While former VP Joe Biden is eyeing members of the House of Representatives in his search for cabinet members, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi is urging her fellow Democrat representatives not to consider such offers. The reason? She is worried that Republicans could take control of the chamber if they manage to win seats left open by departing Democrats.
Pelosi is right to be concerned. The GOP managed to gain eight seats in the chamber and are likely to gain even more once all the districts are done counting their votes. The Democrats hold the majority with a mere 220, seats and can’t afford to lose more than a handful if they want to retain control of the lower chamber of Congress.
Naturally, Democrats are eager to deny the fact that they’re terrified of losing control of the House of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi has denied that she’s urging Democrat representatives to stay put while a member of the Democrat leadership team told news outlets that it wouldn’t be “helpful” to talk about what would happen if Democrat representatives resign and their seat is taken by a Republican representative.
“The feeling is: Don’t make rash decisions about going to the administration without first considering consequences to the caucus,” a Democratic Party insider told the New York Post.
While some seats are considered “safe” by Democrats, the fact remains that it takes time for a special election to fill a seat. Because there is a huge divide in the Democratic Party, Pelosi could have a very difficult time passing legislation if just two or three representatives from her party decided to vote against her.
Opposition could come from vulnerable lawmakers from moderate districts who don’t want to be associated with the left-wing “socialist” side of the party. It could also come from progressives such as “The Squad” who want to flex their power and stop legislation that isn’t “progressive enough.”
While former Vice President Joe Biden is widely considered to be the President-Elect of the United States, the fact remains that he doesn’t really have a mandate. His party barely managed to hold on to a majority in the House of Representatives, and it’s likely the Democrats will remain in the minority in the Senate. While some House Democrats may be willing to put personal ambition over party and leave to take on cabinet positions, it’s more likely than not that the Democrat transition team will look elsewhere for viable candidates.
The move is likely to lead to increased resentment in a party that went into the 2020 election confident of expanding its majority, and came out with a bruising. Moderate and progressive House members are already blaming each other for the unexpected loss, and the House Speaker will have a very hard time keeping what’s left of her majority united.
