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As Republicans return to their home districts to sell a flailing health-care bill, liberal groups are using the congressional recess to build opposition. They believe tens of thousands of phone calls, emails and in-person pushes will force on-the-fence senators to reject the legislation for good.

The fresh activism is coming with encouragement from Democratic lawmakers who are mired in the minority and have been mostly left to watch as Republicans struggle to reshape the nations laws to their liking. After starting the year on the defensive with their own base, party leaders and House and Senate Democrats are finally taking cues from these groups, believing that tactics honed far outside Washington could help scare Republicans into abandoning long-standing promises to upend the Affordable Care Act.

Ahead of the recess, while Republican senators toiled over details of their health-care overhaul behind closed doors, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) did whats become natural for Democrats lately: He lashed out on Twitter.

CBO confirms this thing is a %#$@ sandwich, he tweeted shortly after the release of the Congressional Budget Offices report that estimated 22 million more Americans would be uninsured under the Senate GOPs plan. He tweeted later that the lefts fight against the legislation is a test of the morality of our country. We have to win this one.

Democrats can see with their eyes where the energy is in American politics right now, said Ben Wikler, the Washington director of MoveOn.org, a liberal group initially launched to oppose the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

Its to abandon politics as usual and put up a bare-fisted fight. Thats really sinking in.

Schatz won reelection last year with more than 70 percent of the vote and acknowledges he did so by airing really pretty ads and taking advice from expensive consultants. It might have worked for him in Hawaii, but President Trump won the White House and Democrats failed to win back control of the House or Senate.

So now he admits to being a recent convert to the tactics used by Wiklers group and other organizations such as CREDO Mobile; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the fast-growing Indivisible movement. The groups have organized protests or sit-ins at congressional district offices and urged followers to flood Capitol Hill phone lines in opposition to Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss appointment or Trumps entry ban. Neither pressure campaign stopped DeVos or the Trump ban, but Schatz said they signaled to Democratic lawmakers that the groups could quickly mobilize Americans against Trump.

Our playbook needs a refresh. Its predictable and its stale, Schatz said. That refresh is not just new language or a new standard-bearer, but a recognition that for Democrats to win, we need to fight for Democrats and then theyll fight for us.

For Schatz, that has meant firing off quick stream-of-consciousness tweets that have earned him headlines and 30,000 more followers so far this year. Its also meant marching in the streets for the first time in his life as he did last week with activists who opposed the GOP health-care plan. And it means providing counsel to constituents or activists who still want a little guidance from an elected official.

The senator who once chastised Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter for calling Hawaii an island in the Pacific said his change in tone is a recognition that people dont want to be sold soap.

They dont want a prepackaged product; they want to know that were people and that we respond to outrages in the same way that they do.

Democrats willingness to fight, particularly on health care, has not gone unnoticed by progressive activists who say they deserve credit for drawing in even wary moderates.

Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) who are all up for reelection in states Trump won handily have all been eager to speak out. They joined a protest-turned-photo-op on the Senate steps with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats, with each senator holding a portrait of a constituent who had benefited from Medicaid.

The way theyve coalesced around the health-care issue has been better than expected; theyve done so because of how many people were demanding it, said Winnie Wong, the co-founder of People for Bernie Sanders and an Occupy Wall Street veteran.

Schatz was one of only a handful of Democratic lawmakers to actually march in last weeks health-care rally other party leaders just showed up to give speeches. He waited restlessly as Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Schumer addressed the crowd.

They have lots of powerful wealthy people on their side, Schumer said of Republicans. Who do we have? You!

Schumer especially has seen his fortunes change with the far left. In February, thousands of protesters marched to Schumers Brooklyn home to demand resistance to Trumps Cabinet nominees; some chanted What the f---, Chuck.

The infighting has largely stopped since then. Schumer has been a regular presence at protests, thanking activists for having Senate Democrats back. Theyve returned the praise. Schumer is both speaking out at every opportunity and keeping the caucus aggressive, said Wikler, whose group helped organize the Capitol protest.

After Schumer spoke, Schatz stepped on stage and called the GOP health-care bill literally an $800 billion cut in Medicaid and literally an $800 billion wealth transfer to people who dont need it.

He offered some advice for the congressional recess: Dont wait for instructions from any organization. Whatever you think you can do in that moment, just do it.

