Does Nancy Pelosi Want Trump to Win Again?
Time is now ticking -- and no 1 knows what Pelosi will practise in 2022.
Confidantes of the 81-year-old speaker reject whatever rumors she might quit earlier the cease of this Congress, saying doing so would only embolden Republicans and undercut her ability to raise millions to save her party'due south imperiled majority. She has however to say if she will mount a reelection bid adjacent year, though her campaign continues to heighten millions in instance 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 yet, fueling speculation she could ultimately seek to prolong her 18-yr tenure ruling the House Democratic caucus.
Democrats and Republicans are watching her side by side moves closely, given that her determination would have a seismic impact across the political spectrum, fuel Democratic jockeying to supercede her on Capitol Loma 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, just no one knows for sure," said 1 of the confidantes, who asked for anonymity to discuss the speaker'southward future candidly. "People don't realize how hard it was to win (the speaker's race) last time." (Pelosi's office 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, she would be blamed for losing the House," the source said. "She doesn't want to look similar a loser."
Questions about her time to come come up as she is shepherding President Joe Biden's multi-trillion dollar calendar with the slimmest House Autonomous majority in decades, while methodically edifice a huge war breast to steady Democrats' shaky chances of keeping the House. The speaker might provide more clarity almost her next steps later on this twelvemonth, in one case Democrats are through the heavy dose of legislating on enormous infrastructure projects and expanding the social safe net.
In San Francisco, a scattering of prospective candidates are already seen as potential replacements, including one of her daughters -- although no apparent Democrat is taking steps in public to build a campaign yet.
On Capitol Hill, the speaker's futurity is an issue that her top lieutenants are wary of discussing -- even privately -- worried that whatever hint of jockeying to supervene upon her will create tension in the ranks.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat widely seen as her likely heir apparent, sidestepped questions when asked if he would back up Pelosi again if she ran for speaker next Congress, saying Democrats are focused on advancing the Biden agenda.
"I'll let the drama, in terms of internal Firm dynamics, be over on the Republican side of the aisle," Jeffries told CNN.
When asked if he would run for the top Autonomous job if information technology opened up, Jeffries said: "We accept a tremendous speaker, one speaker at a time, and we 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 majority next year. She's already raised more than than $32 million in the first 3 months of 2021 for Democrats, function of over $1 billion she's earned for the party in the past 20 years, equally she counsels her allies to ready in the off-year for an all-out war in the 2022 campaign twelvemonth.
Those political efforts -- along with going toe-to-toe with so-President Donald Trump and her history of muscling major legislation through the House -- have helped her maintain a deep reservoir of support beyond the Business firm Democratic conclave, though a minor 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 do then again if she tried to run in 2023.
"If that'southward the case, I'll be three for three," Spanberger said. "She's previously said that this would be her concluding term equally speaker so I suspect that she would stick to that. But since 2018, I recollect I've been consistent on the fact that I recall we actually need new voices spreading the word."
On the left, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was lobbied past Pelosi'southward allies to back her for speaker in 2021 and ultimately did, said the jury is out for 2023.
"I feel similar but the history of the party overall has been to almost sideline progressive priorities, racial justice priorities, priorities for the working form, health care, et cetera," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN when asked about Pelosi. "And I don't call back that whatever selection of leadership should always be a de facto matter."
Ocasio-Cortez did non 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 nearly an individual person," the liberal Democrat added. "It's about: Who is our caucus? What is the moment? And what is the alignment at that time."
Yet even with some skepticism in the ranks, it's articulate Pelosi maintains the dominant position in her caucus -- and would be the odds-on favorite to keep leading information technology if she wanted to, particularly if Democrats managed to hang on to the House bulk.
When asked if he'd support Pelosi if she stayed, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said: "Yep."
Merely the No. 3 Firm Democrat was less articulate when asked if he would seek the peak chore if she decides it's time to hang information technology up.
"Good Lord, I was born and raised in South Carolina, you got to know I spent all my life contemplating," Clyburn said of running to be House Autonomous leader or speaker. "I'm withal contemplating."
Key legislative moment awaits speaker
Pelosi'southward legacy as the first female speaker is assured. She is reviled by the right and honey by many on the left for shepherding major legislation through Congress, including the Affordable Care Human activity, Dodd-Frank Wall Street overhaul pecker, multi-trillion dollar bills to address a global pandemic and to twice impeach Trump.
