House Democrats have a responsibility to fight for the “majority voice” of voters who rejected Republicans and President-elect Trump, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Wednesday.
Hoyer, D-Md., said during a news conference that more people in the November election “voted for the agenda that this leadership group represents” and not for Republicans, who retained the majority in the House, the Senate and recaptured the White House.
Hoyer made the remarks after the caucus re-elected him to serve as whip under Nancy Pelosi, who was re-elected minority leader.
Democrats have begun to criticize the agenda of Trump and Republicans, claiming it includes getting rid of Medicare.
Trump defeated Clinton in the electoral college, but lost the popular vote.
Democrats claim to have won more votes for House seats as well as for Senate candidates, although the formula is based only on what seats were up for grabs. Senate Republicans control 52 Senate seats while the House GOP lead the Democrats 239-194.
Hoyer made the same argument after the 2012 election, when Democrats lost House seats but picked up more votes than the GOP due to concentrations of voters in urban areas that favor their party.
“We have a responsibility to millions who didn’t vote for the agenda of Donald Trump,” Hoyer said Wednesday. “We have a responsibility and we will meet that responsibility. We will raise our voices in opposition.”