Six months ago, everyone in that building thought that repeal of the Affordable Care Act was a done deal, Wilker said, pointing to the Capitol. Since then, he said, Democrats had learned to take some cues from the resistance.

Weve mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to participate in our democracy, and thats taught us something crucial about the resistance to Trump: its working, said Faiz Shakir, national political director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

In many ways, Schatz is an ideological counterweight to conservative foot soldiers such as Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.) or Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), other senators in their 40s with no obvious White House dreams who could find themselves in the Senate for decades to come. While many of his Democratic colleagues ponder a run for president, Schatz said he intends to stay in the Senate.

Somebody has to not run for president, Schatz quipped.

Schatz came to the U.S. Senate in late 2012 as the appointed successor of the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who died after 49 years in the Senate just as Congress was in the throes of the fiscal cliff fight. The day after Christmas, Schatz flew to Washington aboard Air Force One with Obama, who cut his annual Hawaiian vacation short to avert a financial disaster.

As Schatz prepared to travel from Washington to Honolulu on Thursday, a trip he makes nearly every weekend to see his wife and two young children, he admitted that despite doling out advice on how progressives should pressure Republicans during the upcoming recess, he hadnt determined what he will do. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have urged Democrats to hold news conference, host rallies with progressive groups and submit op-eds to newspapers.

Schatz said thats not good enough.

You cant fill a calendar and think thats a plan, he explained, meaning that he will avoid a strategy that dictates, Im going to use Facebook on Tuesday and use Twitter on Wednesday, and then Im going to send an op-ed in and hold a news conference on Friday.

Its a pretty chaotic environment out there, he said. We need to be a little more flexible.

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As GOP struggles with health care, Democrats forge ties with 'resistance' - Washington Post

Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinGOP senators warming to repeal then replace on ObamaCare Manchin to Trump: Work with Democrats 'who are willing to meet you in the middle' Sunday shows preview: Trump clashes with media as health push delayed MORE (D-W.Va.) on Sunday said he wants President Trump to succeed and called for him to work with Democrats on healthcare legislation.

During an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Manchin said he has always wanted to repair ObamaCare, as opposed to repealing and replacing the former president's signature healthcare legislation.

"The only thing I'm saying toto PresidentTrump ... He's the president of all of America, Democrats and Republicans, independents, those who voted for him, those who voted against him, he is our president and I want him to succeed," Manchin said.

Manchin said the Senate can't get 50 votes to repeal ObamaCare right now.

"Look at some of us, work with us Democrats who are willing to meet you in the middle," he said. "Who have always been willing to meet you in the middle."

Manchin's comments come after Senate Republicans decided to delay a vote on theirhealthcare bill after it became clear it lacked the votes for passage.

During the interview Sunday, Manchin was asked about Trump's commentsthat the Democrats are obstructionists.

"I truly respectfully disagree with that statement," he said.

"I think that was a little over the top," he added, noting he is willing to sit down with Trump and his Republican colleagues to make things better in the country.

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Manchin to Trump: Work with Democrats 'who are willing to meet you in the middle' - The Hill

Bay State Democrats will be faced with a political conundrum when they weigh in on an impending nurses strike at Tufts Medical Center that is bringing together two issues close to their hearts: supporting working families impacted by soaring health care costs and fighting for union labor, analysts say.

When costs for hospitals go up, the cost for health care goes up. While the politicians supporting the unions because the unions turn around and support them is good politically, its clearly a contradiction, Boston-based Republican strategist Brad Marston said. Theyre doing it while they dont have a full year budget because MassHealth is taking up 50 percent of our budget it sounds to me like they are trying to have it both ways.

In a statement yesterday, Tufts nurses announced theyve told the hospital they will go on strike July 12 after a monthslong negotiation over a new contract stalled last month. In a statement, Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an OR nurse and bargaining unit co-chairwoman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said, weve been trying to get them to listen to us and theyre just not listening.

Cornacchia said the union expects to return to the bargaining table Friday.

The association, which represents about 1,200 registered nurses at the Hub hospital, has been pushing for increased staffing and pay raises and voted last month to reject a $30 million package that wouldve given 60percent of nurses a 10.5percent raise through 2020. The hospital has said it cant afford to increase pay beyond what it called its best and final offer.

In a letter to Tufts President and CEO Michael Wagner signed by more than a dozen Democratic Bay State representatives and state senators, the legislators stressed that the hospital must not allow the significant hardships to patients, families and residents in Boston that a strike by its 1,200 nurses would cause.

