With Dems in House minority, Clyburn, Hoyer say party will ‘look forward,’ put politics aside

With Republicans set to control of the House of Representatives, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer,  D-Md., and Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., on Sunday said that Democrats in the chamber will “look forward” and focus on helping Americans despite spending much of the last two years looking back and politicizing the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Both Hoyer, D-Md., and Clyburn, D-S.C., appeared on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show” and looked to the future, saying that as House Democrats look to regain the majority in the next election, they will focus passing legislation to help the American people and their families.

“Focus on the American people, their dreams, their aspirations,” Clyburn said when asked about the challenges facing the new minority Democratic leadership. “This is what the Democratic program will do for you, will do for your families, what it will do for your communities. We are going to put people over politics.” 

He suggested that Republicans will be focused on making headlines while Democrats will “seek headway,” saying “I think that is what our secret to success is.”

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Hoyer said “we’ll see” when asked about finding common ground on legislation with Republicans, though he added that Democrats will “absolutely” work to pass bills that help Americans.

“It takes two to tango,” Hoyer said, “and if you don’t have a tango partner it’s difficult to tango,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer said that Democrats want to “look forward” and hopes that Republicans will do the same despite voicing interest in launching “multiple investigations.”

However, the House Select Committee in the currently Democrat-controlled House has spent much of the last two years investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. The committee held several hearings televised in primetime – hiring a former ABC News executive to help produce them – and subpoenaed Trump last month.

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Meanwhile, House Republicans alleged on Thursday that President Biden was actively involved in overseas business dealings alongside his son Hunter, promising to continue to update the press and public with findings.

Hoyer and Clyburn said that while they are taking a step back from leadership roles, they intend to continue service in the House of Representatives like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who announced last week that she will no longer serve as the Democrats’ leader.

“Timing is very important in politics and everything else,” Hoyer said. 

Clyburn’s sentiments were similar, simply saying that “it’s the right time” for a changing of the guard within the Democrats.

While a vote for a future leader has yet to take place, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is believed to be next in line for the role of incoming minority leader.