Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday took a swipe at one-time rival Nancy Pelosi Tuesday for discussing term limits with key holdouts in the Democratic caucus as she continues to move toward retaking the speaker’s gavel in January.
The Maryland Democrat, currently House minority whip, reiterated to reporters Tuesday that he is not supportive of term limits in any way — whether for tenure in Congress or leadership for chairmanships and ranking member positions. Hoyer then jabbed at Pelosi, now House minority leader, saying she isn’t “negotiating for me” in the ongoing talks.
“She’s not negotiating for me,” Hoyer said, adding that she has not kept him apprised of the ongoing negotiations. “I think there’s a lot of discussion about it. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I hope it doesn’t happen.”
“No … I have not supported term limits,” Hoyer said. “I am against term limits because I have a term limit. It’s a two-year term limit.”
After questions delved into whether he would support them for other positions, including chairmanships and ranking member posts, Hoyer tried to make his position crystal clear.
“I’m not for term limits. Is anybody confused?” Hoyer told reporters with a laugh. “I. Am. Not. For. Term. Limits.”
“I am for the intellect of the voter, whether it’s my constituency or my colleagues being able to operate without such a constraint and choose who they want when they want for leadership or representation.”
The comments came shortly after a House Democratic caucus meeting where talk of instituting term limits was pushed until the new Congress, when new members will be back in Washington and ensconced in office.
“Nothing was resolved,” Hoyer said.
According to Politico, Pelosi is discussing a plan with opponents of her speakership that would cap her time, along with Hoyer’s as majority leader and the leadership role of incoming Majority Leader James Clyburn, D-S.C., at eight years. Due to their time as speaker, majority leader and majority whip from 2007-2011, that would count toward their allotted time, giving them a maximum of four more years in their likely respective slots.
While Hoyer and Clyburn overwhelmingly won their House Democratic elections for the spots, Pelosi remains short of the requisite 218 votes to become speaker once again.
The trio, each in their late 70s, has faced criticism from younger members of a static leadership system. The term limits split between Pelosi and Hoyer harkens back to earlier leadership fights between the pair. In 2001, Pelosi beat out Hoyer for House minority whip.
