By HEATHER CAYGLE and SARAH FERRIS 02/14/2019 05:03 AM EST Updated 02/14/2019 05:12 PM EST
House Democratic leaders have a rebellion in their ranks. And there’s no easy way to quash it.
House Democrats have repeatedly faced surprise Republican floor attacks since taking control of the chamber, part of a bid by the GOP to target their most vulnerable members and fracture the party. Just six weeks in, the GOP effort has been an astonishing success — dividing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top deputies and pitting members of the freshmen class against each other.
At issue is a wonky procedural tactic that Republicans have weaponized to split Democrats on a range of thorny issues, from sexual abuse to anti-terrorism funding. Roughly two dozen Democrats have so far bucked their party and sided with Republicans on the votes, which offer the House minority one last chance to shape legislation on the floor.
As the GOP continues to peel off rank-and-file Democrats, party leaders have grown alarmed — and are increasingly engaged in finger-pointing about who is to blame for the disunity and what to do about it, according to interviews with nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers and aides.
Freshmen Democrats in swing districts say they have no plan to stop voting with the GOP when they feel the need. They’ve even been given the blessing to do so by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), despite resistance from Pelosi.
“I’ve always been my own person and when I think something is right, that’s what I vote for,†said freshman Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.), who frequently supports the GOP procedural ploys and called the argument that he should vote the party line “nonsense.â€
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/14/house-democrats-freshmen-voting-gop-1169554
