Let’s Welcome the New Democratic House Leadership
The House Dems had a peaceful transfer of power
#Issue #186 Government December 1, 2022
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After losing the House Majority by just a handful of seats in the 2022 Midterm elections, the Democrats did not panic. Of course, we were disappointed, especially because some seats in New York and California that should have turned or stayed blue instead turned red.
As of this writing, the Republicans have a 5-seat advantage with 220 seats to the Democrats’ 215 seats for the 118th Congress that will begin on January 3, 2023.
Every two years, all 435 House seats are up for election, and 218 seats are needed for a majority for either party.
Outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also had a narrow 5-seat majority for the 177th Congress, yet she still managed to get many of the Democratic priorities passed in the House. Ms. Pelosi had been the Democratic head of the House of Representatives for the last twenty years.
On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the House Democrats voted to give Ms. Pelosi the honorary title of “speaker emerita.”
Some people need to look up the definition of “disarray…”
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who has been measuring the drapes of the Speaker’s office for years, is not even assured to be voted as Speaker on January 3 because as of this date he is still fighting to get the 218 votes necessary.
Even if McCarthy succeeds to be voted the next Speaker of the House, he is no Nancy Pelosi, and the Republican caucus is not the Democratic caucus.
Contrary to a recent headline on CNN, it is the Republicans who are in despair and in disarray as they lick their wounds because of the “red wave” that was more of a “red trickle” and also because of the infighting among their caucus members ahead of them taking the majority.
In this case, the “winners” seem to be the losers while the “losers” look like the winners.
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Makes History
Even though the Democrats lost their majority in the House for the next Congress, they are united and strong as they chose their new leadership team. They didn’t even wait for the formal January 3, 2023, vote, but instead by acclamation elected three new and much younger leaders for the top three spots.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was voted as the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives starting on January 3, 2023. At age 52, he is not only three decades younger than his mentor Nancy Pelosi, but he will also be the first Black person of any party to be the leader of either House of Congress. Also, for the first time in history, there will be no white men in the leadership positions of the House of Representatives.
Jeffries is used to making history as he was the youngest person elected in 2018 to be the Chair of the Democratic Caucus. He was also the Whip (the Vote Counter) of the Congressional Black Caucus.
As the representative for Brooklyn and part of Queens (Trump’s hometown), Jeffries is famous for quoting rapper Biggie Smalls, who also hailed from Brooklyn. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, also lives in Brooklyn, actually down the street from Jeffries.
Katherine Clark (D-MA) Elected as Democratic House Whip
Rep. Katherine Clark, age 59, currently the Assistant Speaker of the House, has been elected as the new Democratic House Whip, replacing Rep. Jim Clyburn, who stepped down from that post and will now be “Assistant Leader.”
Rep. Clark has been in Congress since 2013 and has served on many committees (where the real legislative work is done) and caucuses, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
Before being elected to Congress, Rep. Clark was a state senator, state representative, and general counsel in Massachusetts. She brings a wealth of experience and will be the only woman (again) on the leadership team.
She also served as Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, working with Hakeem Jeffries in his capacity as Chair.
Pete Aguilar (D-CA) Elected as Chair of the Democratic Caucus
Rep. Pete Aguilar will also make history when the 118th Congress begins on January 3, 2023. Rep. Aguilar, in his new position as the #3 in Democratic House Leadership as the Chair of the Democratic Caucus (replacing Steny Hoyer), will have the highest-level job ever held by a Latino in the House. Aguilar, at age 43, is currently the caucus vice chair.
He started his political career at age 26 as the youngest City Council member of his hometown in Redlands, California.
His job priority will be over the messaging of the House Democrats, keeping the members united on the major issues, and working to regain the majority in 2024.
Among his priorities include fixing the DACA program, greater access to health care, and helping people understand why people from places like Venezuela and Guatemala risk their lives to escape brutal political and economic conditions to come to the United States.
Aguilar seeks to expand the influence of the Hispanic Caucus of the Democratic Caucus, and to work with the new Latino representatives from Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico, Illinois, and Florida, whose new representative, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Gen-Z Afro-Latino, will be the youngest member of Congress at age 25.
The Democrats look like America. The Republicans do not.
There are many challenges facing the Democrats in Congress, including uniting their members - from ultra-progressive AOC in the House to barely center-right Joe Manchin in the Senate. But for the most part they hold their respective Caucuses together for the overall good.
The Democrats spend their time governing on policies the majority of American people actually want, including protecting our very fragile democracy. Democrats across the country have representation from every demographic, including Black Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, LGBT+ Americans, women, very young people, Boomers, and the Indigenous Nations. Democrats truly are the very inclusive “big tent” party, and at least try to listen to each other’s views, even when there are strong disagreements.
Republicans, on the other hand, are continuing their descent into extremism, and vow to use their House majority to air grievances and hold multiple investigations (Hunter Biden, anyone?) and impeachments, instead of actually governing. They are the party of the wealthy, white, Christian, straight males, and almost no one else counts. They want to take away rights and make things harder for the average American, including possibly taking away Social Security and Medicare. The Republicans pride themselves on being exclusive, welcoming only those who vote for them. They even want to raise the voting age from 18 - 21 because most young people vote Democratic. Hershel Walker has suggested that anyone born after 1990 cannot be considered a true American citizen and should think about leaving America.
Congratulations to the new Democratic House Leadership Team! It is going to be a very interesting next two years.
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