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Article snippet: Move over, House Freedom Caucus. Progressive lawmakers are poised to play a pivotal role in the next Congress if Democrats take back the House in November. That’s because a dozen members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) are in line to chair congressional committees, which would give the left-leaning group immense power to influence the chamber’s legislative agenda and strengthen their hand as chief antagonists to MORE. The stunning primary victory of self-described democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over Rep. MORE (D-N.Y.) has also opened up a coveted spot at the leadership table, bolstering the argument that progressives should have more representation in the party’s top ranks. Some congressional observers are predicting that congressional progressives could emerge as the liberal equivalent of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that has been highly effectively at pushing the GOP further to the right by banding together as a conservative voting bloc. “The Freedom Caucus has been a big player in the House because of the big Republican advances in 2010,” said Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist. “I think that’s a good analogy for what will happen with the Democratic members.” The Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 30 conservative rabble-rousers, was launched in the years following the 2010 tea party wave that swept the Republicans back into power on Capitol Hill. Now, many members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus believe their polit... Link to the full article to read more