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Nancy Pelosi for Speaker? Absolutely, Trump Says Pelosi and Trump Agree on Something: She Should Be Speaker
(about 9 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the highest-ranking House Democrat, got an early, if unusual, endorsement on Wednesday in her bid to reclaim her title as speaker following Tuesday’s electoral victory: a favorable tweet from President Trump. WASHINGTON — Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the highest-ranking House Democrat, declared on Wednesday that she was confident that her newly ascendant colleagues would elect her speaker, as she moved aggressively to hold off a challenge to her leadership that could fracture the party.
“In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be chosen Speaker of the House by the Democrats,” Mr. Trump wrote in a morning Twitter post, echoing an argument that Ms. Pelosi has been making in recent weeks, and signaling that he relishes the chance to spar with her over the next two years. “If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will add some Republican votes. She has earned this great honor!” The day after midterm elections that handed her party control of the House, Ms. Pelosi curtly brushed aside questions about whether she was convinced she would continue to lead her caucus — “Yes, I am,” she said — even as other Democrats jockeyed for position. Republicans, after stinging losses, braced for a leadership battle of their own.
Democrats, fresh off their successful effort to wrest control of the House from Republicans and open a new era of divided government in the Trump administration, now face a consequential set of choices about their leadership as a new, more diverse and younger majority prepares to take over. The maneuverings were the first signs of potentially bruising battles over the direction of both parties in a new era of divided government, in which Democrats and Republicans will both face internal struggles to define their messages and their tactics. Democrats faced immediate decisions on how aggressively, and where, to use their oversight powers to investigate President Trump and his administration, and how far to go in seeking compromise or confrontation with a commander in chief who has labeled them sworn enemies.
Ms. Pelosi, 78, has exuded confidence in recent days that her colleagues would choose her to resume her tenure as the first female speaker of the House, and whispers that she would face a serious challenge appear to have dissipated amid large Democratic gains under her stewardship. Mr. Trump began the day offering Ms. Pelosi an early, if unusual, endorsement on Twitter. In a backhanded compliment to an adversary he relishes attacking, he later said during a formal postelection news conference that he would even supply her with Republican votes to win the speakership if there was not sufficient support among Democrats to elect her.
“With victory on your side, it always helps a lot,” said Representative Henry Cuellar, Democrat of Texas, who said he would back Ms. Pelosi for speaker. But he and other more centrist members of the party in the House will insist on changes to ensure they have a voice in legislating and policymaking. “I think she deserves it,” Mr. Trump said. “She’s fought long and hard, she’s a very capable person, and you know, you have other people shooting at her trying to take over the speakership.”
Some of the Democratic candidates most outspoken about opposing her speakership lost on Tuesday, such as Richard Ojeda in West Virginia and Dan McCready in North Carolina. But others won, including Abigail Spanberger in Virginia. Ms. Pelosi, fresh off midterm election wins that her allies believe have cemented her hold on the top position, said the president was right about her fitness for the job, but for the wrong reasons.
Mr. Trump’s endorsement comes with an edge. Republicans have long cheered Ms. Pelosi’s continued reign over House Democrats, seeing in her the perfect foil for negative campaign ads to rile conservative voters. Ms. Pelosi again was the star of hundreds of Republican ads that blanketed the country. “I don’t think anybody deserves anything — it’s not about what you have done, it’s what you can do,” Ms. Pelosi said at a news conference at the Capitol. “And I think I’m the best person to go forward, to unify, to negotiate.”
In recent months, the president, who phoned Ms. Pelosi on Tuesday night to congratulate her on the Democrats’ victory, singled her out by name and savaged her during his raucous rallies. Still, Democrats do face consequential choices about their leadership as a new, more diverse and younger majority prepares to take over.
Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, said on Tuesday night that he planned to run for majority leader, the No. 2 position in the House, while Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina plans to run for whip, the No. 3 post. That lineup, if endorsed by Democrats, would preserve the top three positions in the party’s House caucus as they currently are — with none of the youthful sheen of the incoming class. Ms. Pelosi, 78, has exuded confidence that her colleagues would choose her to resume her tenure as the first female speaker of the House, and whispers that she would face a serious challenge appear to have dissipated.
But members of the Congressional Black Caucus have said they want one of their own to be considered for any vacancy in the top two positions. Representative Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, the triumphant chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is expected to run for a leadership post. Behind the scenes on Wednesday, she began the process of gathering the votes she needs to hold off any rebellion, making telephone calls to Democratic lawmakers to secure their support, according to a senior Democratic aide. She spent Wednesday night in her Capitol office handwriting personalized messages on letters that went to each Democratic lawmaker and newly elected member, in which she solicited their support “with confidence and humility.”
That leaves the roster uncertain, opening the possibility of a power struggle for one of the top two slots. “We must show on the first day of the 116th Congress that we are prepared to get the job done for the American people,” she wrote.
