Failing to act boldly could disappoint millions calling for change — but it won’t be easy to unite the caucus.
House Democrats have a chance to position themselves at the center of a political movement that drives societal change for years to come. Or they could miss seizing the moment entirely.
The House Democratic Caucus — the most diverse group of lawmakers ever assembled in Congress — is in the midst of a complex and emotional debate over how to confront decades of systemic racism that led to police killings like the death of George Floyd last week.
Bringing any reforms to the floor will require careful maneuvering by Speaker Nancy Pelosi — with both generational and ideological conflicts in play — to unite 233 Democrats behind a package of contentious structural changes to law enforcement. There’s also ongoing outreach to some Republicans, a move that could bolster the chances for bipartisan legislation, but also complicate agreement on how far the House can go.
And if they don’t act quickly, Democrats could lose out on a historic opportunity that many lawmakers feel is theirs for the taking. Failure to move boldly could also turn off critical constituencies of young people and African Americans — in November and beyond.
“It would be irresponsible for us to wait. We need to vote on these bills as soon as they are ready,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who has been leading the effort at Pelosi’s request.
“We need to show people — especially the young people — the rainbow is out there, so many people are out, of every race, every ethnicity,” Bass added. “We need to show them that we are going to act.”
Congressional Democrats say they are unequivocally committed to reforming the system that led to Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and the deaths of countless other African Americans, with top lawmakers moving swiftly to unearth long-stalled legislation cracking down on police brutality, as well as crafting new bills. Democratic leaders are pushing to bring a package of policing reforms to the floor by the end of June.
Still, Pelosi and her leadership team face a fraught task.
Pelosi frequently dubs her caucus’ diversity as its biggest strength. The caucus boasts more women and people of color than ever before; membership ranges from liberal firebrands like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N. Y.) to moderates like Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.), whose district President Donald Trump won by double digits; and it includes lawmakers who were born decades apart, from 1936 to 1989.
On the issue of policing and racial healing, Democrats will be forced to confront their internal divisions at a time when major cities are consumed by civil demonstrations and occasionally violent unrest. Trump has only further inflamed tensions with his threats to deploy the military and “dominate” the streets.
