Democrats call on Pelosi to stay in House leadership
Virginia Aabram
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Top-ranking Democrats are coalescing around House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and asking her to consider remaining in party leadership in the next Congress.
President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are among those calling for Pelosi to stay on as the leader of the House Democrats. The speaker has sidestepped questions about her intentions following the midterm elections for months and continues to hold off on committing one way or the other until the House majority has been set.
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“People are campaigning, and that’s a beautiful thing, and I’m not asking anyone for anything. My members are asking me to consider doing that,” Pelosi told CNN on Sunday. “Let’s just get through the [2022 midterm] election.”
Schumer, her Senate counterpart, said he would like to see her stay on.
“I hope she does. I love her,” he told Politico.
Biden told Pelosi in a phone call last week that he hopes she remains in party leadership with him for the second half of his term.
“I hope you stick,” he reportedly said in a call to congratulate her on the Democrats’ unexpected wins. “I know it’s family first, but I hope you stick.”
Her decision on whether to stay at the top of her conference was complicated by the attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi, that left him hospitalized. She reportedly declined to give the president an answer.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) said he expects Pelosi would have “broad support from the caucus” if she ran for leadership. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, said he would vote “yes” on Pelosi.
Not everyone is unified behind her, however. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus, deflected on supporting Pelosi.
“We always consider all the people who are running very carefully, and we usually have a set of things that we asked for as the progressive part of those negotiations. So we’re looking forward to seeing what that looks like,” Jayapal said.
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Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) told reporters he thinks there should be a “new generation of leadership in Congress,” adding that Democratic Conference Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) “would make a fine leader for our caucus.”
As of Wednesday morning, Republicans are on the cusp of the majority, with just one seat needed before hitting the threshold of 218. Democratic leadership elections will be held on Nov. 30.