Nancy Pelosi refused to offer any concessions to her Democratic rivals during a high-stakes meeting this week; saying she would become a “lame duck” leader if she gave a timeline for when she would give-up the gavel should she becomes Speaker.
“A trio of her fiercest Democratic critics — lawmakers trying to bar her from reclaiming the speaker’s gavel — were trying to pin her down on exactly when she planned to relinquish power,” writes Politico. “Nancy Pelosi was having none of it.”
“They went in hoping to begin some type of conversation about a transition to leadership and it never even left the ground,” said one Democratic insider familiar with the negotiations.
Earlier this month, 16 ‘Never Nancy’ Democrats signed an official letter calling for new leadership after the party retakes control of the House in January.
It remains unclear whether Pelosi has the votes to reclaim her title as Speaker, but party insiders believe her election is all-but imminent.
Read the full story at Politico.
NEVER NANCY? Liberal Democrats Move to BLOCK Pelosi as Speaker of the House
A group of left-leaning Democratic Representatives moved this week to block Nancy Pelosi from becoming the Speaker of the House; revealing the existence of a mysterious “letter” signed by at least 17 legislators who pledged to vote against the party leader.
“Fox News has confirmed at least 17 House Democrats, including incumbents and incoming members, have signed on to a document saying they will not support Pelosi on the House floor for speaker. A Democrat familiar with the effort says they are trying to add more names before the letter is publicly released,” writes Fox.
If the numbers hold and vote against Pelosi on the House floor, she would fail to secure enough support to regain the gavel when Democrats retake control in January.
“After we, as Democrats, make our selection, our new members should not be pressured into voting against our party’s nominee on the House floor in January — when the choice will be between the Democratic candidate and the Republican candidate,” said leading Rep. Elijah Cummings. “That will only play into the hands of House Republicans and President Trump.”
Read the full story at Fox News.
ONE STEP CLOSER: Another ‘Never Nancy’ Democrat CAVES, Endorses Pelosi
A prominent ‘Never Nancy’ Democrat who recently signed a letter calling for new leadership within the party reversed course this week; officially supporting Rep. Pelosi as the future Speaker of the House.
According to the Buffalo News, “Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo reversed course Wednesday and said he will support Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to be the speaker of the House, delivering a devastating blow to a weakening rebellion in the ranks that aims to oust her from the top job in the incoming House of Representatives.”
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), who signed the anti-Pelosi letter, flips and says he’ll support her for Speaker.https://t.co/Ee1MC7x6fe
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) November 21, 2018
“I have an agreement in principle with the Democratic leader that those are going to be two priorities, and that I will be the lead person on the Medicare buy-in,” Higgins said.
Higgins reversal paves the way for Pelosi to become the likely leader of the Democrats when they retake control of Congress in January.