House Democrats have approximately zero chance of advancing meaningful legislation in the 118th Congress, and instead will concentrate on how to retake the lower chamber’s majority in the 2024 elections by touting legislation President Biden signed in the 117th, including the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. They meet late this week in Baltimore to discuss the strategy, NPR’s Morning Edition reports.
“If we did nothing, nothing, but implement what we’ve already passed and let the people know who did it for them, we win,” Biden told the House Democrats Wednesday.
Though the GOP flipped the House by a much smaller margin than expected in the 2022 midterms, Republicans’ 222-213 majority is enough to control committees – and hold Democratic bills from reaching the floor – and to conduct investigations. Think “Hunter Biden’s laptop” vs. January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, is in discussions with fellow Democrats on how to counter the narrative expected from Fox News’ Tucker Carlson after he selectively sifts through 44,000 hours of January 6 Capitol surveillance footage from Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), according to The Hill. Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the chairman of last year’s Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, and Joe Morello of New York are to “play a central role in the response.”
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