New House Members Pledge Affordability Focus, Bipartisan Outreach, and Oversight of Trump Administration

On Sunday, a new class of House members arrived in Washington for orientation, and the first thing many of them wanted to talk about was the price of living. CBS News spoke with several representatives-elect, Democrats and Republicans alike, in the days after an election that left Democrats in the majority and Republicans in the minority.

Scott Wiener, elected in California's 11th District, framed it as a question of priorities. Democrats, he said, can walk and chew gum, meaning they can pursue oversight of the Trump administration and other work at the same time, but lowering people's cost of living is the most important job. Adrian Boafo, the Democrat elected in Maryland's 5th District, said the question facing the caucus is what its affordability agenda will actually look like. His own focus is federal workers: by his count there are 85,000 in his district, and 30,000 in the state who have been laid off. They are, he said, probably his number one, two and three priority.

Luke Bronin, who won Connecticut's 1st District, argued for ambition. Democrats, he said, cannot be afraid to do big things, and he pointed to healthcare, the housing market and electricity prices going through the roof as areas where things are deeply broken. He said he wants the party to go on offense. He paired that with a call for serious oversight, saying the corruption he sees now is unlike anything in the country's history and that voters made clear they are disgusted by it.

Republicans arriving in the minority struck a different note, though the subject was often the same. Charlie Hatcher, who won Tennessee's 5th District after defeating Rep. Andy Ogles in the primary, said he wants to focus on diesel prices. Ogles had drawn backlash for a social media post saying Muslims don't belong in American society. Hatcher, a farmer himself, said fuel costs touch farmers first and then everything downstream: transportation, logistics, groceries.

Several Republicans acknowledged the political ground has shifted. Democrats flipped seats in places ranging from suburbs in the Northeast to parts of South Texas once seen as increasingly friendly to the GOP, and they did so even after a historic push by Republicans to redraw congressional maps in several states in their favor. Chris Stigall of Missouri's 6th District said a message was sent last Tuesday night, and that he hopes as a new member to help the party reconnect and better address the needs of Americans.

Chris McGowan of Iowa's 4th District said plainly that his party is now in a significant minority and will have to work very hard to meet the new Democratic legislators and find areas to collaborate on shared interests. Jon Bonck of Texas' 38th District said he is open to bipartisanship too, naming housing affordability, deregulation, and getting government out of healthcare as places he would welcome Democratic partners, along with tax cuts that return money to people.

On Sunday the Congressional Progressive Caucus also held an introductory press briefing with incoming members who will join it. Chair Greg Casar said the caucus is welcoming at least 25 new members, which he called the largest class of progressive members. He argued that a large majority would let Democrats deliver on promises they have failed to keep. In the past, with narrow margins, they could not pass a Social Security expansion or tax billionaires because special interests could peel off one or two members. Chair Emerita Pramila Jayapal listed the caucus's priorities as taking on corruption, taking on affordability and ending endless wars.

What to watch is whether the Democratic caucus can hold together behind bold action, from Social Security expansion to taxing billionaires, now that it has the larger majority Casar says it needed.