Why Is Nancy Pelosi Speaker Again
Time is now ticking -- and no one knows what Pelosi volition do in 2022.
Confidantes of the 81-year-old speaker reject any rumors she might quit before the terminate of this Congress, saying doing and then would only embolden Republicans and undercut her ability to raise millions to save her party's imperiled majority. She has yet to say if she volition mount a reelection bid next year, though her campaign continues to raise millions in case she runs for the seat she's held since 1987.
While Pelosi has previously indicated that this is her concluding term equally speaker, she hasn't completely shut the door quite even so, fueling speculation she could ultimately seek to prolong her xviii-year tenure ruling the House Autonomous caucus.
Democrats and Republicans are watching her side by side moves closely, given that her decision would take a seismic touch beyond the political spectrum, fuel Democratic jockeying to supercede her on Capitol Hill and prompt a scramble to replace her in her liberal-leaning district -- potentially with one of her daughters.
"Everyone assumes this is her last term, but no 1 knows for certain," said i of the confidantes, who asked for anonymity to discuss the speaker'due south future candidly. "People don't realize how difficult it was to win (the speaker's race) last time." (Pelosi's role denies that the race was hard.)
The same source echoed the line of many of her other trusted allies: Stepping aside before the cease of 2022 doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"If she left early on, she would be blamed for losing the House," the source said. "She doesn't want to look like a loser."
Questions virtually her future come up as she is shepherding President Joe Biden'south multi-trillion dollar agenda with the slimmest Business firm Democratic bulk in decades, while methodically edifice a huge state of war chest to steady Democrats' shaky chances of keeping the Business firm. The speaker might provide more clarity most her next steps later this year, in one case Democrats are through the heavy dose of legislating on enormous infrastructure projects and expanding the social safety net.
In San Francisco, a handful of prospective candidates are already seen as potential replacements, including one of her daughters -- although no credible Democrat is taking steps in public to build a campaign yet.
On Capitol Hill, the speaker'due south futurity is an issue that her elevation lieutenants are wary of discussing -- even privately -- worried that any hint of jockeying to replace her volition create tension in the ranks.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat widely seen as her likely heir credible, sidestepped questions when asked if he would back up Pelosi over again if she ran for speaker next Congress, proverb Democrats are focused on advancing the Biden agenda.
"I'll let the drama, in terms of internal Business firm dynamics, exist over on the Republican side of the aisle," Jeffries told CNN.
When asked if he would run for the acme Democratic job if it opened up, Jeffries said: "We have a tremendous speaker, i speaker at a fourth dimension, and nosotros all stand up strongly backside her."
Against a daunting path ahead
While Pelosi remains mum about her own future, she is tapping into her massive donor network in a furious bid to keep their imperiled Democratic bulk next year. She's already raised more than than $32 1000000 in the first three months of 2021 for Democrats, office of over $i billion she's earned for the party in the by 20 years, as she counsels her allies to prepare in the off-year for an all-out war in the 2022 campaign yr.
Those political efforts -- forth with going toe-to-toe with then-President Donald Trump and her history of muscling major legislation through the Business firm -- have helped her maintain a deep reservoir of support across the Firm Autonomous conclave, though a small faction of both moderates and progressives is leery of seeing her leadership continue.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from a swing Virginia district, noted she's voted against Pelosi for speaker twice and would practice so again if she tried to run in 2023.
"If that'due south the instance, I'll be three for three," Spanberger said. "She's previously said that this would be her concluding term every bit speaker and then I suspect that she would stick to that. But since 2018, I think I've been consistent on the fact that I think nosotros really demand new voices spreading the word."
On the left, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was lobbied by Pelosi's allies to back her for speaker in 2021 and ultimately did, said the jury is out for 2023.
"I experience like but the history of the party overall has been to near sideline progressive priorities, racial justice priorities, priorities for the working class, wellness care, et cetera," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN when asked about Pelosi. "And I don't think that any option of leadership should ever exist a de facto matter."
Ocasio-Cortez did not commit to supporting Pelosi again for speaker, proverb that "a lot of it depends on the unique constellation of the caucus, at a given moment."
"So information technology'south non just about an individual person," the liberal Democrat added. "It'southward well-nigh: Who is our conclave? What is the moment? And what is the alignment at that fourth dimension."
Withal even with some skepticism in the ranks, it's clear Pelosi maintains the dominant position in her caucus -- and would be the odds-on favorite to keep leading it if she wanted to, particularly if Democrats managed to hang on to the House majority.
When asked if he'd support Pelosi if she stayed, Business firm Bulk Whip Jim Clyburn said: "Yep."
But the No. 3 House Democrat was less clear when asked if he would seek the meridian job if she decides it'southward fourth dimension to hang it up.
"Skilful Lord, I was built-in and raised in South Carolina, you got to know I spent all my life contemplating," Clyburn said of running to be House Democratic leader or speaker. "I'm still contemplating."
Key legislative moment awaits speaker
Pelosi'southward legacy as the first female speaker is bodacious. She is reviled by the right and love by many on the left for shepherding major legislation through Congress, including the Affordable Intendance Human activity, Dodd-Frank Wall Street overhaul bill, multi-trillion dollar bills to address a global pandemic and to twice impeach Trump.
