EMBATTLED Nancy Pelosi was reelected as the Speaker of the House in a virtual vote despite Dems supposedly trying to oust her.
Pelosi‘s position was reportedly in jeopardy after the Democrats failed to expand their majority in the election and the party became increasingly divided.
Pelosi’s dominance over the House decreased after the Republicans kicked out several incumbents, defended representatives, and narrowed the gap between the rival political parties.
The Dems will control the House on a knife-edge majority for the next two years – but some feel new leadership is needed, reports said.
Yet, Pelosi managed to retain her position for another term, according to the House Democrats’ Twitter account.
Their statement read: “Congratulations to. @SpeakerPelosi, once again elected by House Democrats to be our fearless leader and nominee for Speaker of the House for the 117th Congress! #DownWithNDP #ForThePeople.”
A full House floor vote for the speakership won’t be happening until the new Congress is sworn in, however.
The news comes after the Democrats reportedly planned to oust Pelosi as Speaker after the House election collapse – and the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‘s Squad.
But her position was reportedly in peril as another Democrat Rep Elissa Slotkin turned against her as the party’s internal divisions are intensify.
“I will not be voting for Nancy Pelosi,” Slotkin told Politico. “I have no idea if people are going to run against her, or who might run against her.
“And I will of course have this conversation directly with her. But I believe we need new leadership.”
“I would love to see more Midwesterners, because if you look across the leadership,” the Michigan congresswoman added. “I respect these people, but it’s New York and California.”
Pelosi remained defiant last week before news of her re-election was confirmed by Congress, telling reporters: “I take credit for winning a majority and holding the House.”
Previously, two House Dems told The Hill that they, and other centrists, had planned to oust Pelosi, replacing her with House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker in the next Congress.
Although Jeffries rejected it, the bold move to get rid of the California politician marks a significant shift, the publication noted.
Earlier this month, some Democratic Party members blasted left-wing policies like “defund the police” on a conference call.
But one of House’s more progressive members, Rep Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota – an AOC squad member – insisted the party is like a “big family.”
She told MSNBC: “When you think about our party, Speaker Pelosi always says we are a big tent, and that means that we are a big family.
“We all have our own constituencies that we have to serve. We are part of a caucus working on behalf of the people.”
Pelosi is set to give a Capitol Hill conference today at 12.30pm local time.
