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As the House prepares to elect its leaders, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is challenging the idea that the expanded Democratic majority and its leaders will make a hard left turn. “For the first time in decades, we are a true national majority party—and if we want to stay that way, we must govern like one,” Hoyer (D-Md.) is to say in a speech today at the National Press Club, according to excerpts of his remarks obtained by The Hill.
With the departure of House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) to become White House chief of staff, Hoyer is now the only member of top leadership from the conservative side of his caucus. Also, Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) is facing a challenge to his chairmanship from the more liberal Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who has long pushed for stronger environmental restrictions. The top priorities of the next Congress – expanding health care, reducing global warming and fixing the economy – raise the distinct prospect of greater government intervention into business. They will also test the commitment, advanced most strongly by fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, to the “pay-as-you-go” or “pay-go” rules that require new spending to be balanced with cuts or tax increases, rather than piled onto the national debt. But Hoyer says that bipartisanship will be a priority and fiscal responsibility “should be at the core” of the Democrats’ governing philosophy. “The 33 new Members of Congress coming to Washington to swell our side of the aisle are pragmatic, not dogmatic,” Hoyer is to say. “They were elected on promises of bipartisanship and fiscal discipline. They were elected, quite simply, to solve problems, not further politicize Washington.” |
