Centrist House Democrats make up only a fraction of the party’s majority, but they’re positioned to punch above their weight politically with the chamber narrowly divided.

The Blue Dog Democrats, 18 in number, are positioned to have outsize sway not only in the House, where Democrats have 221 seats, Republicans have 211, and three are vacant. Across the Capitol, the Senate is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris set to break ties. And with President Biden in the White House, Democrats hold all the power in the federal elected branches for the first time in more than a decade.