Pelosi’s thin majority narrows more with swearing in of Texas GOP Rep. Ellzey

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces a narrower majority after swearing in newly-elected Rep. Jake Ellzey, a Texas Republican on Friday, leaving her little room for error in keeping her caucus unified on key legislative items.

Ellzey’s induction into Congress allows Pelosi just three defectors as Democrats look to move on key pieces of their agenda, with the Speaker needing to garner 217 votes to pass or kill bills if all 432 House members — 220 Democrats and 212 Republicans — opt to vote. The razor-thin majority narrowing further comes as Democrats hope to pass two substantial infrastructure bills if they make it through the upper chamber.