We have met with Tufts nurses about what they are seeking and we believe their concerns are valid and their proposals are reasonable, they wrote.

In another letter sent to Wagner in May that was signed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Reps. Michael E. Capuano and Stephen F. Lynch, the trio of Democrats urged both sides to remain at the table, bargaining in good faith, to find ways to resolve the issues that continue to divide you.

Former Bay State Democratic Party Chairman Phil Johnston said he expects the majority of local Democrats would join them in standing with the nurses, despite the partys push to reign in out-of-control health care costs.

Thats just who we are ... the Democratic Party has been pro-labor since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, he said. Theres constant tension within the industry as a result of whats perceived to be inequities in pay and this has a big impact on working families. The Democrats generally support working families.

Though the union is only planning to strike for 24 hours, Wagner said the hospital has recruited more than 300 replacement nurses to work for five days.

Leaving patients to join a picket line is not what is best for patients or for reaching common ground, he wrote in a letter to employees. The contract the hospital has offered the nurses is a strong a competitive proposal, and the best the medical Center can offer given our limited resources.

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Tufts nurses strike puts Democrats in political pickle - Boston Herald

This article originally appeared on The Conversation.

Democrats in Congress are struggling to keep up a unified front.

As the minority party, Democrats have spent the past six months standing by, mostly powerless, as President Donald Trump has madehaphazard progresstoward dismantlingmany of former President Barack Obamas key accomplishments.

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Last week the party suffered another blow: a bitter defeat in a special election inGeorgias Sixth Congressional District. That made four special elections out of four they have lost since Election Day in November.

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These losses all occurred in Republican strongholds, but Democrats were hoping for victories that would signal dissatisfaction with Trumps presidency and bolster their momentum. Helping the GOP win in these hard-fought elections were ads attacking House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis San Francisco liberalism. Looking ahead to the 2018 midterms, Pelosis long tenure as leader also poses a challenge to Democrats trying to make the case that they are the party of change.

As a political scientist who focuses ongenderandparty disciplinein the House of Representatives, I have studied Pelosis long leadership. I think it is especially interesting to compare Speaker Paul Ryansrecent struggle to persuade enough Republicans to support the American Health Care ActwithPelosis significant rolein building a coalition to pass the Affordable Care Act.

In the past week, some frustrated House Democrats have suggested that Pelosi step down, calling into question her leadership, the partys agenda and even theDemocratic brand.

A defiant Pelosi reacted by calling a press conference and declaring: I think Im worth it.

Is she? Lets look at her record.

Rising to Power

Pelosis rise to power and leadership are characterized by her intense partisanship, fundraising prowess and intraparty coalition-building.

Elected to the House in 1987, she won her first leadership race as party whip in October of 2001, defeating Steny Hoyer of Maryland by avote of 118-95. As minority leader, Pelosi established a reputation as a pragmatist who enforced party discipline.

Fast forward to the 2006 elections, with Democrats gaining 30 seats and majority party control. Taking the gavel at the start of the 110th Congress, Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House, presiding over an 84 percent male chamber.

Centralized Power

Serving as speaker from 2007 to 2010, Pelosi benefited from the centralization of party leaders power that occurred during the previous 12 years of GOP control of the House.

As she stepped into the leadership role in 2007, Pelosi had more tools and prerogatives than her Democratic predecessors, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright and Tom Foley. Thats because under Republican speakers Newt Gingrich and Dennis Hastert, the shift of power away from committee chairs to party leaders a change that had been taking place since the Democratic reforms of the 1970s picked up speed. For example, Republicans institutedsix-year term limits on committee chairs in 1995that remain in effect. Selected by a party leadership-led steering committee, Republican committee chairs are not always the most senior majority member on the committee. They are typically members who display their party loyalty with their voting records and fundraising.

As speaker, Pelosi maximized her influence, setting the legislative agenda, pursuing partisan policy initiatives and fundraising for her colleagues. As I argue in my book, Democratic committee chairs, grateful to return to the majority, were willing to cede power to party leaders.

For the most part, Pelosi worked hard to build consensus within her party and shut Republicans out of the process. Shefrequently metwith freshmen and more moderate and conservative Democrats to find common ground on the party agenda. Under her leadership, House Democrats voted on average with the majority of their caucus 92 percent of the time in 2007 and 2008,setting a record for party cohesion.

