Dem Rep. Bera ready to meet Republicans at ’50-yard line,’ or even ’40-yard line’ since they’re in majority

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.)
Greg Nash
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) is seen during the annual White House Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) said Monday he is ready to meet Republicans “at the 50-yard-line” and even at “the 40-yard-line” due to them being “in the majority.”

“So, the American public clearly wants more secure borders,” Bera told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill.”

“Great. Let’s meet at the 50-yard line. I’d even say, since they’re in the majority, we’ll go 40-yard line.”

President elect-Trump’s election victory and impending return to the White House has rattled Democrats, who also lost control of the Senate in the 2024 elections and remain in the minority in the House in the 119th Congress.

There have been ongoing conversations in the Democratic Party about its candidates’ performances at the ballots this year, with some centrists saying the party went too left and liberals saying it didn’t go left enough.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a Fox News interview aired last month that his party’s new agenda will be “very aggressive beginning right out of the gate.” During the interview, anchor Bret Baier asked Johnson about a New York Times report regarding the Speaker soon having to deal with a very slim Republican majority in the lower chamber.

“Look, we’re excited about this. We’ve demonstrated already that we can govern with a small majority,” Johnson responded. “And I’m very confident that we can check the boxes and get this agenda done, and [it’ll be] very aggressive beginning right out of the gate.”

Bera said in his appearance on “The Hill” on Monday that he doesn’t believe his “entire caucus is going to say, ‘Hey, let’s work with Republicans.’”

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Tags 119th Congress 2024 House elections 2024 presidential election Ami Bera Bret Baier Donald Trump House Democrats House Republicans Mike Johnson The Hill on NewsNation

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