House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on Sunday it’s important for his party to remain calm and be physically present at the start of the next Congress, pointing to the historically slim margin between the two parties in the lower chamber.
“It’s important for us to stay calm, stay present at all times, because the margin is going to be extremely narrow during the first days of the new administration,” Jeffries said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki,” when asked about navigating the transition into the next Congress.
Jeffries noted that the margin will be even closer in the first few months. Since President-elect Trump tapped some sitting members of Congress to serve in his administration, it will take some time for their seats to be filled.
“The margins will be about 217 Republicans and 215 Democrats,” Jeffries said. “Even at full strength, House Republicans will be at 220, we’ll be at 215. That’s the narrowest majority of any party since 1931.”
Jeffries said Democrats will need to leverage the GOP’s slim majority by showing up consistently and staying united on key issues.
“We’ve got to stay calm through all of the turbulence that the Republicans are going to try to visit on the American people,” Jeffries said.
“In order to defend hardworking American taxpayers, we have to be present and in Washington to make sure that our leverage can shine through on behalf of the American people,” he continued. “And we, of course, have to stay unified in fighting for the things that matter, which first and foremost is to lower costs for everyday Americans, for working-class Americans, and for Middle Class Americans.”