A Different Challenge

When Obama was first elected in 2008, the Democrats gained unified party control of the White House and both chambers of congress. Pelosi had a new challenge: building coalitions to pass the presidents ambitious agenda items like health care and financial regulatory reform rather than the easier job of simply attacking a Republican presidents proposals.

Pelosisrole in the passage of the Affordable Care Actcan hardlybe overstated.

She brought Democrats together to start the process in the House before Obama became deeply involved. Three House committees marked up the bill which Pelosi then assembled. When key HouseDemocrats threatened to withdraw their supportover disagreements related to abortion funding, Pelosi appeased them and built consensus to attract enough votes to pass the bill. And when it seemed that the House and Senate would not be able to reconcile their versions after Senate Democrats lost their 60 vote filibuster-proof majority withthe election of Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Pelosis leadership was critical in crafting and executing a complicated legislative strategy that resulted in the bill that Obama ultimately signed into law.

House Democrats were largely unified on other votes as well, with the average member voting with the majority91 percent of the time in 2009 and 89 percent in 2010.

Backlash

ButObamas legislative successesheld a cost during the 2010 midterm elections. Democrats lost 64 seats. Republicans gained a242 to 193 majority, their best showing since 1946.

Back in the minority,Pelosi was reelectedas Democratic leader in 2011, defeating North Carolina centrist Heath Shuler by a caucus vote of 150-43. In a sign of dissatisfaction, 19 Democrats did not support her in the vote on the House floor.

The Trump Era

On Jan. 3 of this year,all but four Democratsvoted to reelect Pelosi as their leader for the eighth time. However, this show of Democratic unity on the House floor masked the uneasiness on display during the partys internal contest between Pelosi and relatively unknown seven-term Democrat Tim Ryan of Ohio in late November. Pelosi prevailed,134 to 63 hardly a ringing endorsement.

As the 115th Congress got underway, Pelosi pledged to seek common ground with President-elect Trump on job creation, trade and support for working families. She alsowarnedthat If there is an attempt to destroy the guarantee of Medicare, harm Medicaid, Social Security, or the Affordable Care Act, Democrats will stand our ground.

Not surprisingly, with deep policy divides and intense competition between the parties, finding that common ground has been elusive. Without the votes to advance the Democrats agenda in the House, criticizing Republican policies is the best way for Pelosi to get attention.

In the upcoming midterms, Democrats will need a united front and theyll need money to win seats in the House. They are unlikely to forget how Pelosi can draw upon her vast connections to raise record amounts. According to The New York Times,Pelosi has raised nearly US$568 millionfor her party since entering the House Democratic leadership in 2002. Just in the 2016 election cycle, she raised over $141 million.

Viewed through that lens, I would argue she may be worth it.

Yet House Democrats in swing districts may decide that it is too challenging to make the case for change with Pelosi as their leader. If Pelosis vote-counting history is a guide, she will know if and when that time has come.

Kathryn L. Pearson is an Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Minnesota.

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How Much Trouble is Nancy Pelosi Worth for Democrats? - Newsweek

Democratic lawmakers took to Twitter to once again condemn President Trump's tweeting habits after he spent seven consecutive days using his account to criticize media outlets.

On Sunday, President Trump tweeted a video of himself tackling WWE owner Vince McMahon with a CNN logo superimposed over McMahon's head.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., an outspoken critic of Trump, said the president is encouraging violence and the tweet was "beyond unacceptable.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., called on all House GOP members to condemn his behavior, saying they were put in place to do just that and if they don't, they are condoning it.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised journalists as "guardians to our democracy" and called for a rejection to violence against them.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D- Calif., joined his colleagues by calling the president's behavior "beneath the dignity of the office."

Trump blasted the "fake media" just 12 hours prior to his Sunday morning tweet during a Saturday speech honoring veterans at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

While Trump has been sparring with the media for months, the rhetoric has ramped up in recent days, including a personal attack on MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski on Thursday about a supposed "face-lift" she had before seeing him at Mar-a-Lago in December.

That attack quickly spiraled out of control and Trump has been sparring with the "Morning Joe" host and her fiance and co-host Joe Scarborough on Twitter ever since.

However, Trump pivoted back to attacking CNN over the weekend, which was reportedly a concerted strategy on the part of the White House.

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Democrats unleash on Trump after CNN clothesline video: 'He has violence and blood in his mind' - Washington Examiner