Democrats vow big agenda but their unity is tested

WASHINGTON — Beginning on Day One, House Democrats plan to "hold the crooks accountable.”

That's the promise House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has made, previewing an ambitious agenda with oversight of President Donald Trump's administration and legislation to address the high costs of living, if Democrats seize majority control from Republicans in the midterm elections.

But first, the Democratic leaders have to ensure they can keep their own politically diverse — and sometimes rebellious — big-tent caucus in line, which was tested this week. Two go-their-own-way Democrats bucked the party on a routine procedural vote, angering colleagues and raising a red flag about potential party divisions to come.

"His greatest challenge will be governing," Ashley Etienne, a former top aide to Nancy Pelosi during her historic tenure as House speaker, said of Jeffries.

The House majority is expected to be decided by a handful of seats in a shrinking number of competitive districts, potentially creating a similar political dynamic to the past four years under GOP control, a chaotic new era in Congress.

In the House, the size of the majority matters. When the majority is slim, any single lawmaker can become a kingmaker, determining whether a party's agenda sinks or soars. House Speaker Mike Johnson is tested by his narrow majority almost daily, and his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was the first in history to be booted from office, ousted by a small number of opponents from his own side.

Jeffries, who is poised to become the House speaker if his party wins power and would be the first Democrat to wield the gavel since Pelosi, faces a party at a crossroads. It has a new generation of candidates, some far-left from the Democratic Socialists of America, and they are eager for change.

The Democratic leadership team responded swiftly to the slight from the two centrist lawmakers this week over the thwarted procedural vote, sending a message that they will not tolerate the kind of disruptions that have often left Republicans in disarray.

But the damage had been done.

“It was disappointing,” said seasoned Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee. ”It makes us look as bad as them.”

Jeffries on Thursday said he had a “productive, forward-looking conversation” with one of the dissenting lawmakers, centrist Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, about moving forward on shared priorities.

He praised the conservative Blue Dog Democrat for “fighting hard for her district,” which is a region that Trump carried, and said McGovern also spoke with her about resolving differences.

“We value every single member in our caucus — progressives, new Dems and Blue Dogs,” Jeffries said. “The entirety of the House Democratic caucus understands what the stakes are in terms of defeating MAGA extremism in November and then, as Democrats, getting off to a fast start in January.”

Questioned about his grip on party unity, Jeffries listed the many times Democrats, in the minority, have been able to force legislation over Johnson’s objections. Those times included a war powers resolution to stop the U.S.-led attacks on Iran and a bill that would have reinstated enhanced tax credits many people rely on to buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

“Res ipsa loquitur,” he said. “That’s Latin for: The thing speaks for itself.”

A routine procedural vote becomes anything but

The procedural rule vote, which sets the terms for debate, was long a nonissue in the House. The party in power voted for it, the minority party voted against. But conservative Republicans have routinely bucked their own GOP majority on the votes, tanking the agenda.

As the tally Tuesday was teetering, it appeared Johnson once again had a revolt on his hands. Then two Democrats, retiring Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and Gluesenkamp Perez, voted with the Republicans, salvaging the outcome and the week's agenda.

Golden was working to ensure passage of his bill on the lobster industry. Gluesenkamp Perez, often an ally, had joined.

Democrats were livid. Some were eager for a reprimand. Others expressed the angst coming from voters who want the party to stick together to fight Trump. The Pelosi-ism, "Unity is our strength," was revived.

“The challenge is, that if you don't have the numbers, all of a sudden a few people can be very decisive,” said Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., a former party leader who recently lost his own primary bid for reelection.

“You can never ask people to vote against their own interest," he said. ”But you also have to emphasize the camaraderie and concept of working together as a team."

A cautious Democratic leader faces new challenges

Jeffries is known as a careful leader and, as he says himself, chooses calm over chaos at a time when many Democrats prefer a quicker, attention-grabbing reaction.

In office since 2013, Jeffries is confronting the party's quickly changing climate, as he works to hold together what is arguably the most diverse party caucus in U.S. history.

Two weeks ago, Jeffries ran into trouble with progressives after having accepted a meeting with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, an outside adviser to the White House. It was largely seen as the Trump administration hedging its bets if Democrats win control, but liberals questioned why Jeffries would even meet with those close to Trump.

“He asked for a meeting, and I took it,” Jeffries said in a defiant video the next day.

The Democrats have established five working groups to tackle affordability as part of next year's agenda — in housing, healthcare, childcare, groceries and gas and utilities. The top Democrats on the Oversight and Judiciary committees are preparing to root out corruption.

Jeffries also has sketched out the pillars of a Democratic legislative platform: repealing Republican Medicaid cuts, restoring the ACA, repealing Trump's tariffs and ending the Iran war.

“These are issues that we know unite Democrats,” Jeffries said. “But I don't want to get out ahead of the caucus, because there are a whole host of things that need to be worked on.”