Congress Starts New Session, Pelosi Re-elected Speaker

Nancy Pelosi won a fourth term as Speaker of the House with only a handful of defections. Her election is likely to be her last term.

Nancy Pelosi was re-elected for a fourth term as Speaker of the House on Sunday, despite a handful of defections and a razor-thin majority. According to ABC News, Pelosi follows Paul Ryan and Newt Gingrich as speakers who did not win an outright majority in recent years.

Some expected fractures in the Democratic caucus bore out in the vote, as moderate members such as Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) supported Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) while a trio of Democrats first elected in 2018 declined to support any candidate while voting “present.”
Slotkin said she has been “vocal about the need for more Midwestern leaders” and her “present” vote was to “live up to the commitments” she made to her district.
Given the thin majority and Pelosi’s apparent need to shore up every vote, the House “constructed a special plexiglass box” in order for members under coronavirus quarantine orders could vote.
Pelosi has been the House Democrats’ leader since 2003 and this is her second stint as Speaker.
While Pelosi won with a few defections, Republicans rallied around Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), supporting him unanimously.

The New York Times reported on the closely divided House and several members, Democrat and Republican, urging both sides to work together on bipartisan compromises.
Vox highlighted the short-term problems Speaker Pelosi faces as three members of her narrow majority are up for jobs in the Biden Administration, seats that “will take time to fill” and will result in only 219 Democrats for Pelosi to rely on.
On the other hand, CNN played up Speaker Pelosi’s “tools at her disposal to curry votes” while highlighting quotes from several Pelosi allies touting her strength.

Fox News reported on criticism by Republican Representative Rodney Davis of Illinois for the decision to build a plexiglass box to “only protect the votes that Speaker Pelosi needs to get elected Speaker”.
The Editorial Board at The New York Post argues the Democrats’ efforts to “erase all gender references” in the House is hypocritical given how “Democrats were celebrating the first woman to be elected vice president” and that it shows how important it is keep a Republican majority in the Senate.
Barron’s connected the expected “flat” opening of the stock market on Monday to Pelosi’s election as Speaker.
The Washington Times emphasized outrage among a handful of Republicans when Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) ended the opening prayer with “Amen and a-women”, noting “amen” is not a reference to a gender but is Latin for “so be it.”

Return to Freespoke