On Tuesday, December 29, a reporter asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a question about the election of a new speaker of the House. Pelosi expressed her confidence in her re-election as speaker, but the Democratic Party is divided on the issue.
Some Democratic lawmakers have already said they will not support Pelosi. Some Democrats even believe that House Minority (Republican) Leader Kevin McCarthy may be elected as Speaker of the House based on the epidemic. There are also some Democratic lawmakers who are noncommittal about whether they will vote for Pelosi.
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Joe, said the New Coronavirus (the Chinese Communist virus) is something unpredictable, and with several Democratic lawmakers sickened and unable to return, the overall race is at risk.
Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Mich.) also said, “In theory, the Democrats have six or eight people infected with the New Coronavirus who can’t come back, and the Republicans don’t. They’ll probably go with McCarthy.” But according to the latest news, Louisiana Republican Congressman-elect Luke Letlow (R) passed away on Dec. 29 after contracting the New Coronavirus.
Democratic Rep. Jim Himes (D-N.Y.) told The Hill on Dec. 26 that some Democrats may oppose Pelosi. Democratic Reps. Conor Lamb, Jared Golden and Elissa Slotkin have all said they will not vote for Pelosi.
In early December, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), a self-described socialist, also said she would not support Pelosi. She said, “It’s time to have a different kind of leader.”
In the election, Democrats lost at least 10 seats in the House. McCarthy said in November that the decline in Democratic seats in the House could prevent Pelosi from getting enough votes to be re-elected as speaker.
In the House plenary session held on January 3, Pelosi had to get 218 votes from 435 votes to continue to be re-elected as speaker.
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