California Democrat Nancy Pelosi won a fourth term with the speaker’s gavel on Sunday amid a slimmer majority and a caucus hindered by COVID-19.
Several Democratic lawmakers refused to vote for Pelosi, but she managed to secure a majority and prevail over Republican Kevin McCarthy of California by a vote of 216-208. McCarthy will serve as minority leader for the next two years. Every Republican voted for McCarthy.
In an unusual move meant to accommodate the COVID-19 outbreak, Several lawmakers were allowed to vote from the viewing gallery above the chamber, quarantined off with large plastic screens. The lawmakers were exposed to the coronavirus and would typically be in quarantine. They tested negative.
Pelosi became the oldest House speaker when she turned 80 in March. She told reporters earlier this year she would honor a pledge to step down after this term, which concludes at the end of 2022.
Pelosi was first elected to serve as speaker in 2007 and held the gavel for two terms before the GOP defeated Democrats in the 2010 election.
Pelosi remained minority leader until 2019, when Democrats reclaimed the majority and elected her once again to serve as House speaker. At that time, Pelosi had to quell a rebellion among a faction of newly elected moderates, who wanted the older leadership team to step aside for younger leaders. That’s when Pelosi promised to serve only two terms as speaker, which will make the coming congressional session her last with the gavel if she sticks to the pledge.
Despite the pledge, Pelosi did not win the unanimous support of her caucus on Sunday.
Democratic Reps. Abigail Spangerger of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan voted “present.”
Rep. Jared Golden, a Maine Democrat, also declined to vote for Pelosi. Golden voted to elect Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, to serve as Speaker. Democrat Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania rejected Pelosi and instead voted for Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York to become speaker.
Liberals, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and newly-elected Cori Bush of Missouri, stuck with Pelosi despite pressure from the left to reject her for a more progressive leader.
Pelosi will govern over a much narrower majority than the one she enjoyed in the 116th session.
Republicans flipped more than a dozen seats in the Nov. 3 election, shrinking the Democrats’ lead to just a handful of votes.
Pelosi told Democrats in a memo on Sunday the first order of business will be certifying the results of the presidential election in a session that begins on Wednesday.
Most House Republicans plan to contest the results along with nearly a dozen Senate Republicans, which will delay certification of the electoral colleges.
“I am enormously grateful for the trust that Members have placed in me,” Pelosi wrote to Democrats on Sunday. “I am confident that the Speaker’s election today will show a united Democratic Caucus ready to meet the challenges ahead, and that we are prepared to set our country on a new course, starting with the Electoral College meeting on Wednesday.”
House Democrats will also introduce a rules package, which lawmakers will vote on Tuesday. The package sets the terms for the upcoming session and will include new gender-neutral language, provisions aimed at diversifying congressional staff, and a change in the amendment process that will weaken the ability of the GOP minority to change Democratic legislation.
