Some sources said House’s Democratic leadership would have to appeal, as the strategy could seriously jeopardize dual work, just as Biden promises the office to unite a more divided people than ever before. And many Democrats have noted that this can be a complicated or even impossible endeavor, as more than 130 House republics – a majority of the caucus – joined the protest efforts.
This kind of blanket boycott would be a big and virtually unprecedented step, and sparked tense talks about the Democratic caucus.
The idea was nevertheless driven on a Monday afternoon caucus call by Representative Mark Takano (D-California), who chairs the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, as well as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.). Some Democrats are already cheating the group of Republicans in public as the ‘Sedition Caucus’.
“I think we’re all struggling with the same thing – figuring out what the answer is,” said a senior Democratic staff member. “Where’s the line in the sand?”
GOP top buyers Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) Joined the vote to reject Biden’s number of counts, as well as several committee leaders. The dissidents also included ten members of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles a large amount of legislation moving through the chamber. The leading Republican on the health committee, Representative Michael Burgess of Texas, was among them.
Democratic committee assistants were divided on Monday over the issue, and some warned that their panel chairs were unlikely to get that far. But in the wake of last week’s election challenge and deadly riots, many lawmakers’ offices are already reconsidering arrangements to co-sponsor certain legislation across the aisle, according to new Democratic sources. It also raised questions about how to proceed, if at all, with future collaboration.
“Democrats who decide who they should choose as the Republican lead on bills would be wise to elect members who voted for the election results,” another Democratic committee warned. “Committees will not reward members who voted against the election results – it is clear that the members are not interested in governing.”
Republicans are aware of the deliberation, two House IDP sources told POLITICO.
The debate within the Democratic Party captures the heightened bitterness in Congress after the mob violence in the Capitol on Wednesday, which threatened the lives of lawmakers and staff on both sides and left five people dead.
Republicans quickly pointed out that more than 30 Democrats voted against certifying results in the states Trump won in 2017. They also note that since the Nixon era, lawmakers have raised these procedural disputes over presidential elections without the majority party demanding the opposition’s punishment. legislators who participated.
But Democrats argued that these objections did not ultimately lead to a violent assault on Congress.
Even a group of lawmakers who hold bipartisans above almost all other values - the Problem Solvers Caucus – made a tense call in the days following the attack, with Republicans largely resisting democratic demands for punishment for Trump, including accusation, to support.
The potential legislative boycott is just the starting point for Democrats who want to punish the “Stop the Steal” Republicans, as anger continues to build over Trump’s role inciting a mob that attacked the Capitol on Wednesday.
Ocasio-Cortez advocated several ideas, even saying they would call for the 14th Amendment to oust her GOP colleagues in a Sunday interview with ABC News. She argued that this constitutional process does not exclude the 25th Amendment, which provides for a process to remove a sitting president from office.
“Eviction must be on the table,” Ocasio-Cortez said in Monday’s caucus call, sources said – a sentiment expressed by Rep. Bill Pascrell (DN.J.) is reflected.
Moderate Democrats, however, fought back fiercely against any attempt to oust Republicans from the House, arguing that it would only crush attempts at unity in the beginning of the 117th Congress.
Democrats are also discussing several other ways to reprimand Republicans who trump Trump’s failed attempt to block the election results, though it remains unclear whether there will be traction in the early days of Biden’s presidency.
Perhaps the most direct attempt to pursue House Republicans is the pressure from House Democrats to reprimand Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), The first Republican in both houses, that he intends to object to the certification. of the election that also helped incite the mob last week.
Rep. Tom Malinowski (DN.J.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) Unveiled a resolution on Monday stating that Brooks “encouraged and incited violence against his fellow members of Congress”, citing a speech next to Trump last Wednesday, hours before. rioters began storming the Capitol.
Brooks said in his speech: “It is today that American patriots are starting to take names and kick a hole.” Brooks’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the no-confidence motion.
For now, however, their focus is on Trump himself while the House on Wednesday will accuse the president for a second time.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Who chairs the House Rules Committee, told reporters Monday that the caucus will need to discuss any possible next steps for Republican members who object to the results, or for those who also help with the violence. to inflate. .
“Some of these people need to have the sense to resign, and they need to take it to do the right thing,” McGovern said, specifically mentioning Brooks. He did not comment on the possibility of censoring some of the IDP members: ‘This is something we need to discuss and be considerate of. … It’s clear we need to have those discussions. ”
Heather Caygle and Melanie Zanona contributed to this report.