Nancy Pelosi Would Set a Different Kind of Record if She Could Become Speaker Again Cnn
Time is at present ticking -- and no one knows what Pelosi will do in 2022.
Confidantes of the 81-year-one-time speaker reject any rumors she might quit earlier the end of this Congress, proverb doing so would just embolden Republicans and undercut her ability to raise millions to save her party's imperiled majority. She has yet to say if she will mount a reelection bid next year, though her campaign continues to enhance millions in case she runs for the seat she's held since 1987.
While Pelosi has previously indicated that this is her last term as speaker, she hasn't completely shut the door quite even so, fueling speculation she could ultimately seek to prolong her 18-year tenure ruling the Business firm Autonomous caucus.
Democrats and Republicans are watching her next moves closely, given that her decision would take a seismic impact across the political spectrum, fuel Democratic jockeying to replace her on Capitol Colina and prompt a scramble to replace her in her liberal-leaning district -- potentially with one of her daughters.
"Everyone assumes this is her concluding term, merely no one knows for sure," said 1 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) final time." (Pelosi'southward office denies that the race was difficult.)
The same source echoed the line of many of her other trusted allies: Stepping aside before the stop of 2022 doesn't seem to be in the cards.
"If she left early, she would be blamed for losing the House," the source said. "She doesn't want to look similar a loser."
Questions about her future come every bit she is shepherding President Joe Biden'due south multi-trillion dollar calendar with the slimmest House Democratic majority in decades, while methodically building a huge state of war breast to steady Democrats' shaky chances of keeping the Business firm. The speaker might provide more clarity about her next steps after this twelvemonth, once Democrats are through the heavy dose of legislating on enormous infrastructure projects and expanding the social safety cyberspace.
In San Francisco, a scattering of prospective candidates are already seen every bit potential replacements, including one of her daughters -- although no credible Democrat is taking steps in public to build a campaign withal.
On Capitol Colina, the speaker's hereafter is an issue that her top lieutenants are wary of discussing -- fifty-fifty privately -- worried that any hint of jockeying to supplant her will create tension in the ranks.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat widely seen every bit her likely heir apparent, sidestepped questions when asked if he would support Pelosi again if she ran for speaker next Congress, maxim Democrats are focused on advancing the Biden agenda.
"I'll allow the drama, in terms of internal House dynamics, exist over on the Republican side of the aisle," Jeffries told CNN.
When asked if he would run for the top Democratic job if it opened upward, Jeffries said: "We have a tremendous speaker, one speaker at a fourth dimension, and nosotros all stand strongly behind her."
Confronting a daunting path ahead
While Pelosi remains mum about her own future, she is borer into her massive donor network in a furious bid to keep their imperiled Democratic bulk side by side yr. She's already raised more than $32 one thousand thousand in the first three months of 2021 for Democrats, part of over $ane billion she's earned for the party in the past 20 years, as she counsels her allies to fix in the off-year for an all-out war in the 2022 campaign twelvemonth.
Those political efforts -- along with going toe-to-toe with and then-President Donald Trump and her history of muscling major legislation through the House -- take helped her maintain a deep reservoir of support across the Business firm Democratic caucus, though a pocket-size faction of both moderates and progressives is leery of seeing her leadership proceed.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from a swing Virginia commune, noted she'south voted against Pelosi for speaker twice and would exercise and then again if she tried to run in 2023.
"If that's the case, I'll exist three for 3," Spanberger said. "She's previously said that this would be her last term as 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 retrieve we actually 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 feel like just the history of the party overall has been to almost sideline progressive priorities, racial justice priorities, priorities for the working class, health intendance, et cetera," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN when asked about Pelosi. "And I don't think that any selection of leadership should e'er exist a de facto thing."
Ocasio-Cortez did not commit to supporting Pelosi over again for speaker, saying that "a lot of it depends on the unique constellation of the caucus, at a given moment."
"So it's not merely about an individual person," the liberal Democrat added. "It's well-nigh: Who is our caucus? What is the moment? And what is the alignment at that time."
Nonetheless even with some skepticism in the ranks, it's clear Pelosi maintains the dominant position in her conclave -- and would be the odds-on favorite to go on leading it if she wanted to, particularly if Democrats managed to hang on to the House majority.
When asked if he'd back up Pelosi if she stayed, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said: "Yep."
Simply the No. 3 Firm Democrat was less clear when asked if he would seek the top job if she decides it's time to hang it up.
"Good Lord, I was born and raised in S Carolina, you got to know I spent all my life contemplating," Clyburn said of running to exist Business firm Democratic leader or speaker. "I'thou still contemplating."
