Lingering disputes between House Democrats have once again threatened action on a series of public safety bills this summer, creating headaches for Democratic leaders while highlighting sharp divisions within the party less than three months ahead of the midterm elections.
The clash pits Democrats facing tough reelection contests in November — “front-liners” who want to vote quickly to bolster the nation’s law enforcement agencies and defuse GOP attacks about Democrats being soft on crime — against liberals demanding stronger accountability measures aimed at curbing police abuses.
After delaying action on a police and community safety package before the long August recess, Democratic leaders had hoped to unite the caucus behind the bills this week, when the House returns briefly to Washington to approve the massive health, climate and tax legislation passed by the Senate on Sunday. Indeed, as they left town late last month, several of the top negotiators had all but guaranteed the vote would happen this week.
“That is what I have asked for, and been told,” Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), head of the Congressional Black Caucus who is central to the talks, said as Congress was leaving Washington on July 29.
That timeline has hit a wall, however, in the form of the progressive lawmakers demanding new oversight and other accountability measures. Those voices want a better seat at the table — and to delay any vote on police funding before then.
“The hope would be that Democrats just do reconciliation this week and that we come back to policing at another time, whenever they can get together on it,” a senior aide with a progressive office said Monday.
“That would mean the negotiations would be able to continue,” the aide added, “and progressives would be able to be...