Familiar faces populate the 110-plus new members of Congress.
asserted
faces → populate → Congress
A few "freshmen" are returning to the House.
asserted
freshmen → return → House
Even if they’ve been gone for a while
asserted
they → go → while
There’s Rep.-elect Hilda Solis, D-Calif., who last served in Congress in 2009.
asserted
who → ’ → 2009
She departed to become President Obama’s labor secretary.
asserted
She → depart → ?
Rep.-elect Jerry Carl, R-Ala., just left Capitol Hill early last year after losing a primary to Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., — who is now moving to the Senate.
asserted
who → leave → Senate
She first won a seat in the House in 2004 and lost in 2010.
asserted
She → win → 2010
"Make sure you get a really good scheduler and that they schedule eating because your staff will run you all day long," said Bean.
asserted
Bean → make → you
"You're kind of like the football that they pass from one staff member to the other.
asserted
they → pass → other
The whole day goes by and you’re starving."
asserted
you → go → ?
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is on track to become House speaker in January.
asserted
Jeffries → become → January
But some progressives are holding out.
asserted
progressives → hold → ?
Bean was a moderate when she served before.
asserted
she → serve → ?
Yours truly asked about the natural unease between left-wing Democrats and centrists.
asserted
Yours → ask → Democrats
"It’s a pretty united majority," replied Bean.
asserted
Bean → ’ → ?
"Do you think that’s overstated tension?"
asserted
that → think → ?
I followed up.
asserted
I → follow → ?
"I think it always is," answered Bean.
asserted
Bean → think → ?
"But that’s a media thing, right?
asserted
that → ’ → ?
Make sure you have time to eat?
asserted
you → make → time
But seriously, there are some progressives who aren’t willing to publicly commit to supporting Jeffries as Speaker.
asserted
who → be → Speaker
Most of these incoming members comprise what’s now known as "The Bloc."
asserted
what → comprise → Bloc
It’s kind of like "The Squad" some years ago.
asserted
It → ’ → Squad
And they’re not tipping their hand about Jeffries.
asserted
they → tip → Jeffries
They’re trying to squeeze the New York Democrat and others for legislative guarantees.
asserted
They → try → guarantees
"We're not withholding votes.
asserted
We → withhold → votes
What we're doing is saying we're undecided.
asserted
we → do → What
We're not going to rubber stamp anything," said Rep.-elect Adam Hamawy, D-N.J.
"I don't think it's about the individual.
asserted
it → go → individual
It’s about the agenda and the agenda that actually reflects the priorities of the American people," said Rep.-elect Melat Kiros, D-Colo.
asserted
Kiros → ’ → people
"It's about what kind of priorities, what kind of floor votes, what kind of plan do we have to actually fight for the bold change the American people sent us here to do.
asserted
people → fight → us
"
"I think we need to be talking about improving the lives of working people and helping them join unions," said Rep.-elect Claire Valdez, D-N.Y.
There’s nothing groundbreaking going on here.
asserted
Valdez → think → unions
Progressive Democrats won.
asserted
Democrats → win → ?
Democrats won big.
asserted
Democrats → win → ?
The Bloc wants to flex its muscles and execute its agenda.
asserted
Bloc → want → agenda
Otherwise, those members have explaining to do with their base.
asserted
members → have → base
Thus, it’s not that extraordinary to have a group of members not automatically supporting someone for a leadership post.
asserted
group → ’ → post
They’re playing the political game to get the best deal for the people they represent.
asserted
they → play → people
They can’t just back Jeffries out of the gate.
asserted
They → back → gate
They must first extract a concession.
asserted
They → extract → concession
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., witnessed these machinations before when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to manage dissent about her leadership following elections.
asserted
Pelosi → witness → elections
…and 43 more, not listed.
The Aporia
