Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will replace Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) as top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has announced.

In a statement, Jeffries thanked Krishnamoorthi for working “diligently and in a bipartisan way to strengthen [U.S.] global competitiveness and to advance American economic and national security interests.”

“Our nation is safer and more secure because of [Krishnamoorthi’s] commitment to public service,” he said.

Jeffries commended Khanna as a “fighter for [the] nation and the health, safety, and well-being of the American people” and acknowledged his commitment to “defend ... national security and protect human rights around the world.”

Khanna responded on Jan. 6 in a post on X, thanking Jeffries and Krishnamoorthi.

Khanna said in the post that he will work to guarantee “economic prosperity for hardworking Americans,” noting that he wants to make sure that the United States will lead in artificial intelligence and “innovation in the 21st century economy.”

He is a fifth-term congressman representing Silicon Valley, California.

Khanna has recently been spearheading the Epstein Files Transparency Act to get the Justice Department to release all unclassified records of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Jan. 5, Krishnamoorthi announced his plan to step down from the committee later in January.

The committee highlights CCP threats and works to defend America and the U.S. economy from the CCP.

In his announcement, Krishnamoorthi said that the challenge from China “spans the economic, technological, and military domains” and that it is “among the defining tests of [the] time.”

Krishnamoorthi worked with committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) on threats to Taiwan, the U.S. sale of advanced computer chips to China, and the dangers from Beijing hanging over the U.S. auto industry and mineral resources.

“I am proud of what we accomplished together,” the congressman wrote in his announcement. “We built a credible, bipartisan committee that strengthened U.S. economic and national security while keeping American competitiveness at the center of our work.”

In a Jan. 6 statement, Moolenaar praised Krishnamoorthi as a “tireless and principled advocate on behalf of freedom and democracy and a steadfast voice in standing up to the authoritarian ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party.”

As the top democrat on the committee, Krishnamoorthi also raised objections to President Donald Trump’s handling of U.S.–China relations.

In November 2025, he published a commentary in Foreign Affairs, criticizing the president for focusing on short-term commercial gain.

“By focusing overwhelmingly on commerce, Trump has failed to tell Americans that Washington is competing with the CCP over opposing economic models, values, and visions for the world—not just over trade deficits,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

In May 2025, Krishnamoorthi announced his candidacy in the 2026 midterms for the open Illinois Senate seat, to be vacated by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is retiring.

Federal Election Commission filings from September 2025 show Krishnamoorthi outfundraising his main Democratic competitors, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).

In a blue state such as Illinois, the Democratic primary race is expected to determine the outcome of the midterm election.

Eva Fu contributed to this report.