Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican, says the Republican Party is not without options as the minority party across all branches of the federal government.
In a radio interview with John Solomon, Zeldin noted that the Democrats’ precariously narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress are causes for optimism.
“If you’re trying to get to a majority vote in the House of Representatives and you only need 10 members to see the light of day on the Democratic side on a particular issue … we’re going to have an ability to better fight some of their worst ideas because the margins are as small as they are,” he said.
Zeldin said that the Democrats’ slim margin for error will put centrist legislators, such as Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, in a difficult position and potentially force them to vote with Republicans in certain instances.
“Good luck getting the Green New Deal passed in the Senate where Kamala Harris is some tiebreaking vote and you’re relying on, you know, Joe Manchin of West Virginia in order to get your Green New Deal passed,” he said. “Good luck battling your war on coal when the margin is that slim and vice versa on other issues, so I think it can be very hard for them to go at it alone.”
Democrats have proposed structural changes that would cement their hold on power, including eliminating the filibuster, which would reduce the requirement for certain measures to be adopted from a 60-vote supermajority to a simple majority of 51 votes. Zeldin has argued that there may be a tactical reason for Sen. Chuck Schumer not to implement this change when he becomes Senate majority leader later this month.
“Who knows? Maybe Sen. Schumer decides strategically that keeping the 60-vote threshold on something is helpful to him. It gives him an excuse because if he changes it, then he’s got to deliver the votes to actually get something done,” Zeldin said. “He can actually sit back on a particular rule that’s been around for several decades, but we’ll have to see.”
With unified government control, Democrats are poised to pass sweeping legislative initiatives without the support of any Republicans. Still, these ambitions hinge on the caucus remaining united in the face of massive pressure from constituents. Democrats can only afford a handful of defections in the House, a number that remains unclear as adjudication in the race for New York’s 22nd Congressional District continues.
The Democrats’ margin for error will be further reduced when Reps. Cedric Richmond, Debra Haaland, and Marcia Fudge depart for positions in the Biden administration, forcing special elections to fill resultant vacancies.
