Pelosi shows promise in working with factions

Bill Knight column for 1-10, 11 or 12, 2019

The Speaker of the House job has been like herding cats at least since Republican John Boehner tried corralling Tea Partiers. Now Nancy Pelosi faces steering a new group of cats – wildcats, thankfully – who make up a fourth of the 235-member chamber.

She seems capable.

There’s much to find disagreeable with Pelosi, but I don’t dislike her. I do respect her.

After all, politics can be about personalities as much as policies, and her characterization as a weak leader unable to deal with the demands of an expanding Democratic Party, a contracting GOP, and Donald Trump in the White House is unfair stereotyping. For starters, despite years of over-the-top criticism by the Right wing, resulting in her 34-percent approval rating, she’s still more popular than other Congressional leaders, according to polls that peg Chuck Schumer at 29 percent, Mitch McConnell at 27 percent and Kevin McCarthy at 19 percent.

More significantly, Pelosi is demonstrating her willingness to get down to business by standing up to Trump, working with various party factions (even those with whom she differs), and helping draft House Resolution 1: the “For the People Act.”

After weeks of questions about Pelosi’s suitability as Speaker, the California Congresswoman was elected and remains resolute in defying Trump’s tantrum shutting down government until he’s given $5.7 billion as a down-payment for a wall he repeatedly promised Mexico would pay for.

“Political reform will be the first order of business for the Democratic House,” said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21. “Pelosi announced an unprecedented package of reforms designed to repair our broken political system and strength our democracy.”

H.R. 1 would protect the right to vote by tightening election security, expanding voter registration and improving access to voting options; make campaign contributions more public and less influential; and “will make sure that public servants actually serve the public,” as sponsors David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and John Sharbanes (D-Md.) said in an essay in The Hill.

It also would require presidential candidates to disclose 10 years of tax returns.

“H.R. 1 is a no-brainer for anyone who actually cares about American democracy,” said Morris Pearl, chair of Patriotic Millionaires. “It not only works to remove dark money from our political system to ensure every American has the same political power as millionaires like me, it also strengthens our democracy by making it easier to vote, limiting gerrymandering, and cracking down on corruption.”

First Speaker in 2007 – the first woman in the position – Pelosi is appeciateded as helping pass the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and as an able fund-raiser. Apart from her skilled politicking for Speaker, she’s leading a House in a frenzy of activity and working with the Congressional Black Caucus, the business-oriented New Democrat Coalition, the conservative “Blue Dogs” and the Progressive Caucus. (Strengthened by 10 new members, Progressives now have 90+ members, including Reps. Danny Davis and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Representatives Joe Kennedy III and John Lewis, plus freshmen lawmakers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib.

Differences emerged last week about new rules, especially a “pay-as-you-go” mandate requiring a point of order against bills that raise the deficit or reduce a surplus. Some progressives see that as an obstacle to new programs.

“This is in no way a voter against the leadership,” said U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). “This is a vote against austerity economics that has caused great harm to middle-class and working families, [and] I don’t think we need to handcuff ourselves in ways that Republicans never have.”

Republicans waived the law in 2017 to pass a tax bill adding $1.5 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.

The new rules passed 234-197.

Also, Pelosi declined to make the sweeping Green New Deal idea a priority, but she did appoint a Select Committee on Climate Change that may take up some of its components.

Democrats are empowered to do a lot. They can disclose Trump’s hidden tax returns, for one. Other investigations the House and its committees can undertake include questions of ethical missteps by officials, contacts between foreign agents and the Trump Organization, the “revocable trust” Trump’s family has to continue the president’s private business operations, financial dealings with other countries, and lease arrangements involving Trump International Hotel Washington (the old Post Office).

Newcomers are enthusiastic to begin.

 “The freshman class will have more power than the leadership," said Khanna, himself just starting his second term. “The balance of power is shifting in the House; leadership doesn't matter nearly as much.”

But a savvy leader like Pelosi will matter, facing challenges beyond and within the chamber. Her talents and experience may work well with untested but eager novices.