Effectively, unless this Progressive Democrat decides to go Right, she has her seat. Pretty much, that’s about it. But that’s a good thing:
Democratic Committee Assignments Less Than a Zero-Sum Game
The House Democrats undeniably remain the fourth and smallest wheel in the congressional machine. And they’re still struggling to apply enough internal political grease to get their pieces of the legislative engine out of neutral.
The party now has its smallest share of House seats in almost nine decades — just 188, or 43 percent. In reality, its disadvantage is even more pronounced. That’s because Republicans have stuck with the custom that the party in control claims more than its fair share of the seats on committees, where the bulk of the chamber’s policy battles are effectively won or lost.
It’s easy to see the difficulties as Democratic leadership fills all the shrunken number of slots available to them, a prerequisite for the panels to begin the year’s workaday business of conducting hearings and marking up bills.
We traded a Progressive Republican, who did not honor his promises, for a very Progressive Democrat, who cannot get a thing accomplished.
Neutered, for the time being.
(H/T: David Hawkins via Roll Call)
