The New Speaker of the House

Why is the office of Speaker of The House of Representatives so sought after?  Put briefly, the Speaker is endowed with enormous political power. The Speaker determines when a bill reaches the floor of the House, chairs the majority party's steering committees, selects nine of the thirteen members of the powerful Rules Committee and appoints all Democratic members of select and conference committees. When a bill is introduced, the Speaker determines which committee will consider it. As presiding officer of the House, the Speaker is the highest-ranking legislative official in the US government. 

For the next two years, the Speaker and the President will head opposite parties.  As the highest-ranking member of the opposition party (and de facto Leader of the Opposition), the Speaker is normally the chief public opponent of the President's agenda and has been known to undercut the President's agenda by blocking measures and rejecting bills passed in the Senate. Tip O'Neill, a vocal opponent of President Ronald Reagan's economic and defence policies, played a large part in delaying “trickle down” and defence spending. Newt Gingrich fought a bitter battle with President Clinton for control of domestic policy under “Contract with America.” Yet it was the Senate Republicans who defeated Gingrich, with help from Clinton. The Contract with America could have destroyed a lot of Republican political careers!

Nancy Pelosi, now aged 78, is the front runner for Speaker. She enjoys a reputation of paying close attention to the individual needs of Democratic colleagues especially those from vulnerable districts. She has a record of advancing agendas with priorities that Democratic Congressmen and women can sell in their districts. Pelosi is famous for her ability to raise millions in campaign contributions for the Party. She was directly responsible for some $130 million that went directly into the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for the 2018 mid-terms.

During the Obamacare negotiations, Pelosi was the master tactician. Holding scores of meetings, back-to-back, day into night, juggling phone calls from House and Senate leaders, Cabinet secretaries, not to mention the President to get a “yes,” she paid attention to vulnerable members; Pelosi knew they would pay the highest price for doing the right thing, and they did, losing seats in the 2016 election.

As the majority Party in the House, the Democrats have an opportunity to improve the Affordable Care Act, pass an infrastructure bill that works and do many other things, such as stopping The Wall. Pelosi supporters say the she is needed in the Speaker’s chair to get these things done. The country’s biggest unions argue that Pelosi is the best equipped Congressman to take on Trump and have lobbied Democrats to back her. Top donors have placed calls to lean on undecided members. Celebrities including Barbra Streisand and Martina Navratilova have weighed in for Pelosi. The cherry on the cake has been provided by former President Obama who said this week, "I think Nancy Pelosi, when the history is written, will go down as one of the most effective legislative leaders that this country's ever seen,"

Others feel differently about Pelosi. They believe there are things in her past that has her fundamentally tainted. That is hardly a surprise. She was first elected to the House in1986. Opponents say what is wanted is a Speaker not tainted by polarizing choices of the past, but who has experience, who is knowledgeable but doesn’t sound like she is lecturing, someone vibrant but not green, someone passionate but not a yeller. Someone fresh is wanted.

A potential challenge to Pelosi was expected from African American lawmaker, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio). It threatened to divide Democrats along racial lines. Pelosi moved quickly to solidify her support among prominent members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Then on Tuesday, Pelosi, in a show of political strength, cut a deal to sideline Fudge, who now says she will support Pelosi.  Fudge will be the chairman of a resurrected subcommittee on elections. Black women legislators in the House will now have a seat at the decision-making table.”

The first public test for Pelosi is Nov. 28, when Democratic Congressmen choose their candidates. She is expected to win easily. After that, the math may be tight. It has been reported in The Washington Post and elsewhere that twenty current and incoming Democrats will not support her for speaker. They have not identified themselves yet but in terms of numbers, this would exceed the fifteen votes Pelosi can lose when the full House Democrats vote.

Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi picked off another Democratic detractor as the opposition against her appears to be slowly crumbling. Brian Higgins, a New York Democrat who has criticized Pelosi for months and vowed repeatedly to vote against her in the new Congress, announced his support for the California Democrat.

What will then be the outcome? I have little doubt Pelosi will triumph but in doing so, what political deals will she make in addition to those with Fudge and Higgins? There’s an old saying that in life there are two things you don’t want to see made: sausages and a political deal.