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AOC, frosh Dems fracture points that Pelosi can’t contain hotair.com/archives/2019/…
Paul Ryan certainly learned that lesson the last two years, and now Politico reports that Nancy Pelosi already hip-deep in the same problem.
Thanks to gamesmanship by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republicans have split off a number of frosh Democrats from previously Republican districts on key procedural votes, and the situation is only getting worse:
“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 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 Dem lawmakers and aides.”
The split reaches all the way into Pelosi’s leadership team. Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn supposedly have given vulnerable first-termers leeway to cast protective votes on these motions to recommit.
McCarthy and his team have found ways to make provocative use of this tool, forcing votes on issues that are mainly procedural but could carry impact in the next election cycle if voters perceive that the new Democrats are too in line with Nancy Pelosi.
