The Story
Haaave you met House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)?
Yup, but fill me in.
She became the first female House speaker back in 2007 – but had to give up the gavel in 2011 after Republicans took the House. Yesterday, she got the job back – and made history as the first person in more than six decades to return to the job after losing it. She's also the most powerful elected woman in politics.
Should I be surprised?
Yes and no. Once the House turned blue in November, everyone expected her to become speaker again. But she faced challenges from some Dems who wanted new leadership. She agreed to only stay speaker for four years if she got the Dem votes she needed. She did. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) nominated her, saying the House was "down with NDP." Let's see if that nickname sticks.
Who else got sworn in yesterday?
Congress's new freshman class, which is the most diverse ever. More than 100 women were also sworn in – a new record. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) grabbed a lot of headlines for giving a nod to suffragettes. And for dancing...in college.
What's on the agenda this year?
Expect to hear about issues like income inequality, climate change, and health care. Also, investigations on President Trump, Trump, and more Trump.
Why do I keep hearing the phrase "PAYGO"?
Ok, so it's the "pay as you go" rule. Meaning: an increase in spending has to be offset by cuts in other programs to stop the deficit from increasing. But some progressive Dems aren't down with PAYGO because it could make it harder for them to pass legislation for potentially high-cost programs they want (like Medicare for all). Yesterday, the House approved a larger rules package that included the PAYGO provision.
So...the government shutdown?
Still a thing. Last night, the House passed legislation to reopen part of the gov, though it didn't include any money for Trump's border wall. Don't expect the Senate to give it its blessing. Congressional leaders are expected to head to the White House to talk about all this today. Speaking of the border, Mexico asked the US to look into border officials using tear gas against migrants earlier this week and late last year.
theSkimm
Pelosi had to duke it out with members of her own party to become speaker again. And now that she's back on top, she gets to lead the charge for key Dem issues and go head-to-head against Trump on everything from border security to Russia.
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