Recently Elected Minority Leader Has Big Goals for Congress

“The American people have entrusted us to safeguard and advocate for their hopes and dreams, and to address the challenges they face daily” stated Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson following her recent Minority Leader election. Lee’s election is a historical turning point for our Congress as she is the first African American women to hold the powerful position. The congresswoman stated that she is excited to see what the Democrats can accomplish in the 114th Congress and that she is specifically interested in passing legislation in areas discussed in President Obama’s recent State of the Union Address. These areas include “…immigration reform, making college more affordable on the national level, strengthening support for the new healthcare system, and taking another look at the tax system.”
Congresswoman Lee hopes that 114th Congress is able to overcome increasing polarization felt on both sides of the aisle. Rep. Lee recently stated that “the [Democrats] are very interested in working with their Republican counterparts.” Lee has been forefront with the issue and acknowledges that in order to avoid automatic presidential veto, crossing the aisle must occur on both sides.

With the first committee sessions coming up quickly on the congressional schedule, it will be interesting to see if Congresswoman Lee’s goals for our congress will come to light. Will the 114th Congress pass meaningful legislation, or will they stoop back to their bipartisan shenanigans? 

Democrats Elect New Leadership Efficiently and Unanimously

By: Katie Landis

On Wednesday, the Democrats of the House elected their leadership with efficiency and unanimity. This quick election is a good sign for the minority party that must remain unified to push through their priorities for this congressional session.

With no opposition, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson from Texas was elected by her colleagues to stand as the Minority Leader. This is a historical election as Congresswoman Johnson is the first African American woman to be elected to this position.

The Democrats also elected Congresswoman Lois Capps of California as the Minority Party Whip. Congresswoman Capps was a nurse for many years before being elected to the House of Representatives and has placed healthcare as a priority in the past.

As this congressional session gets into gear and starts discussing bills, it will be interesting to see how this two women powerhouse leads their party, particularly in light of the change in power in the Senate.

Inside the Mind of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

By: Chris Costenbader

After the recent election of Kevin McCarthy to Speaker of the House I got the opportunity to sit down with Congressman McCarthy. He is excited about what this next term has in store for the American people stating "I look forward to the achievements that await our legislative body and eagerly hope to fulfill the obligations of this esteemed speakership." The Speaker went on to congratulate Congresswomen Nunes and Johnson on their respective Majority and Minority leadership elections. 

Speaker McCarthy hopes to "secure the future prosperity of our great nation" by "establishing our energy independence, continuing to strengthen our middle class to fulfill our economic potential, and securing our interests abroad". While McCarthy is passionate about seeing these goals come to pass, he is eager to work across the isle and engage with the Democratic party. 

McCarthy claims to be even more American than a bald eagle and is ready and able to take the House into this next term. 

Overview of Republican Leadership for SIMGOV 2015

By: Joshua Miller

 The GOP has new leadership led by Rep. Kevin McCarthy. The 2015 SimGov GOP looked disoriented and disorganized the night before the election, but elections proved all the critics wrong. The drama began when Rep. Tom Cole refused to throw his name in the ring for speaker of the house despite loud and desperate attempts to gain political momentum the night before. Cole remained silent when self-nominations were called for. Perhaps his strong stances on gun rights and gay rights were too much for moderate members of the GOP to accept.

That left the vote to a duel between political powerhouses Kevin McCarthy and Devin Nunes, both from California. The vote was close, but McCarthy's heartfelt speech about party unity and American values won him the nod to be SimGov's speaker of the house. However, the drama did not end there. McCarthy then proceeded to endorse Devin Nunes for the position of Majority leader. He showed public support for Nunes, and then called for a vote of unanimous consent. I can confidently say that this was the first time a representative has been unanimously accepted as a Westmont Liberal Arts College SimGov Grand Old Party majority leader in the spring of 2015.

The GOP whips were also elected on Wednesday. It was a close vote between four contenders, but only two were elected due to strict rules enforced by Kevin McCarthy. Four members sought the whip position, but McCarthy limited the role to two representatives. Some critics are contending that McCarthy is already consolidated power within the party. Will this new congress be led by a unified GOP as McCarthy eloquently promised, or will this 2015 SimGov be strong-armed by a Californian tag team? Only time will tell.