Underscoring the unprecedented script Democrats present find themselves in, lawmakers chuckled successful a closed-door gathering Tuesday arsenic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) spoke up to hold with thing Pelosi said but flubbed his notation to her existent role.
“I subordinate myself with the erstwhile speaker. The existent Speaker. The — well, who knows,” Hoyer said successful the caucus meeting, according to radical successful the room. He and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Pelosi’s different long-serving deputy, are besides the taxable of aggravated speculation arsenic to their ain futures successful leadership.
When asked aboriginal astir his plans for leadership, Hoyer said lone that “I’m waiting connected the results.”
Beyond the achromatic fume that’s yet to materialize signaling a shakeup atop the caucus, Democrats were euphoric arsenic they huddled successful the Capitol this week. They delivered thunderous lasting ovations to battle-tested incumbents who prevailed implicit pro-Trump candidates, similar Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), portion welcoming dozens of caller faces.
Pelosi was peculiarly elated arsenic she decried “D.C. bedwetters” — including immoderate successful her ain enactment — who predicted Democrats would suffer large but “know thing astir our districts,” arsenic she enactment it to members successful a closed-door gathering Monday night.
House Republicans person begun holding their ain enactment elections, adjacent arsenic they are 1 spot shy of the 218 needed to officially fastener down the majority. Despite 7 uncalled competitory races successful California and Colorado, a ceremonial House telephone could travel arsenic soon arsenic Tuesday.
Pelosi’s looming determination was, naturally, the taxable of overmuch backstage chatter arsenic her caucus huddled for its archetypal large in-person gathering connected Tuesday. (One idiosyncratic contiguous said it was possibly the biggest taxable of treatment connected the sidelines of the meeting, different than lawmakers uncovering retired whether they were wait-listed for Taylor Swift tickets.)
Even immoderate of Pelosi’s adjacent colleagues are coy astir whether they’ve been personally asking her to stay, arsenic the talker speaker hinted connected CNN connected Sunday.
“What bash you think?” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said with a smirk, erstwhile asked if she’s been encouraging Pelosi to enactment on. “You’ll person to fig it retired yourself.”
Other allies, though, are much nonstop adjacent arsenic they besides accidental they person nary hint what she’ll choose.
“I deliberation this is simply a infinitesimal wherever it would beryllium a bully thought to enactment successful this position,” said different longtime Pelosi friend, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). “Personally, I spot her embracing that possibility. But, I don’t know.”
And House Rules Chair Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) added: “She has my enactment for immoderate she wants. I don’t cognize what she wants to do. She hasn’t told me.”
Their history-defying midterm feat, notably, hasn’t changed 1 signifier among House Democrats: Few stay consenting to publically telephone for a caller procreation to instrumentality power.
One of those exceptions is Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a subordinate of the progressive Squad who praised Pelosi’s “outstanding career” and said successful a little interrogation that helium loved her earlier adding: “I deliberation it’s clip for a caller speaker.”
Clyburn allies accidental they judge helium plans to enactment successful enactment if Pelosi steps down — a possibility that Clyburn himself has repeatedly raised, including successful a CNN interrogation earlier Tuesday, wherever helium said: “I program to enactment successful leadership,” though helium didn’t cognize precisely successful what capacity.
“I’m excited astir each of the radical who are moving for leadership, including Mr. Clyburn. I deliberation what we’re trying to fig retired is what radical are moving for precisely … you’re going to person continuity of radical running, and surely Mr. Clyburn brings continuity successful leadership,” said Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), the outgoing Congressional Black Caucus seat who’s moving for a lower-ranking enactment position.
Meeks, different Black Caucus member, added: “Clyburn intelligibly has made a large contribution, and has a batch much to give. He wants to marque definite that helium has that ability.”
With the Democrats’ alleged apical 3 mostly staying mum, the harvest of members looking to regenerate them are besides quiet.
One of them is Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who’s expected to tally for the apical spot successful enactment if Pelosi leaves. Jeffries held his ain property league soon aft the afloat caucus gathering, wherever helium skewered the GOP and swatted speech questions astir the future.
“House Democrats person vastly over-performed expectations, and we volition person momentum going into the 118th Congress,” helium said. “We are astatine a constituent successful clip wherever the absorption should proceed to beryllium connected making definite that each azygous ballot is counted.”
Then helium insisted the caucus would property guardant with enactment elections scheduled to commencement connected Nov. 30.
Ally Mutnick and Nancy Vu contributed to this report.
English (US)