A polarized Congress held 15 Speaker of the House votes before voting in Kevin McCarthy, a first in nearly 100 years. The first day of the newly elected majority Congress triggered a chaotic and unprecedented scene. In an exclusive interview with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ 11th District), she takes us through what happened in the chamber and what this means for the rest of Biden’s tenure.
Under normal circumstances, Congress completes housekeeping tasks on the new year’s first day of session, such as receiving Congressional pins and conducting security clearances. Then, a vote for the Speaker of the House is held, members are sworn in and a rules package is voted on in a process that typically doesn’t exceed two hours. This year, the process lasted for days – all caught on CSPAN for the first time.
“We were on the floor for an extended period of time with no rules in place. Normally on the floor of the house, you can’t eat, you can’t drink, you can’t wear a coat. You have to be dressed in a certain way and overcoats are not considered appropriate,” Sherrill explained.
The slim majorities and intense polarization shown in the Speaker vote have Democrats wondering if Biden can get anything remaining on his agenda done. The shift of power from Democrats to Republicans will require new ways of doing business, or it will take years until members can compromise on their ideas. Sherrill clarified that Democrats are not going soft on the far-right Freedom Caucus and remain true to their priorities. Despite that, the younger, newer members of Congress are much more willing to negotiate compared to older generations.
“I think that’s where I’ve seen Hackim Jeffries – strong on the things that he believes in and the things he thinks are important for Democratic priorities,” said Sherrill. “But then he is also willing to reach across the aisle, talk to Kevin McCarthy about where we can all get something accomplished for this country.”
With Biden’s optimistic, bipartisan State of The Union address and the new generation of Congress, Sherrill hopes the remaining two years of his term will be productive. The Democrats plan to focus on various issues that Generation Z has prioritized, such as climate change, homeless veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community. Ensuring that these communities know of the federal grant money allocated for them is an important aspect of helping them. Benefits include medical, dental, youth facilities, mental health support, and veterans centers. As a House Armed Services Committee member, Sherill is working on bringing the U.S. military to net zero carbon emissions.
“Our military is a huge carbon emitter. Working on areas where we can bring energy use down or make it more efficient, areas where we can look at new fuel demonstration projects on our bases, giving clean power to the surrounding communities,” said Sherrill.
Climate change is an issue that stretches across all parts of life, making it a major part of all Congress committees’ agendas. Sherrill handles veterans affairs and the army corps and is working to move the military in an environmentally sustainable direction.
“When I think about those trash islands in the Pacific, it can keep me up at night,” said Sherrill. When I think about microplastics in the water in my children, that is something that I am dying to fix.”
Sherrill feels confident in her committee and Congress’s new generation to be able to make significant progress in the next two years.
“I have both the jurisdiction on my committee and expertise and influence that not many people in Congress have to really affect change,” said Sherrill.
Members are beginning to notice the necessity of compromise to avoid standstills such as the Speaker vote, as well as moving the country to operate more efficiently and representatively.