House moderates may have an opportunity. Will they seize it?
(NewsNation) — The widely predicted red wave apparently did not come to pass. As a result, it’s looking like Republicans are going to win a much more narrow victory in the House than initially expected.
According to the latest numbers from Decision Desk HQ on Thursday evening, Republicans have a 210 to 194 lead over Democrats with more than 30 races that are still too close to call. A total of 218 seats are needed to hold the majority.
Most projections estimate that when the dust settles, Republicans could wind up with the majority of somewhere between five and 15 seats.
Should that materialize and the GOP ends up with a narrow majority, a small group of moderate Republicans may hold a lot of power and leverage. It could serve as an opportunity for lawmakers to bring key legislation more toward the center of the American political spectrum.
Some candidates have pledged to be problem solvers if they prevail in their races, running on a platform of political moderation.
Mike Lawler, who defeated incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney in New York’s 17th District, has denounced “partisan food fights” and promised not to support congressional oversight investigations without just cause.
“The House has oversight responsibility where there are investigations that are warranted and justified. That is our responsibility. Where it is purely political, I’m really not interested in doing that, because I think we saw under the Trump administration, Democrats went way too far with their investigations, in many cases, and it was very political. I think that is not good for our country,” Lawler said while appearing Thursday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.”
Lawler says for the sake of Americans, he hopes for bipartisanship in Congress.
“I will talk to any of my colleagues to find commonality and find common ground, but there has to be a willingness on both sides. And I think that is often lost in the conversation,” Lawler said.
He later added: “We’re dealing with a 41-year record high on inflation, surging crimes in areas like New York City, skyrocketing energy prices, a porous southern border — the focus to me has to be on tackling these issues.”
Lawler believes the objective for Republicans should be to move forward and look toward the future.
“That’s my focus heading into January,” Lawler insisted.
It seems that many in the marginalized moderate majority often come to stand for pragmatic, common sense governance instead of extremes. A handful of Republican and Democrat moderates now in the House may have that opportunity together. Will they seize it?