Moderate and progressive House Democrats deleted tweets attacking each other and vowed to work together instead of beefing on social media, The Hill reports.
Intra-party tensions boiled when Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, and fellow progressives called for the House to take a harder stance on the detention of migrants at the border while the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take up a bipartisan bill that has passed the Senate.
After Democrats went along with the Senate bill, Pocan tweeted, "Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus become the Child Abuse Caucus? Wouldn't they want to at least fight against contractors who run deplorable facilities? Kids are the only ones who could lose today."
Pelosi last week urged Democrats not to attack each other publicly on social media after Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, accused freshman Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids, a Native American woman who flipped a Republican seat last year, of helping to "enable a racist system” with her votes.
The House Democratic Caucus, led by centrist New York Rep. Hakeen Jeffries, responded by telling Chakrabarti to keep Davids’ “name out of your mouth.”
“Who is this guy and why is he explicitly singling out a Native American woman of color?” the tweet said.
Chakrabarti wrote that the tweet was intended to draw attention to the "terrible border funding bill that 90+ Dems opposed."
"Our Democracy is literally falling apart. I'm not interested in substance-less Twitter spats," Chakrabarti added.
Jeffries told reporters that “the tweet speaks for itself.”
Dems delete tweets:
Pocan and Chakrabarti both deleted their tweets, as did the House Democratic Caucus.
Jeffries, Pocan and Progressive Caucus co-chair Pramila Jayapal, New Democrat Coalition Chairman Derek Kilmer, and Blue Dog Coalition Chairwoman Stephanie Murphy issued a joint statement vowing to work together instead of fighting on social media.
“House Democrats are a diverse, robust and passionate family. We love our country and are dedicated to making life better for everyday Americans. At times, there may be different perspectives on the way forward. That is a hallmark of the legislative process," the joint statement said.
"We will remain clear-eyed with respect to our unity of purpose. Every single voice within the House Democratic Caucus is an important one. We have a shared mission. Onward and upward. Together, House Democrats will deliver For The People," the statement added.
