Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to serve in the US House of Representatives, has secured a seat on the most powerful investigatory panel in Congress.

The New York Democrat will serve on the House Oversight Committee, led by Elijah Cummings, along with a slate of progressive newcomers, including Ayanna Presley, Rashida Tlaib and Ro Khanna — each of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

The oversight panel serves as one of the legislative branch’s most important investigatory arms and has previously provided a crucial check on past White House administrations.

The appointment to the committee represents a significant milestone for Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who was also slated to serve on the House Financial Services Committee.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez has drawn frequent national headlines ever since her shocking upset electoral victory last year against a 10-term Democrat incumbent, hitting back against her critics on Fox News in viral tweets while hosting information sessions for her colleagues on how to use social media more efficiently.

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In a statement discussing the new appointments to the committee, Mr Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, said he was “excited” for the latest members of join the panel.

He also said he wasn’t concerned about any worries that the progressive newcomers could seek to launch bold or unpopular probes during their tenure.

“If I based the choices going on the committee based on what people said or their reputations or whatever, I probably wouldn’t have a committee,” he said in an interview with Politico.

“I am excited,” he continued, adding, “there were a lot of people that wanted to come on our committee.”

With Democrats assuming a majority of power in the House of Representatives, the Oversight Committee can be expected to unleash numerous investigations into Donald Trump and the White House.

The party also now holds subpoena power across the House committees, allowing Democratic lawmakers to advance investigations that may have previously been stymied under Republican leadership.

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Dan Kildee, a Democratic lawmaker involved in the committee’s selection process, told Politico, “I want people to be aggressive, especially on that committee.”