Pelosi to fellow Democrats: Suck it up on tough votes—'This is not a day at the beach'
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The results of a Thursday morning Democratic conference in the House were apparent in the votes this morning to expand gun purchase background checks from three to 20 days. Only two Democrats voted for a Republican poison pill offered as a motion to recommitPelosi to fellow Democrats: Suck it up on tough votes—'This is not a day at the beach'
The results of a Thursday morning Democratic conference in the House were apparent in the votes this morning to expand gun purchase background checks from three to 20 days. Only two Democrats voted for a Republican poison pill offered as a motion to recommit (MTR) the bill, after 26 Democrats defected on a similar effort Wednesday. That Wednesday vote exposed a growing problem in the Democratic leadership, in which Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Majority Whip James Clyburn are at odds. Pelosi has been trying to enforce some discipline in her conference, keeping them all on board to fight Republican shenanigans. Unfortunately, Hoyer and Clyburn haven't been enforcing. Quite the opposite—they've encouraged the «moderates» in the conference to «vote their districts,» even if it means giving fuel to Republicans. Pelosi's frustration reportedly boiled over Thursday morning, and she had some harsh truths for her conference. «This is not a day at the beach,» she reportedly told the members complaining about having to take hard votes on Democratic priorities. «This is the Congress of the United States.» She even floated the possibility of withholding help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, «although her threat may be more bluster than reality, according to Democratic lawmakers and aides.» «We are either a team or weren't not,» she told members, «and we have to make that decision.» After the meeting she told reporters that Democrat have to simply vote against these procedural motions and deny the Republicans «leverage.» «I'm a big believer in respecting the whole House and the rights of the minority to have their say,» Pelosi said. «I think we should just vote against all motions to recommit. It's a procedural vote, it's a 'gotcha' on the part of the opposition.» Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reminded her colleagues in the meeting that the vote on Wednesday was hard for her, too, because the poison pill they allowed to pass gives more power to Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That meant having to tell her supporters and activists afterward that she «had to choose between immigrants and gun violence. Not because of Republicans, but because of Democrats.» She continued, «I think it is an extension of Trump's tactics into the House and we cannot legitimatize it and we cannot allow for it and we cannot support it.» Some moderates are pushing the idea of procedural fixes or just getting rid of the MTR altogether. That's a solution, but it's a solution for cowards. Pelosi is absolutely right: They've got to suck it up and stop aiding and abetting Republicans. They also need to review their very recent history. No procedural vote ever taken by a Democrat has shielded them from being attacked by Republicans in an election. None of these procedural votes with Republicans are going to help them a damned bit. Read more