Washington, DC – Whereas Individuals could have been divided over Nancy Pelosi’s legacy, few would disagree that the outgoing speaker of the Home of Representatives’s determination to step down spells a brand new period in US politics.
For almost 30 years, Pelosi was the highest Democratic Home lawmaker, guiding historic laws to the end line as speaker, and irritating – and generally cooperating with Republicans as minority chief.
Right here, Al Jazeera appears to be like at what’s subsequent for the Home and US politics within the post-Pelosi period.
Who will change Pelosi as speaker?
Democrats narrowly misplaced management of the Home within the midterm elections earlier this month. So, the subsequent speaker shall be from the incoming Republican majority.
In an inner vote, the Republican caucus has nominated Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy to function speaker, so he’ll doubtless take the gavel from Pelosi when the brand new Congress convenes on January 3.
However that final result just isn’t assured.
With vote counting nonetheless below method, the precise make-up of the brand new Congress just isn’t but identified. A number of Home contests stay too near name.
The Home speaker is elected by a majority of all members. Not less than two right-wing Republicans have stated they might not again McCarthy for speaker. With a slim Republican majority, McCarthy could not be capable of safe the 218 votes he must succeed Pelosi.
In that case, the Home will maintain additional rounds of voting till a candidate wins a majority. And not using a speaker, the chamber could be successfully nonfunctional.
The final time a speaker was not elected within the first roll name was in 1923.
Who will change into the Democratic chief?
With Pelosi leaving the Home management, Democrats might want to discover a new lawmaker to function minority chief and subsequently as speaker in the event that they regain management of the chamber sooner or later.
That new chief will most probably be New York’s Hakeem Jeffries, who has the backing of Pelosi and different high Democrats.
Jeffries, 52, introduced his bid for the management in a letter to colleagues on Friday. The congressman, who at the moment serves because the Democratic caucus chairman, has been extensively believed to be a frontrunner to succeed Pelosi for years. Now he seems set to run uncontested for the management position.
If he wins, he would change into the primary Black get together chief in Congress.
What’s Jeffries’s agenda?
Within the letter asserting his bid, Jeffries promised to construct on the work that Home Democrats have executed through the years in cooperation with the Biden administration.
He additionally promised to push to “empower” particular person members of the racially and ideologically numerous Democratic caucus and work to take again the bulk in 2024.
The congressman stated Democrats would enhance their communication technique to spotlight that they’re “really the get together that defends freedom, promotes financial alternative and values households by uplifting them”.
After the assault on Pelosi’s husband on the couple’s residence in San Francisco, which authorities say was politically motivated, Jeffries stated he would bolster lawmakers’ safety.
And whereas praising what Home Democrats have achieved in recent times, he stated: “Extra have to be executed to fight inflation, defend our democracy, safe reproductive freedom, welcome new Individuals, promote equal safety below the legislation and enhance public security all through this nation.”
Who else is leaving the Democratic management?
Pelosi just isn’t the one high Democrat who shall be stepping down from the Home management. Home majority chief Steny Hoyer – additionally in his 80s – is not going to retain his management place, both.
Majority whip Jim Clyburn, 82, can be anticipated to step down and search one other management position.
Massachusetts’s Katherine Clark has launched a bid to change into the Democratic whip, and California’s Pete Aguilar is a frontrunner to take over as caucus chair.
Pelosi endorsed Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar in a press release on Thursday, saying that they mirror the “stunning variety” of the nation.
Yesterday, I stated that the time has come for a brand new era to guide our magnificent @HouseDemocrats. It’s with satisfaction, gratitude and confidence of their skills that I salute @RepJeffries, @RepKClark & @RepPeteAguilar for being prepared and keen to imagine this duty.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) November 18, 2022
What’s going to Pelosi do subsequent?
The outgoing speaker will proceed to function a congresswoman, representing her San Francisco district a minimum of for the subsequent two years after she was reelected earlier this month.
“There isn’t any higher official honour for me than to face on this ground and to talk for the folks of San Francisco,” she stated on Thursday.
“This I’ll proceed to do as a member of the Home – talking for the folks of San Francisco, serving the nice state of California and defending our Structure.”