Key legislative moment awaits speaker
Pelosi's legacy as the kickoff female person speaker is assured. She is reviled by the correct and honey by many on the left for shepherding major legislation through Congress, including the Affordable Intendance Human action, Dodd-Frank Wall Street overhaul nib, multi-trillion dollar bills to address a global pandemic and to twice impeach Trump.
Pelosi is now focused on two colossal priorities -- passing the Biden assistants's $1.8 trillion plan to expand the social safety internet and its $2.3 trillion jobs and infrastructure package -- all with a single-digit margin of error. Some of her allies say the challenges in Congress are too great to discuss the result of Pelosi's future.
"She has shown enormous discipline and internal cohesion, even with a slimmed-downwards majority, in what is always a raucous group of people and contentious group of people to brainstorm with," said Virginia Autonomous Rep. Gerry Connolly. "Then I guess there may very well be a time where nosotros are going to have to deal with the subject. Simply that's not right now."
Nadeam Elshami, a former top Pelosi staffer, told CNN, "Information technology seems like sometimes people are more interested in her than in what she's doing or what she's trying to pass." He said that her list of accomplishments are "listen-extraordinary"—and that the speaker is "amazing" at keeping her plans "close to the vest."
"No one knows," he added.
Simply some sources look her to step down when this term expires in early on January 2023, although no one is certain.
When asked if she had made a decision about running for reelection side by side year, Pelosi sidestepped the question.
"You know what, I'm going to have a town hall in San Francisco right now," Pelosi told CNN last week, referring to a virtual result she was property in her suite in her Capitol suite.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said: "The speaker is not on a shift, she's on a mission."
Her allies said it'south a conclusion she won't reveal to anyone -- not fifty-fifty close family unit members -- until she'south gear up to.
"There'southward a lot of speculation from fifty-fifty her staff or friends of hers and they all mean well, but at the stop of the day it'due south her determination and she's going to decide herself and no one's going to change that," said a former Pelosi aide.
The top 3 House Democrats -- Pelosi, Firm Bulk Leader Steny Hoyer and Clyburn -- are 80 years erstwhile or older, and take held their roles for the past 14 years. It remains to be seen what Hoyer, her longtime No. 2, decides to exercise.
"Frankly, as you run across on our side, nobody seems to be uncomfortable with the leadership," Hoyer said when asked if he would consider a run for the task. "And I have not talked to the speaker about it. And I'm not thinking about it, so we'll leave it till that bridge comes."
Pelosi'south refusal to go out part may take motivated some potential successors to quit the Firm in the past. But Pelosi's decision could finally allow someone from the next generation to have over. Jeffries, the 50-year-old No. 5 House 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 sally.
Her conclusion could also allow more than junior members to take a step upwardly the leadership ladder, including Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California.
"Yeah, with whatsoever of these y'all 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 love the opportunity to go on to work to be helpful."
Pelosi's girl a possible contender for Firm seat
Dorsum habitation, Pelosi'southward retirement would spark an intense battle for a safety, long-awaited House seat. State Sen. Scott Wiener, onetime San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, state party vice chair David Campos, country Assemblymember David Chiu, Supervisor Matt Haney, and Pelosi'due south daughter Christine, who'southward active in the national and state Democratic party committees, are all viewed as potential Business firm candidates if she leaves function, according to multiple California Democratic 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 respond to inquiries seeking annotate about her mother's Business firm seat. Some Democrats pointed to a possible candidacy of Mayor London Breed, just her spokesman said she would non run for Congress in 2022 if Pelosi decides to retire.
Pelosi volition ultimately accept to make a decision before the March xi filing borderline to run for her House seat.
Even though Pelosi pledged years ago to not serve as speaker afterwards this term, a conclusion to not run for reelection would still come as a daze to Democrats in a district that has long relied upon her.
"I mean, to me information technology would be, kind of, wow," said Hene Kelly, a California Autonomous Party activist who admires her.
There would be a number of considerations for a House master in a deeply Democratic city, including ideology, experience, race, gender and sexual orientation. Kelly said people "probably would actually want to have a adult female" to supervene upon Pelosi, and said "a lot of people are saying that they think" the speaker's daughter would run.
Simply 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 desire Pelosi to serve equally long as she'd like, some allies could non even entertain the idea of her leaving office.
And in Washington, some previous Pelosi skeptics are on board.
Rep. Jim Cooper, a blue canis familiaris Tennessee Democrat who has opposed her speaker bids in the by but backed her this year, called Pelosi "indispensable to the current Congress." Asked about the adjacent Congress, Cooper said she'southward indispensable to "Congress, period. The Biden presidency actually needs Nancy Pelosi as speaker."
"She knows how to corral the caucus," Cooper said. "And that's one of the hardest things to exercise 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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