House Democrats

House Democrats, led by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, used some procedural creativity Thursday in filing a resolution to discharge a bill that could ultimately lead to a vote on the so-called DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act is a measure that Democrats and some Republicans want to pass as a legislative solution to President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, that sheltered roughly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation.

When Republicans kicked the fiscal 2017 spending deadline into April last December, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said they’d rather negotiate with incoming GOP President Donald Trump than the outgoing Democratic one.

But now, congressional Republicans are talking about largely ignoring requests from the White House as they negotiate with Democrats over a spending bill to take the government off autopilot for the remaining five months of the fiscal year.

A little more than two months ago, 63 House Democrats voted for a change at the top of their leadership structure. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, some of the most vocal critics of the existing power system are in new leadership positions of their own. 

Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan, who challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for her post, is now the ranking member of the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, a position that gives him oversight of Congress’ internal spending, including money spent on leadership offices and members’ salaries, as well as Capitol Police.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan has been asked hundreds, if not thousands, of times if he wants to run for president one day. The answer has not changed. 

“No,” Ryan said in an interview with Charlie Rose scheduled to air on PBS late Thursday. “It’s just not an ambition that I’ve long harbored, or I’ve harbored.” 

House Democrats on Friday adopted an amendment to their internal caucus rules allowing for the creation of vice ranking members for standing committees. 

The introduction of additional committee leadership posts comes in response to concerns raised following the Democrats’ poor showing in last year’s elections that there were not enough opportunities for younger members to contribute to the caucus at the committee and leadership levels.

House Democrats will square off Monday in a series of elections for lower-rung leadership positions. But one critical post likely to be uncontested is the chairmanship of the caucus’ campaign arm. 

Lawmakers, including newly elected freshmen who will serve in the 115th Congress, will chose co-chairs of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, as well as a member who has served five terms or less for an as-yet-unnamed leadership post. 

The New Democrat Coalition on Thursday elected Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes as its chairman for the 115th Congress. 

Himes, 50, beat Colorado Rep. Jared Polis, 41, for the top spot in the moderate caucus. Virginia Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, 66, dropped out of the race before the vote, saying he thought it would help diffuse some of the tension arising from a three-way race. 

House Democrats decided Wednesday they aren’t ready to change the top rung of their leadership, but many are still hankering for something new after re-electing Nancy Pelosi minority leader for the 115th Congress.

Some of that change is expected to come Thursday as the caucus meets to discuss proposals for amending internal rules that will result in an expanded leadership team — the exact structure of which is up for debate. Other winds of change will likely arise in the coming months and years.

Show Notes:

As of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had garnered public endorsements from at least 80 Democratic members — four-fifths of the total she needs to hold onto her leadership post.

The Californian, who has been the top Democrat since 2003, is facing a challenge from Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who had only 12 public endorsements as of 8:30 p.m.