Politics
House Power Shift Sparks Legislative Drama
"Mike Johnson (53301857944)" by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 
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Clear Facts
- Three House Democrats have passed away since March, potentially aiding Republicans in passing a Trump-backed bill by a narrow margin.
- The recent deaths have shifted the House seat breakdown from 220-215 to 220-212 in favor of Republicans.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson described the passed spending package as “generational” and “nation-shaping.”
In recent months, the unfortunate passing of three Democratic members of the House has subtly altered the balance of power, possibly giving Republicans the edge needed to pass a significant piece of legislation.
Democratic Representatives Sylvester Turner, Raul Grijalva, and Gerry Connolly have all died since early March, slightly widening the Republican majority in the House. This shift in the seat distribution, from 220-215 to 220-212, has had tangible effects on legislative outcomes.
On Thursday, the House narrowly passed a budget bill strongly backed by former President Donald Trump. The vote concluded with a 215-214-1 result, with no Democrats supporting the bill. Had even one more Democrat been present, the outcome might have been different.
Republican Representatives Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the only GOP members to oppose the bill. Additionally, some Republicans were notably absent or did not participate in the voting process.
House Speaker Mike Johnson celebrated the passage of the bill, describing it as “generational” and “nation-shaping.” His enthusiasm underscores the significance of the legislative victory for the Republican agenda.
The trend of Democratic members passing away while in office is not new, though it has been more pronounced recently. The last eight congressional members to die in office have all been Democrats.
This pattern has sparked some frustration within the party. An anonymous Democratic staffer remarked, “It is possible to both mourn the deaths of recently passed Democratic members of Congress and acknowledge that there is a fundamentally broken incentive structure in the party when it comes to aging.”
The current Congress is among the oldest in U.S. history, with the median age of House members being 57.5 years. The average age of the seven House Democrats who have died since late 2022 is 72.7 years, highlighting the aging nature of the legislative body.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the implications of these demographic shifts could have lasting effects on the legislative process and party dynamics.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Patricia Ann Moody
May 25, 2025 at 5:21 am
How convenient, ALL these Democrats are dead, so the Republicans can get the MAJORITY of the votes. ? Makes you Wonder. Some get “Thrown out of Windows”, Others die Mysteriously. The Truth is right in front of us.
Janet B
May 25, 2025 at 7:54 am
Perhaps you should think back to when the Clinton’s were in office. There was a long list of folks who passed away by strange circumstances.
Jaoquin
May 25, 2025 at 11:30 am
Get a grip!!! You are right with your comment ” makes you wonder”. I wonder if you have even one molecule of brain matter when you make such inane comments as you have posted above.
Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, died on Wednesday at 75, after a battle with esophageal cancer.
Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona died on March 13, 2025, due to complications from cancer treatment. He was 77 years old.
Grijalva had announced his lung cancer diagnosis in April 2024 and had been undergoing treatment. He passed away less than a year after announcing his diagnosis.
Sylvester Turner: He was 70 years old and had just taken the oath of office in January. Turner previously faced bone cancer. His office later confirmed in a statement that he had died on Wednesday.
Your right, it’s quite obvious that the republicans are going around infecting the “enemy” with all sorts of cancer cells, or maybe not! SHEESH!!!!!
D. Elwood
May 27, 2025 at 6:29 am
Wow,,,Trump Derangement symptom and Woke Mind Virus on full display!
D. Elwood
May 27, 2025 at 6:31 am
Trump Derangement symptom and Woke Mind Virus on full display!
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Beverly Soltwedel
May 27, 2025 at 7:44 am
The three Dumocrats that passed away had physical conditions that caused their deaths-so you idiots out there who think otherwise are just plain ignorant. Good Grief-even in death-there are idiots who think it is political. Rest in peace gentleman. Dumocrats go home and stay home and let President Trump do his job as he promised he would. We have so many trying to block everything he is trying to do-including our shameful Supreme Court.