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“The Biden administration must be much more sensitive to where you come from if you look at members of Congress,” Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly said in an interview. “We cannot afford to put seats at risk.”
In the Senate, Democrats privately admit that Liberals Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) No longer have any chance of confirmation as long as Mitch McConnell remains majority leader. And even if Democrats reverse two Senate seats in Georgia early next year to take a 50-50 majority, opposition from centrist Democrats could stifle Liberal nominations anyway.
Not to mention, with much of the Cabinet usually being filled by December, Biden signaled on Tuesday that he was going fast – saying he would nominate a “couple” of Cabinet candidates before Thanksgiving, even if President Donald Trump refuses to concede.
And in the House, Democrats say they are unwilling to risk a competitive special election next year that could further shrink its slim majority, ending speculation on swing-district Democrats such as Rep. Katie. Porter in Orange County, which was revered by the Left.
Democrats also noted that Biden would want his most powerful allies in Congress to stay on Capitol Hill, given the slimmer margins in the House and a possible Republican Senate.
“There is so much talent outside the Senate,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “These two years are going to be really, really tough, because President Biden will need strong leadership in Congress. … And I think he will prefer that people he trusts are here.
Capitol Hill Democrats had gleefully anticipated the reshuffle that would have resulted from a resounding three-branch sweep on November 3 – a set of musical chairs that would reward longtime Democrats with Cabinet positions and create a series of openings in both. bedrooms.
But Democrats have so far seen a net gain of just one Senate seat and will likely remain in the minority, barring an unprecedented performance in the second round in Georgia in January.
This would essentially leave McConnell and his emboldened GOP Senate conference with a veto over Biden’s candidates, condemning some of the Democrats’ most left-wing choices. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said on Tuesday that Biden had yet to consult with him on which members of his caucus might visit Cabinet.
Last week’s election also slashed the ranks of House Democrats, who have so far lost six net seats, resulting in the thinnest majority in nearly two decades.
Even if Biden chose Democrats in safe blue districts, those seats could remain empty for some time at the start of the 117th Congress – further hampering President Nancy Pelosi’s ability to maneuver the legislation on the ground.
Several Democrats have said they doubt Biden will turn to any of their colleagues for the executive branch, especially those in shifting districts or with Republican governors who could appoint Senate replacement.
“It won’t happen. This is political reality and most people will see it,” Missouri Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said in an interview. “It would be a stupid decision to put someone out of a seat that we turn around and lose in a special election.”
“We don’t have a lot of seats in the House and the Senate,” Cleaver said.
Some of the Hill Democrats with the best prospects may be those who failed or chose not to be re-elected this year, including Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, who lost reelection but whose career as a rights attorney civilians in Alabama won him. from the perspectives of the Attorney General.
Asked about his interest in the post on Monday night, Jones said he had been friends with Biden for a long time and had not ruled him out.
“I just want Joe Biden to be successful. That’s all I’m going to say about it, ”Jones said. The retirement of Senator Tom Udall from New Mexico is also a possibility for the Interior.
Coons, a longtime ally of Biden, might have the best chance of landing in the administration, several Democrats have said. A member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Coons has been put forward as a candidate for Secretary of State – a centrist Democrat with strong GOP ties who could in fact be appointed to a deadlocked GOP-controlled Senate.
Coons downplayed expectations that he would be hired for a Cabinet position, but added that he would accept if offered.
“If he surprises me by asking me to consider serving in his office, I would be honored to do so,” Coons said. “But I could also understand how he could say, ‘Look, this is a time when the people who can ensure bipartisanship in the Senate is a priority, and I need you to stay there.” “
If Coons are selected, that would open up a Senate seat which should go to Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, a popular Democrat from Delaware in a solid blue and state seat with a Democratic governor.. Blunt Rochester would also become the only black woman to serve in the Senate, after Vice President-elect Kamala Harris began her new post.
Biden’s victory guarantees at least some Senate reshuffle, with a battle already erupting over who should succeed Harris. California Governor Gavin Newsom has yet to hint at his appointment, although he faces intense pressure to choose a woman of color or a Latino.
Among the candidates for the Senate seat are Bass and Representative Barbara Lee – two longtime black Democrats who hold deep respect across the party.
Bass has also been discussed for several positions at a Biden cabinet, including chief health and human services. Bass also discussed becoming an ambassador to the United Nations, according to several Democratic sources.
Another member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, has said privately that she wants to become secretary of agriculture.
Richmond, co-chair of the Biden campaign, is expected to join the West Wing in some capacity, although the precise role is unclear, according to several Democrats. The Louisiana Democrat is reportedly leaving a deep blue seat in New Orleans, which the party is not afraid to hold.
Choosing a successor for Harris and potentially Coons would be much easier than navigating a Senate nomination in other states, especially those with a GOP governor.
Warren’s home state, Massachusetts, has a Republican governor. But Democrats also have a supermajority in the state legislature and could theoretically change the rules to require Governor Charlie Baker to select a Democrat to replace Warren. But the progressive senator, who wants to serve as secretary of the treasury, would be unlikely to be confirmed in a Senate controlled by the GOP.
Under Trump, the Senate was not a recruiting ground for cabinet candidates. Senator Jeff Session of Alabama was the only sitting senator chosen for Trump’s cabinet for four years.
President Barack Obama, however, turned so much to the upper house that he was once ridiculed for “attacking the Senate” for his cabinet. In 2008, he appointed two serving Senators to Cabinet positions – Ken Salazar of Colorado for Interior and Hillary Clinton of New York for State; and he called on Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts to succeed Clinton as secretary of state in his second term.
Several Democrats who have been the subject of rumors of potential Cabinet appointments have said in recent days that they are likely to remain in the Senate. They understand the Meaning. Debbie Stabenow from Michigan, Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Patty Murray from Washington.
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said that despite the potential changes a Biden administration could make in Congress, the president-elect would ultimately have to choose whoever he wants.
“I understand that a vacancy or two can make a difference, but if President-elect Biden thinks there is someone in the Senate who is going to serve him well and who is clearly the best choice, then he should choose that. nobody, ”Murphy said. “I hope Vice President Biden will look to members of Congress to fill some key niches.”
Alex Thompson, John Bresnahan and Theodoric Meyer contributed to this report.
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