News - March 22, 2018 - by Ray Hagar

By Ray Hagar
Nevada Newsmakers

Nevada's 1st U.S. House District Rep. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said Wednesday on Nevada Newsmakers that the Democrats will probably take the majority in the U.S. House at the midterm elections and that Nancy Pelosi would remain the person atop House Democrats.

She stopped short of saying Democrats would begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Titus said a solid reason is needed, although some Democrats have called already for impeachment.

"You have to see what plays out, to see the Mueller investigation results and see what is there before you start talking about moving forward," Titus said.

State Sen. Pat Spearman, a congressional candidate in District 4, said on Nevada Newsmakers this year that Trump should be impeached over the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits Trump's businesses from accepting payments from foreign governments.

"There has been a resolution to at least study it now, which I supported," Titus said. "That not the same as a resolution to impeach. I don't know. You don't want to play into his hands and start talking about how you are gonna impeach him and get people all riled up."

Some Democrats, however, have been riled up over Pelosi, promoting a "San Francisco liberal" view of her.

Conor Lamb, the Democrat who recently won the Pa. Dist. 18 U.S. House special election last week, said he would not support Pelosi bid as leader, calling for new people atop both parties' congressional leadership.

"People are always complaining. Everybody wants to move up," Titus said. "But she's got a solid hold on the leadership position in the House now. People say they are going to support her or not, depending on what their districts look like. That's what Connor Lamb did, what was appropriate in his district."

Don't bet against Pelosi, said Titus, whose district includes The Las Vegas Strip.

"If we take the majority, and it looks like we are going to, she will have a strong base out of California," Titus said. "A lot of women will be elected (as Democrats). She (Pelosi) will have raised a lot of money. So I think we can wait and see but I would not bet against her."

Titus, with eight years in Congress, noted she is rising in leadership.

"I am moving up very fast," said said.

She was just selected as the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management.

When mentioned as a future Speaker of the U.S. House, she said, "You never know."

Titus also acknowledged a good move by Nevada Republicans, getting the GOP's Danny Tarkanian to move from the U.S. Senate race to Nevada's District 3 race. The Trump administration prompted Tarkanian to move, as a move for party unity. Trump called Tarkanian a "good guy" in a tweet. Tarkanian faces a crowded field in a GOP primary before he can move to the general election.

Tarkanian lost the CD-3 general election in 2016 to Democrat Jacky Rosen by 1.2 percentage points.

"It is smart on the Republicans' part," Titus said. "Now instead of having a tough primary (Heller vs. Tarkanian) in the senate race, now Heller has a free ride and Tarkanian steps back into a district that he came within about a half-point of winning before.

"It makes it tougher on the Democrats in those districts," Titus added.

Democrat Susie Lee, unopposed in a primary, will beat the winner of the GOP primary in District 3, Titus said. Lee, a former campaign policy adviser to Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, finished third in an eight-member Democratic primary in District 4 in 2016.

"Instead of fighting it out in a primary, she is the darling of the party this time," Titus said, noting that she tried to recruit Lee years ago to run for the state senate when Titus was the state senate minority leader.

"Of course, I think Susie Lee will win," Titus said. "It will be a real race because I do know that district (served as District 3 rep. for one term) and Danny did so well the last time. And I think that since he stepped out of the senate race, they must have promised him the moon so he'll have all the resources hat he needs."

It was also a good move by Nevada's 4th District Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, not to seek re-election, Titus said. Kihuen announced in December he would not seek re-election after he was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior. Yet some thought he might change his mind but he did not register to run by last Friday's registration deadline.

"For his own future, Ruben made the right decision," Titus said. "That would have been very hard to come back from and also, maybe even more (transgressions) would have come out in the campaign."