Scoop: House Dem infighting poised to get even worse
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Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez attends a House Appropriations Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on May 6. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Congressional Progressive Caucus members are privately discussing introducing a retaliatory measure against Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) over her efforts to rebuke Rep. Chuy García (D-Ill.), Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The move would escalate simmering tensions between Gluesenkamp Perez and her Democratic colleagues that some lawmakers say is ruining what they had hoped would be a week of unity.
- "This is really just unfortunate that we're dealing with this," Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) told Axios.
- "We have all these other issues in the world we have to deal with ... this is really local politics and I don't know that it has a place here," he added.
What we're hearing: Progressive Caucus members are eyeing a resolution that would accuse Perez of lying about not taking corporate PAC donations, according to a lawmaker and a senior aide familiar with the matter.
- The measure would point to reporting that Gluesenkamp Perez's campaign and PAC allegedly accepted donations from groups including the American Petroleum Institute PAC and American Forest and Paper Association PAC, the sources told Axios.
- The two sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of sensitive private discussions.
- A Gluesenkamp Perez spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
State of play: Gluesenkamp Perez rocked the House Democratic caucus last week by unexpectedly introducing a resolution of disapproval against García.
- The resolution calls out García for announcing his retirement after Illinois' ballot filing deadline, allowing his chief of staff, Patty Garcia, to be the sole Democrat running for the heavily Democratic seat.
- "Representative García's actions are beneath the dignity of his office and incompatible with the spirit of the United States Constitution," the measure says, with Gluesenkamp Perez accusing him of "election subversion."
The other side: García and his allies have pushed back hard, saying he planned to run for reelection until a last minute health scare, family obligations and pleas from his wife and doctor changed his mind.
- Messaging guidance circulated by García's office on Monday stressed that he "followed all requirements and deadlines under Illinois law."
- "At a time when Democrats should be unified, the motion creates distraction and divisiveness among Democrats," says another talking point, calling the motion a "ploy that our opponents will use for their own gain."
Between the lines: Democrats fumed at Gluesenkamp Perez on Monday both in private discussions off the House floor and in public speeches in the chamber.
- "She should've just picked up the phone and called him," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), a prominent Progressive Caucus member.
- "He's got some really good personal reasons why it happened the way it did," he added. "She probably would not have introduced it if she just did that."
What to watch: Democratic leadership tried to quash Gluesenkamp Perez's resolution on Monday but failed in a 206-211 vote, setting up a Tuesday afternoon vote on whether to pass it.
- Gluesenkamp Perez and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a fellow centrist and close ally, broke with their party and voted with Republicans against the motion to table.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say that Garcia announced his retirement after Illinois' ballot filing deadline (not before).
