Dem freshmen take note of 1st 100 days in House
WASHINGTON — Newly elected Rep. Sharice Davids is most proud of setting up a congressional office in part of her Kansas district she said hadn’t seen one for years. For Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, her biggest victory was passing the gun background checks legislation she advocated for after her son’s shooting death. And for New York Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez, her top achievement was the introduction of the landmark Green New Deal.
As the Democratic freshmen lawmakers round the first 100 days of their new majority in the House, they’re taking stock of their accomplishments, noting the stumbles and marking their place as a front line of resistance to President Donald Trump.
“When I came here, I said the days of business as usual in the Congress are done, and I think that’s what we’ve seen,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., a nurse and former Obama administration official, who took over a GOP-held seat in the Chicago suburbs.
The first 100 days is often a milestone for a new Congress — an automatic, if arbitrary, moment to assess the workings of the legislative branch. The freshman class this year is two-thirds Democrat, with more women than men on that side of the aisle. It’s also the most diverse ever.
House Democrats set out an ambitious agenda on issues that helped them win the majority — protecting the Affordable Care Act, imposing new ethics rules — while engaging in oversight of the Trump administration. Their investigations extend beyond special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election as they dig into the president’s business dealings and push for Trump’s tax returns.
But with the spotlight comes high-profile setbacks.
Democrats splintered over Ocasio-Cortez’s climate change proposal and exposed party divisions over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Moreover, few of their bills will ever be signed into law. Most are simply resolutions that are being panned by the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is providing backstop with his Republican majority to keep the measures from ever making it to Trump’s desk.
House Republicans gathered on the Capitol steps for their own 100-day event, ridiculing the new majority for catering to the liberal left and failing to keep their campaign promises.
“I have one question for the Democrats after their first 100 days: What have you accomplished?” Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Wednesday. “Name me one problem you have solved.”
Underwood, who gathered the freshmen to make a video showcasing what they were most proud of, acknowledged the hurdles ahead.
“Moving forward, we will need to continue to work not just to pass bills in the House but do things that can gain broad support so that they can get enacted into law,” she said.