After the re-election of Donald Trump as President and Republicans winning House and Senate majorities, Democrats in Maryland are gearing up to resist Trump’s proposed policies. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and other members of Maryland’s Democratic delegation are concerned about Trump’s plans to reassign civil servants, mass deportation, and overhaul the Justice Department. Van Hollen is exploring legal options to protect federal workers in Maryland, where as many as 160,000 are based.
Maryland, a predominantly blue state, only has one Republican in its delegation. Attorney General Anthony Brown has pledged to hold the federal government accountable and protect Marylanders’ rights. While Democrats in Washington are still formulating their resistance strategies, Van Hollen and others are considering tools such as parliamentary rules and working with potential Senate Republican swing voters.
In the House, Democrats hope to exploit divisions among far-right Republicans to impede the GOP’s agenda. The GOP narrowly maintained their House majority in the election, but the final margin is still being determined. With a slim Senate majority, Republicans will need crossover votes to pass contentious legislation. Senate Republicans will also need 60 votes to avoid Democratic filibusters, but some bills only require a simple majority through reconciliation.
Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s non-partisan parliamentarian, will play a crucial role in determining which bills are eligible for reconciliation. Van Hollen emphasized her importance in the current partisan climate, calling her a fair umpire. The new Congress will be sworn in on January 3, with Democrats preparing to resist and fight back against Trump’s policies.
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