Some House Democrats are breaking new ground in their protest against Republicans who have contested the results of the 2020 elections, refusing to include them as sponsors of their bills and discussing removing their affiliation with previous legislation that is being reformulated, reports Axios.
Why does it matter: This legislative “deplatform” undermines the bipartisanship that President Biden seeks for the next four years. It can also undermine Democratic projects that need Republican support.
- “I am one of them,” said Representative Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) of the effort. “They still don’t understand, so I still won’t be a co-sponsor.”
- A Republican criticized the approach. “It doesn’t sound like a match for me,” Rep. Carol Miller (RW.Va.) told Axios.
Situation: Some members of the Democratic team are compiling a list of “untouchables” among the 211 members of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives. Among those who may face segmentation are these overlapping groups:
- The 126 Republicans who signed a lawsuit in Texas to contest the election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
- The 83 Republicans who voted to cancel the voter registration certification in Arizona.
- The 64 Republicans who voted to cancel the counting certification in Pennsylvania.
At least one employee who works for one of the 10 Republicans who voted for impeachment, told Axios that his office has received an exaggerated number of requests from Democrats looking to pair up on possible legislation.
- “Any of the 10 [who] voted for impeachment, they have received many requests to partner with Democrats to lead these projects, ”said the official.
The details: Several Democratic officials said the idea of a legislative platform is rooted in the Chamber’s Energy and Trade Committee.
- The matter was addressed during calls between team directors and leaders.
- These directors are now evaluating how to handle potential Republican proposals submitted to other committees.
- Some members even suggested the idea of rewriting bills that need to be reintroduced into the new 117th Congress, just so they can remove Republican lawmakers.
A Democratic aide said the House leadership is not involved in any combined effort. Some ordinary Democrats do not support him either.
- Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) Said: “There may be some people like that, but we have to do the House’s work.”
- Deputy GK Butterfield (DN.C.) told Axios that he will not co-sponsor the legislation with Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), But will not subscribe to any broader platform.
- “I don’t like it, but I need to pass my legislation,” he said.