Pelosi is at present focused on two jumbo priorities -- passing the Biden assistants'south $1.eight trillion programme to expand the social prophylactic cyberspace and its $2.3 trillion jobs and infrastructure package -- all with a single-digit margin of mistake. Some of her allies say the challenges in Congress are too swell to discuss the upshot of Pelosi's futurity.
"She has shown enormous subject and internal cohesion, even with a slimmed-downward majority, in what is always a raucous group of people and contentious grouping of people to begin with," said Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. "So I guess at that place may very well be a time where we are going to have to deal with the subject. But that's not right now."
Nadeam Elshami, a former elevation Pelosi staffer, told CNN, "It seems like sometimes people are more interested in her than in what she'due south doing or what she's trying to pass." He said that her list of accomplishments are "heed-boggling"—and that the speaker is "amazing" at keeping her plans "shut to the vest."
"No one knows," he added.
Simply some sources expect her to step downward when this term expires in early Jan 2023, although no one is certain.
When asked if she had made a decision about running for reelection next year, Pelosi sidestepped the question.
"You know what, I'chiliad going to accept a town hall in San Francisco correct now," Pelosi told CNN last week, referring to a virtual result she was holding in her suite in her Capitol suite.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said: "The speaker is non on a shift, she's on a mission."
Her allies said it's a decision she won't reveal to anyone -- not even close family members -- until she's ready to.
"There's a lot of speculation from even her staff or friends of hers and they all mean well, but at the end of the day it'due south her conclusion and she'southward going to decide herself and no one's going to change that," said a old Pelosi aide.
The elevation three House Democrats -- Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Clyburn -- are 80 years former or older, and have held their roles for the past 14 years. Information technology remains to be seen what Hoyer, her longtime No. 2, decides to do.
"Bluntly, as you see on our side, nobody seems to exist uncomfortable with the leadership," Hoyer said when asked if he would consider a run for the task. "And I accept not talked to the speaker about it. And I'thousand not thinking about it, so we'll exit it till that bridge comes."
Pelosi'south refusal to leave office may have motivated some potential successors to quit the Business firm in the past. Just Pelosi'south decision could finally allow someone from the next generation to have over. Jeffries, the 50-yr-old No. 5 Business firm Democrat, is viewed as the likely successor to Pelosi, simply others, including California Reps. Karen Bass and Adam Schiff could potentially run for the gavel -- while other ambitious members may emerge.
Her decision could as well permit more junior members to take a step up the leadership ladder, including Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California.
"Aye, with any of these you kind of serve at the pleasance of your colleagues," Aguilar, the caucus' vice chairman, said when asked if he'd look to move up. "I want to exist in the House for a while, and I would beloved the opportunity to go along to work to be helpful."
Pelosi's girl a possible contender for House seat
Back home, Pelosi's retirement would spark an intense battle for a condom, long-awaited House seat. Country Sen. Scott Wiener, former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, state political party vice chair David Campos, state Assemblymember David Chiu, Supervisor Matt Haney, and Pelosi'southward daughter Christine, who'due south agile in the national and country Autonomous party committees, are all viewed as potential House candidates if she leaves function, co-ordinate to multiple California Autonomous operatives.
Christine Pelosi has privately told allies she is interested in holding public function, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, though she did not answer to inquiries seeking comment about her mother's House seat. Some Democrats pointed to a possible candidacy of Mayor London Brood, merely her spokesman said she would not run for Congress in 2022 if Pelosi decides to retire.
Pelosi will ultimately have to brand a decision before the March 11 filing deadline to run for her House seat.
Even though Pelosi pledged years ago to not serve equally speaker after this term, a decision to not run for reelection would notwithstanding come equally a stupor to Democrats in a commune that has long relied upon her.
"I mean, to me it would be, kind of, wow," said Hene Kelly, a California Democratic Political party activist who admires her.
At that place would be a number of considerations for a Firm main in a deeply Democratic city, including ideology, experience, race, gender and sexual orientation. Kelly said people "probably would really want to take a woman" to supervene upon Pelosi, and said "a lot of people are saying that they recollect" the speaker's daughter would run.
But Sam Garrett-Pate, the communications director for Equality California, said "if and when" Pelosi decides to leave, the LGBTQ+ group is "hopeful" that Wiener would run, calling him a "principled, progressive champion."
While these California Democrats maintained that they want Pelosi to serve as long as she'd similar, some allies could not even entertain the thought of her leaving office.
And in Washington, some previous Pelosi skeptics are on lath.
Rep. Jim Cooper, a blue dog Tennessee Democrat who has opposed her speaker bids in the past but backed her this twelvemonth, called Pelosi "indispensable to the current Congress." Asked most the next Congress, Cooper said she's indispensable to "Congress, menstruation. The Biden presidency really needs Nancy Pelosi as speaker."
"She knows how to corral the conclave," Cooper said. "And that'southward one of the hardest things to do in politics."
This story has been updated with additional developments Thursday.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/20/politics/nancy-pelosi-future-2022/index.html
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