House Republicans scared to lose majority push back on extreme agenda [View all]

[RandySF]

The House’s focus on the far-right’s demands over the past month has irritated Republicans who represent swing districts or are worried that an extreme legislative agenda will push voters away and hand the House majority to Democrats in 2024. So they are learning to flex their procedural muscles, largely behind the scenes, to keep some proposals they see as most damaging off the House floor.

In recent weeks, these lawmakers have kept some abortion-related measures from being put to a vote and sunk an amendment that would have derailed a government oversight bill. They also have tried to convince their far-right counterparts to avoid altering appropriation bills during committee markups, warning that any poison pills could force a big enough group to reject the bills on the House floor if they feel they could hurt their reelection chances.

Several lawmakers who represent districts Joe Biden won have also asked leadership to go a step further and allow them in the negotiating room with their far-right colleagues during high-profile debates to explain why the groups’ demands could jeopardize their five-vote majority, according to two people familiar with the request who, like others who spoke to The Post, did so on the condition of anonymity to detail private conversations.

“We have the majority because we all created the relationship with our districts to earn the right to be here, which, by the way, means that we all have the right to have our voices and our constituents’ voices heard,” said Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro (R-N.Y.), a freshman representing a district Biden won. “There’s a lot more effort among the pragmatic members, if you will, to be sure that we’re talking more effectively with the Freedom Caucus members and that we’re all having this dialogue.”



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/02/house-republicans-agenda-moderate-swing-districts/