Representative Henry Cuellar, Democrat of Texas, who is supporting Ms. Pelosi for speaker, said that “with victory on your side, it always helps a lot.” But he and other more centrist members of the party in the House will insist on changes to ensure they have a voice in legislating and policymaking.
Ms. Pelosi said on Wednesday that she would put forward new rules that would ensure “openness and transparency” in the way the House runs.
“Our newcomers will be part of putting together how our agenda goes forward,” she said.
Some of the Democratic candidates most outspoken about opposing her speakership lost on Tuesday, such as Richard Ojeda in West Virginia and Dan McCready in North Carolina. But others won, including Abigail Spanberger in Virginia — who a spokesman said on Wednesday had not changed her position that Ms. Pelosi should not be speaker — and Joe Cunningham in South Carolina.
“There is no chance he will vote for Pelosi,” Tyler Jones, Mr. Cunningham’s spokesman, said on Wednesday. “He will keep his promise.”
Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, said on Tuesday night that he planned to run for majority leader, the No. 2 position in the House, while Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina plans to run for whip, the No. 3 post. That lineup would keep the top three positions of the current septuagenarian triumvirate — with none of the youthful sheen of the incoming class.
“It’s a pretty static situation right now,” said Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, who leads the moderate New Democrats Coalition.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have said they want one of their own to be considered for any vacancy in the top two positions. But no one has come forward to challenge Ms. Pelosi or Mr. Hoyer.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is viewed as a rising star, has told lawmakers he is likely to run for Democratic caucus chairman against Representatives Linda T. Sánchez and Barbara Lee, both of California, a contest that could pit two of Democrats’ geographic strongholds against each other.
“We have won the majority, and now we must keep the majority,” Mr. Jeffries, 48, said in an interview on Wednesday. But, he added, the Democrats must “avoid an unnecessary family feud about leadership aspirations.”
Mr. Clyburn, who is black, said on Tuesday night that he believed Ms. Pelosi would stay in the top position, with Mr. Hoyer second in line, and “hopefully” himself third. He said he expected to see more African-Americans in other leadership positions, arguing that the newer members would accept such a result.Mr. Clyburn, who is black, said on Tuesday night that he believed Ms. Pelosi would stay in the top position, with Mr. Hoyer second in line, and “hopefully” himself third. He said he expected to see more African-Americans in other leadership positions, arguing that the newer members would accept such a result.
“I’ve been campaigning for all of these people — I talk to them all the time,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I was on the phone with a lot of them today — I’m talking about 30-something-year-olds. I don’t have any problem with them.” “I’ve been campaigning for all of these people — I talk to them all the time,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I don’t have any problem with them.”
Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado said on Wednesday that she would challenge Mr. Clyburn, but she is not expected to topple him, particularly given his base of support in the Black Caucus. Ms. DeGette, who has been the chief deputy whip for more than a decade, said in an interview that she did not “intend to have a messy leadership race.”
Representative Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, the triumphant chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced on Wednesday that he would seek the post of assistant majority leader, the No. 4 job, which is already being pursued by David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Cheri Bustos of Illinois.
Republicans were also grappling for power. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the founder of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, announced that he would seek the post of minority leader, pitting him against Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the current No. 2 Republican.
In an interview with The Hill on Wednesday, Mr. Jordan placed the blame for Republican losses in the House at the feet of the leaders, suggesting they had not been conservative enough or sufficiently willing to bulldoze Democratic opposition to muscle through Mr. Trump’s top priorities such as repealing the Affordable Care Act, building a huge border wall or cutting welfare. He spent Wednesday dialing fellow Republicans to make his case.
Mr. McCarthy defended his tenure, telling House Republicans in a letter that the party had enjoyed “great gains,” including tax cuts and a reduction in federal regulations.
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana said he would run for whip, the No. 2 spot, ending speculation that he might challenge Mr. McCarthy. Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming announced she would seek the job of Republican conference chairwoman, setting up a likely showdown with the current chairwoman, Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers of Washington.
The maneuvering among top Democrats was quieter. Mr. Hoyer has begun collecting signatures from allies for a letter highlighting his experience, his ability to take on Mr. Trump, and the steps he has taken to advance younger members on his whip team, according to two Democrats familiar with the effort.
As of Wednesday, several lawmakers said they did not expect a serious head-to-head challenge against Ms. Pelosi to emerge, but it was still far from certain whether she would have the 218 votes needed to win the speakership. A shrewd vote-counter, Ms. Pelosi would be unlikely to let such a fight play out in the House chamber without being certain that she would win; if she determined that she could not, several lawmakers said they expected a scramble to replace her.
Still, allies and adversaries alike noted that a newly empowered Ms. Pelosi had a formidable arsenal of potential sweeteners to offer rank-and-file members who might not be inclined to support her, including prime office space, positions on plum committees and money for staff members — all valuable currency on Capitol Hill.