Changing the Guard
It's a new day on Capitol Hill, and Democrats say they have a plan. Now they have to make it work
Deliberation. What happens next in the Senate could take much longer. Majority Leader Harry Reid has said Democrats' first 10 bills will follow normal procedures and be open to committee hearings. With a narrow 50-to-49-seat majority in the Senate-well short of the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster-Democrats know they must work closely with Republicans to pass legislation. The tenuous nature of their hold has been underscored since mid-December, when Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota suffered a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Then there are the competing ambitions of roughly 10 presidential candidates from both parties, including presumptive front-runners John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, that Reid must navigate.
The Democratic unity could be put to the test soon after the State of the Union speech, when Democrats begin to tackle a litany of thorny issues-from labor laws governing union organization to trade authorization and universal healthcare-that could drive a wedge between conservative and liberal Democrats and complicate the re-election of Democrats who won narrowly in heavily Republican districts. Labor unions and the party's left wing have bought into the 100-hour agenda as a "down payment" for their wish lists of new programs and laws. "There is no question. [Pelosi] is in a hard spot," says Robert Borosage, head of the progressive Campaign for America's Future. "The base of the party is demanding a significant challenge to the president."
The party's tensions were most visibly on display last week over Iraq. Democratic House Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel tried to hold a press conference, only to be drowned out by a war protesters led by Cindy Sheehan, who became a household name after protesting outside the president's ranch. "De-escalate, investigate; troops home now!" they chanted, driving Emanuel back into a closed-door meeting. Democratic leaders, Sheehan said, "need to include the grass-roots voices."
Many of the tough oversight hearings on issues such as no-bid contracts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and food and drug safety methods are likely to come after the State of the Union address so as not to overshadow the 100-hour agenda. Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, a 51-year veteran of the House, is finalizing his roster of Energy and Commerce Committee lieutenants this week and will then decide on hearings and potential legislation; Rep. Henry Waxman's powerful Committee on Oversight (newly added to the title) and Government Reform is doing pretty much the same thing. Several committees in both houses have vowed tough oversight hearings on Iraq, but the political challenges are heady; Congress has few options other than restricting or adding conditions to the funding of the war. "We will work on that to the best of our ability," says Reid. He and Pelosi warned Bush late last week that a troop surge would be misguided and urged the president to plan a phased withdrawal of troops.
Those old bull Democratic committee chairmen like Dingell, Waxman, and Rep. Charles Rangel of New York have been out of power for 12 years and are now eager for vigorous oversight, which could put them at odds with younger Democrats, who have a more centrist ideology and who worry about re-election in Republican-heavy districts. "I think there is an overall appreciation by the most senior members," says Rep. Joe Crowley of New York, a veteran moderate Democrat, "that the reason why Democrats are in control of the House is that we were able to reach beyond the traditional voting bloc to moderates." Such tensions haven't yet manifested themselves, but Democratic strategists see potential problems on issues like trade, spending, and taxes.
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