Author: Thornrun

House Democrats are set to continue a contentious debate over the speaker’s gavel for the 116^th Congress. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — the presumed favorite for the speakership in the 116th Congress — is facing pushback from a host of incumbent and incoming Democrats who claim they have the votes to block her path to victory. Leader Pelosi is also facing dissent from some members of the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus, who are pushing for an endorsement of their proposed House rule changes for the next Congress in exchange for their support. Despite the intraparty opposition, a clear challenger to Leader Pelosi has yet to emerge after Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) announced she would not seek the speakership last week. Democratic lawmakers will hold a closed-door vote on Wednesday for a speaker nominee, followed by a floor vote in January after the new Congress gavels in.

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The Week in Review

Following a grueling 2018 midterm campaign, House and Senate lawmakers returned to Washington last week to begin the “lame duck” session of Congress. On the floor, Senators cleared the legislative vehicle (S.140) for Coast Guard reauthorization as well as the nomination of Michelle Bowman to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. In the House, lawmakers passed 15 bills under suspension of the rules, as well as a bill (H.R. 6784) that would remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife published under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

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House Democrats are bracing for a contentious battle over the speaker’s gavel. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — the presumed favorite for the speakership in the 116^th Congress — is facing pushback from a host of incumbent and incoming Democrats who say they have the votes to block her path to victory. While both sides jostle for support behind the scenes, a potential challenger to Leader Pelosi has emerged in former Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) who indicated that she would be interested after other members encouraged her to run. The House Democratic caucus is expected to vote on its leadership slate on November 29, with a final vote on the House Floor in January after the new Congress gavels in.

Continue reading “Today on the Hill: House Democrats Wrestle With Pelosi Speakership Question”

House Republicans are set to hold leadership elections for the next Congress today. GOP lawmakers are expected to elect Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to be Minority Leader for the 116^th Congress, despite a challenge from Freedom Caucus co-founder Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). In hopes of quelling an intraparty feud, reports suggest that President Trump has privately urged Rep. McCarthy to cut a deal with Rep. Jordan, fueling speculation that the conservative Ohio lawmaker may be elevated to the top GOP job on the House Judiciary Committee. The Republican Conference is also expected to elect: (1) Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) as Minority Whip; (2) Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as Conference Chairwoman; (3) Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) as National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman; (4) Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) as Conference Vice Chairman; and (5) Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) as Conference Secretary.

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House and Senate lawmakers will return to Washington today to begin the “lame duck” session of Congress. As lawmakers seek to clear the seven outstanding appropriations bills, Congress faces a distinct possibility of a post-election showdown over border wall funding. If lawmakers are unable to reach a deal, another continuing resolution (CR) will likely be required to fund the government into early next year. Meanwhile, other items on the lame duck agenda include a farm bill and flood insurance package — both of which are set to expire before the end of the year — along with more targeted action to address issues including criminal justice reform or the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” reimbursement issue.

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Riding a wave of unprecedented political engagement in a midterm election, Democrats have regained control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010. The 2018 midterms will send one of the largest classes of freshman Members to Washington in recent history — replacing a cadre of centrist, suburban Republicans with establishment-backed Democrats that could grow the party’s moderate coalition. Meanwhile, an upstart group of unabashedly progressive candidates will be sworn in alongside as many as 15 new members of the GOP’s hardline Freedom Caucus, further fueling a dynamic that has sewn internal fissures into each of the major parties. The 2018 midterms marks the fourth straight midterm election (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) with at least one chamber of Congress flipping.

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