House Democratic leaders are trying to flex some muscle this week after two members defected on a key procedural vote. It's stoking fury among members across the political spectrum. Why it matters: The blowup offers a preview of the chaos that party leaders could face in January if they take back the House majority. - Meanwhile, an effort to give House Democratic leaders more tools to keep their members in line next year is falling flat among rank-and-file members. - "It'll be dead by next week," predicted one senior House Democrat, speaking to Axios on the condition of anonymity to comment candidly on the maneuver. Driving the news: Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) touched off a flurry of anger from…
Don't expect a lot of public lamentations from House Democrats next month if Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) loses to his Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed primary opponent. Why it matters: That would be a drastic deviation from recent DSA primary wins , which set off alarm bells among the Democratic establishment. - In the telling of both progressive and moderate House Democrats, Thanedar's anomalous political profile and the makeup of his district will make it difficult to extrapolate from the results of his race. - "It's somewhat of a unique circumstance," Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), a top ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), told Axios. - Another House Democrat, granted anonymity to offer a blunter…
Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) is in what fellow House Democrats and other sources familiar with his race describe as an "existential" battle for reelection. Why it matters: The race embodies the Democratic civil war being waged across the country, with an establishment-aligned member of the party's old guard fending off a challenge from a younger leftist. - Espaillat, a longtime fixture in Upper Manhattan politics, is touting support from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). - His rival, community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier, is backed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice…
Some House Democrats say they plan to defy instructions from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) not to protest President Trump during his State of the Union address on Feb. 24. Why it matters: Even some top progressives and lawmakers who participated in demonstrations at Trump's speech last year acknowledge it wasn't their shining moment. - "Last year didn't really work as envisioned," Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Axios. - Another senior House progressive, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share details of sensitive internal conversations, said "there's just a feeling that it wasn't real effective last time." Driving the news: Jeffries told colleagues in a…