President Joe Biden is signaling an election-year shift to the center to help protect fragile Democratic majorities in Congress, even as key voices across his party’s sprawling political coalition threaten revolt.
Beyond Washington, Melina Abdullah, a grassroots director for Black Lives Matter, was more frank in her criticism. Slapping down those on the left wanting to “defund" the police, Biden three times called for funding as Democrats and Republicans gave him a standing ovation.
“That’s absolutely fine,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said of Biden’s explicit opposition to calls for defunding the police. “First of all, nobody in our caucus ever said that before the last election. But the Republicans wanted to tattoo something that was said outside to our members.”“He was trying to dispel what is a false scenario that the Republicans have tried to create since a couple of our members out of 223 or 4 said they were for defunding the police,” Hoyer said.
“I’m not going to change how I feel," Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said Wednesday. “I’m not going to stop saying defund the police at all.” As the midterm campaign begins, such tension within the Democratic Party is unlikely to subside. In a potential preview of what's to come, nine-term incumbent Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar failed to clear the 50% threshold in Tuesday's Democratic primary and will face progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in a runoff election in May.
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