Sydney Kamlager-Dove

We can provide tax relief to hostages without assaulting civil liberties. It's not that complicated.

House Democrats are strategizing ways to put a damper on the Trump administration's sweeping plans while their party still retains some control in Washington, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Many Democrats fear that full GOP control of Congress – an increasingly likely prospect – will allow Trump to roll back many of the gains they made under the Biden administration.House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is already telling allies how he is preparing to lead the resistance to Trump, Axios' Hans Nichols reported."We as Democrats have to roll up our sleeves and get into defense and protection mode," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios.Said outgoing Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.): "A lot of things can be undone, but it can take longer to undo them and it will force a priority from them on what they want to focus on."What we're hearing: The talks mainly involve members of the Progressive, Black, Hispanic, Asian Pacific American and Equality caucuses, according to multiple lawmakers engaged in the discussions.Ramirez said the conversations center on figuring out "what are the things [where] we have any powers to protect the communities that we know will be most harmed as a result of a Donald Trump election."Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) confirmed to Axios "there are conversations that are taking place where people are tying to figure out if there are some steps that can be taken that can reduce the damage."Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), in a statement, pointed to immigration policy as a key focus, noting Republicans "have promised mass deportations. The president-elect has even admitted that women and children could get caught up in these operations."Zoom in: Jayapal said one plan is to propose a raft of executive orders President Biden could issue to "protect existing structures," such as shielding career civil servants and Justice Department officials.She also said lawmakers are working on getting funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, bipartisan infrastructure law, and CHIPS Act "out the door as quickly as possible."Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), Jayapal's likely successor as CPC chair, said lawmakers want to ensure those funds "start creating jobs before Trump finds some way to just send that money to his friends."Democrats also plan to lean on the Biden administration to fast-track citizenship and residency paperwork for immigrants, Casar said.They are also trying to come up with messaging strategies to bolster Biden's legacy, said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.): "Trump is going to inherit a good economy ... [we want to] help educate people about that reality."Reality check: Biden's executive orders have often run into trouble in conservative-dominated federal courts, and Democrats are limited in what they can do legislatively during the lame duck session due to GOP control of the House.Some Democrats are also sensitive to the perception that they are adopting the tactics of Republican state legislators who used their supermajorities to kneecap incoming Democratic governors."We're trying to show how the United States is supposed to conduct itself every four years when a new person takes over the reins of government," said Cleaver."I do think that's important. I want the American public to see, if they've forgotten, just how things are supposed to be ... I know that Biden doesn't want to step over the line."What's next: Several lawmakers told Axios that the caucuses spearheading this brainstorming are set meet on the subject this week as the House returns to session."In anticipation of [Trump's] actions, CHC will meet to discuss how best we can protect our communities and hold the incoming administration accountable," said Barragan.Ramirez told Axios: "CHC, CPC and others are going to have a lot of meetings next week to discuss what we end up prioritizing and how much of that can we take to the Dem caucus to ask that they prioritize."

Representatives are elected to two-year terms without term limits, so they're on your ballot a lot. Here's a look the candidates in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

There are two battleground races touching L.A. County that could determine which party controls the House.

Representatives are elected to two-year terms without term limits, so they're on your ballot a lot. Here's a look the candidates in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

House Democrats are amped up about a Harris-Walz administration as a clean break from the long-simmering perception that the Biden team favored the Senate.Why it matters: "The House would get screwed [under President Biden], we'd get asked to take tough votes and then after those votes were on record, he'd veto or do whatever he did," one senior House Democrat told Axios."It was apparent on so many occasions he had what [Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi] would call Senate-itis," said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) — referencing the decades Biden spent in the Senate before becoming vice president.With Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a 12-year House veteran, on the ticket, House members are hopeful that dynamic will shift.Between the lines: There is a strong feeling Biden has favored the Senate his first two years in office, often letting senators run the show on legislative negotiations and initially picking a legislative affairs chief with a Senate background.Some rank-and-file House members held off on calling for Biden to drop his bid for re-election out of a belief that he would only listen to input from senators and a handful of House icons like Pelosi.Several Democrats pointed to an incident last year in which Biden left House Democrats fuming by waiting until after they'd voted on a controversial D.C. police reform bill to give senators cover to vote for it."There were some people that felt that House Democrats were kind of thrown under the bus there. I would think a guy like Tim Walz would instantly understand the need for communication," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).Zoom out: Walz's House tenure is "one of the reasons" Pelosi pushed Vice President Harris to pick him as her running mate, the senior House Democrat told Axios.Harris, the lawmaker said, will likely focus on building relationships with House Democratic leaders, particularly House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), while delegating rank-and-file relations to Walz."I think Tim is going to become a de facto office of congressional relations ... he's got, obviously, a huge reach in the House," said Takano, who succeeded Walz as the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee.Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) told Axios that House members "understand how busy the president is ... and so I would hope that folks are not expecting her, every single day, to call them."What we're hearing: Walz has dozens of close friends from his time in the House, particularly Midwesterners and lawmakers who served under him on Veterans Affairs or entered Congress with him in 2007, lawmakers told Axios.Those relationships have already paid dividends, with staunch Walz allies like Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) leading a successful campaign for Harris to pick him as VP.Harris, who served four years in the Senate, is closest to Californians and Black Caucus members, including Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).The bottom line: "I am very hopeful and biased that they are the right partnership to work with us," Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), a former Black Caucus chair, said in an interview.Harris, she said, "has strong relationships already," but "picking a person that will serve as her vice president that's from the Congress ... makes them a great package."