Pelosi is at present focused on 2 colossal priorities -- passing the Biden administration'southward $1.8 trillion plan to aggrandize the social safety internet and its $2.iii trillion jobs and infrastructure package -- all with a single-digit margin of fault. Some of her allies say the challenges in Congress are too great to discuss the issue of Pelosi'due south future.
"She has shown enormous discipline and internal cohesion, even with a slimmed-down majority, in what is always a raucous group of people and contentious group of people to begin with," said Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly. "So I guess in that location may very well be a fourth dimension where we are going to accept to deal with the subject. But that's non right at present."
Nadeam Elshami, a former top Pelosi staffer, told CNN, "It seems like sometimes people are more than interested in her than in what she'due south doing or what she'southward trying to pass." He said that her list of accomplishments are "mind-boggling"—and that the speaker is "amazing" at keeping her plans "shut to the vest."
"No one knows," he added.
But some sources wait her to step down when this term expires in early Jan 2023, although no one is certain.
When asked if she had made a decision nearly running for reelection next yr, Pelosi sidestepped the question.
"Y'all know what, I'm going to have a town hall in San Francisco right now," Pelosi told CNN final week, referring to a virtual event she was holding 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's a decision she won't reveal to anyone -- not even close family unit 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 24-hour interval it'south her decision and she's going to determine herself and no one'southward going to change that," said a sometime Pelosi adjutant.
The superlative 3 House Democrats -- Pelosi, House Bulk Leader Steny Hoyer and Clyburn -- are 80 years old or older, and have held their roles for the past fourteen years. Information technology remains to be seen what Hoyer, her longtime No. two, decides to do.
"Frankly, equally yous encounter on our side, nobody seems to be uncomfortable with the leadership," Hoyer said when asked if he would consider a run for the job. "And I accept not talked to the speaker about it. And I'm not thinking almost it, then nosotros'll leave it till that span comes."
Pelosi's refusal to go out office may have motivated some potential successors to quit the House in the past. But Pelosi's conclusion could finally let someone from the next generation to accept over. Jeffries, the 50-year-old No. 5 House Democrat, is viewed as the likely successor to Pelosi, but others, including California Reps. Karen Bass and Adam Schiff could potentially run for the gavel -- while other ambitious members may emerge.
Her decision could likewise permit more junior members to have a step up the leadership ladder, including Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California.
"Yeah, with any of these y'all kind of serve at the pleasure of your colleagues," Aguilar, the conclave' vice chairman, said when asked if he'd look to move upwardly. "I want to be in the House for a while, and I would love the opportunity to keep to work to be helpful."
Pelosi's daughter a possible contender for House seat
Back dwelling house, Pelosi's retirement would spark an intense battle for a safety, long-awaited Firm 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'south girl Christine, who'due south active in the national and state Democratic party committees, are all viewed every bit potential Firm candidates if she leaves office, co-ordinate to multiple California Democratic operatives.
Christine Pelosi has privately told allies she is interested in holding public office, co-ordinate to multiple sources familiar with the thing, though she did not reply to inquiries seeking annotate most her mother's House seat. Some Democrats pointed to a possible candidacy of Mayor London Brood, but her spokesman said she would non run for Congress in 2022 if Pelosi decides to retire.
Pelosi volition ultimately accept to make a determination before the March 11 filing deadline to run for her House seat.
Fifty-fifty though Pelosi pledged years ago to not serve as speaker later on this term, a determination to not run for reelection would however come every bit a stupor to Democrats in a commune that has long relied upon her.
"I mean, to me information technology would be, kind of, wow," said Hene Kelly, a California Autonomous Political party activist who admires her.
There would be a number of considerations for a Firm primary in a securely Autonomous metropolis, including ideology, experience, race, gender and sexual orientation. Kelly said people "probably would really want to have a woman" to supersede Pelosi, and said "a lot of people are saying that they think" the speaker's daughter would run.
But Sam Garrett-Pate, the communications director for Equality California, said "if and when" Pelosi decides to go out, the LGBTQ+ grouping 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 like, some allies could not even entertain the idea of her leaving office.
And in Washington, some previous Pelosi skeptics are on board.
Rep. Jim Cooper, a bluish dog Tennessee Democrat who has opposed her speaker bids in the past just backed her this twelvemonth, chosen Pelosi "indispensable to the current Congress." Asked virtually the side by side Congress, Cooper said she's indispensable to "Congress, menstruum. The Biden presidency really needs Nancy Pelosi every bit 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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