House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D.Y.) on Sunday pointed to the historically narrow margins between the two parties in the House, saying he hoped his party would remain calm at the start of the next Congress. said it was important to be physically present.
“The first few days of this new administration are going to be close, so it's important to stay calm and stay present,” Jeffries said in an interview on MSNBC's “Inside with Jen Psaki.” said. How to proceed with the transition to the next Congress.
Jeffries said the gap is likely to narrow further in the first few months. President-elect Trump has nominated some incumbent members of Congress to serve in his administration, so it will take some time for their seats to be filled.
“The difference would be about 217 Republicans to 215 Democrats,” Jeffries said. “Even if we did our best, House Republicans would have 220 and we would have 215. This is the narrowest majority of any party since 1931.”
Jeffries said Democrats need to take advantage of Republicans' slim majority by showing up consistently and staying united on important issues.
“We must remain calm amidst the chaos that the Republican Party is trying to inflict on the American people,” Jeffries said.
“To protect hardworking American taxpayers, we must be in Washington to ensure our influence is used on behalf of the American people,” he continued. “And of course we must continue to come together to fight for what's important, which is first and foremost about ordinary Americans, working-class Americans, and middle-class Americans. “It's about reducing costs.”
