Progressives hope for more power in narrowly divided Congress
House progressives are poised to wield their growing influence in the new Congress as the Democratic Party settles in to unified control of Washington for the first time in a decade.
“The squad” has returned to Capitol Hill after Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib beat back primary challenges, and their ranks have been bolstered by newly-elected progressive Democrats who quickly established national profiles, like Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
Democrats now control the White House and hold majorities — though narrow — in the Senate and the House, where close partisan splits mean the votes of even a relatively small bloc of members will carry significant weight.