You could hear cheers and applause from one side of the aisle and jeers from the other in that speech. It stands out because it is such a rare moment for the House to be that full and listening to debate, especially these days. The bill passed the House, but like many others was not taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The two have taken different tacts within Congress and the democratic caucus itself.
Neguse has been part of leadership, as co-freshman representative in the 116th, and will be a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee when the 117th Congress convenes. Two of his mentors also serve in leadership: Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries.
Crow is part of a group of moderate, national security-focused congressional members who served in the military, like Crow, or in intelligence. He was one of about a dozen Democrats that did not vote for Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker in the 116th. Crow did vote for her to retain the gavel in the 117th — as did the rest of the state’s Democratic representatives.
Despite the glacial pace and the pile-up of House-passed bills the Senate has not and — most likely — will not vote on, both men have had a busy legislative session. Crow was the primary sponsor of 27 bills, with three eventually becoming law. Neguse has been the primary sponsor of 51 bills with five becoming law.
It gives them bragging rights and something to run on, but the payoff, they say, is really the opportunity and ability to make a positive difference in someone’s life.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
For Neguse, that’s best summed up by a bill he introduced called Ally’s Act. A 10-year-old Broomfield girl wrote him a letter explaining how a hearing device that would help her is not covered by insurance. He introduced the bill in December of 2019, and in September 2020 Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Shelley Moore Capito introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
“It meant a great deal to me to be able to, to communicate back to her family, that we had heard her, that we listened, that we got her letter and we decided to do something about it,” he said. “I just hope that we can get it done next year.”
Despite what TV, movies or books may say, the life of a congress member isn’t all that glamorous. It's a lot of time traveling. It's a lot of time away from family. Both Crow and Neguse have young families. But with all the challenges the members of the freshman class have faced, Crow said it has opened the door to new possibilities.
“You know, one of the few benefits of crisis — and there aren't many— of the last couple of years is we do have an opportunity to reimagine things in a better way,” he said.
“I still believe in the American project, the American idea,” he said. “And that is the idea that is difficult as it might be, and as messy as that might be, and as divided as we might be right now, there's still a path forward. And there are still ways of improving ourselves in our nation and working towards that — that more perfect union.”
Crow and Neguse will embark on a second chapter — unwritten and still full of opportunity — when the 117th Congress is gaveled in on Jan. 3, 2021. The challenge then will be how they take what they learned in the first two years to keep pushing forward.
“I'm always filled with this sense of gratitude and gratefulness and humility about the fact that I get to have this opportunity to serve in this body,” Neguse said. “It's been quite an experience.”
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Jason Crow, Joe Neguse Got First Term Crash Courses In Congress - Colorado Public Radio
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