotten approval from Congress for this war, but we can defund the war. We can stop funding the war. And I hope and expect that when we take over in January or February, that’s the direction we’ll move in. We got to bring this war to an end. I mean, not only is this war resulting in gas prices going through the roof, but it has created a more dangerous and volatile world, and we ought to be moving in the opposite direction.”
Presidential Corruption Among McGovern’s Top Concerns
McGovern wants a crackdown on presidential corruption.
“We also need to get serious about cracking down on corruption. I mean, I’m looking at the polling from those who voted, and the economy is number one, but corruption is number two. People don’t like the fact that the president and his family have made billions of dollars off the presidency, getting handouts from foreign governments, all these crypto investments.”
Massachusetts Democrats and the Next Congress
He expresses hope for bipartisan cooperation with Republicans who may now be emboldened to break with the administration, while noting Democratic leadership positions secured by Massachusetts delegation members including himself as incoming Rules Committee chair, Representative Richard Neal at Ways and Means, and Congresswoman Katherine Clark as majority leader.
What Does the House Rules Committee Do, and How Powerful Is Its Chairman?
The U.S. House Rules Committee is one of the most influential committees in Congress, even though it rarely attracts the public attention given to committees overseeing taxes, defense or government spending.
Often described as the House’s traffic cop, the Rules Committee helps determine which legislation reaches the House floor, how it will be debated and which amendments lawmakers will be permitted to offer.
What Does the Rules Committee Actually Do?
Before most major bills can receive a vote in the full House, the Rules Committee establishes the terms under which they will be considered.
The committee can recommend how much debate time a bill receives, whether amendments will be allowed, which amendments can be considered and whether procedural requirements should be waived.
A restrictive rule can prevent lawmakers from offering amendments that might substantially change a bill. An open rule allows broader opportunities for members to propose changes.
The full House must approve the committee’s proposed rule before those procedures take effect.
How Much Power Does the Chairman Have?
The chairman holds one of the most strategically important positions in the House of Representatives.
The chair directs the committee’s work, schedules hearings and meetings, presides over proceedings and plays a central role in developing the procedural rules that govern legislation.
Working with House leadership, the chairman can help determine how quickly major legislation advances and whether competing proposals receive an opportunity for debate.
That influence becomes particularly significant when the majority party has a narrow advantage and controversial legislation faces opposition.
There are limits to that authority. The chairman cannot independently pass legislation, unilaterally block every bill or impose procedural rules without the necessary votes. The committee must recommend a rule, and the full House generally must approve it.
Why Does This Matter for Jim McGovern and Massachusetts?
Worcester Congressman Jim McGovern previously chaired the Rules Committee from 2019 through 2022 and is expected to reclaim the position when Democrats take control of the House in January 2027.
That would put McGovern in a central position as Democrats attempt to advance legislation involving healthcare, Medicaid, SNAP benefits, tariffs and federal spending.
The chairmanship could also give McGovern greater influence over how legislation affecting Massachusetts is considered, although it would not give him unilateral authority to direct federal funding to the state.
The Rules Committee works closely with the Speaker and majority leadership, making its chairman an important participant in shaping the majority party’s legislative agenda.
The Bottom Line
The Rules Committee doesn’t simply decide what Congress debates. It helps determine the conditions under which Congress makes its decisions.
For McGovern, returning to the chairmanship would mean moving from a senior member of the minority party to one of the lawmakers helping manage the House’s legislative agenda.
For Worcester and Central Massachusetts, it would mean having a local congressman in a position to influence how some of the country’s most consequential legislation moves through Congress.
Sources:
U.S. House Rules Committee; Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives; Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporting, November 4, 2026.
LIVE STREAM
Radio Worcester
CONNECT
RADIO WORCESTER STUDIOS
Summit Street (Behind Polar Park)
Worcester, MA 01610.
LISTENER LINE
774-364-8255
MAIN OFFICE
774-364-8255