House and Senate lawmakers on Thursday are set to reinstall the same leaders who have governed the two chambers for years, despite calls from within both parties for new faces to take command.
“Democrats need new ideas, new leadership and new ideas,” Democratic strategist Doug Schoen told the Washington Examiner. “The current leadership lacks the freshness and vision to lead the Democratic Party forward.”
But even Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is poised to retain his top leadership post, despite presiding over a seven-seat loss on Nov. 4 that cost Democrats the Senate majority.
Across the Capitol, there is virtually no talk among Democrats about ousting Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, even though House Democrats shed at least 12 seats and saw their caucus shrink to the smallest number since 1927.
“No contests for the top positions,” a top House Democratic aide told the Examiner.
A Senate Democratic leadership aide confirmed the status quo will prevail in the upper chamber as well. “All four Democratic leaders are standing for re-election, so we don’t expect any changes there.”
Republican leaders are also poised to retain their leadership posts, with strategists crediting their big gains on Election Day.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is currently minority leader, is all but guaranteed to be chosen as the new Senate majority leader on Thursday, even though some in the party have called for a more conservative candidate.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, will be tapped by the GOP conference this week to serve his third term as speaker despite past threats from the Tea Party faction that it would choose a more conservative leader.
“When you have big wins, it limits the possibility of shakeups at the top,” Doug Heye, who served as a top aide to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told the Examiner.
The conservative Tea Party Republican faction in the Senate isn’t planning a formal challenge to McConnell, GOP aides told the Examiner. Instead it plans to use the legislative process to promote its conservative agenda.
“Leadership aren’t the ideas people, so it doesn’t make a difference” who wins, a GOP aide said. “Policy will come from the committee chairs and from aggressive members.”
That’s not to say there won’t be some grumbling before the leadership elections, but nothing big enough to topple either leadership team.
For example, red-state Senate Democrats have complained for months about Reid’s refusal to allow them to amend legislation.
But some of the lawmakers most likely to oppose Reid’s re-election lost their own races Tuesday and will not be voting in the leadership elections scheduled for this week.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., have refused to commit to Reid. But he’ll likely be re-elected by a voice vote in a closed-door meeting, which would make it difficult for a small minority of Democrats to stage a coup.
“Despite the devastating losses and the thought in some quarters that he should fall on his sword, Reid prefers to brandish the blade,” said Jon Ralston, a Nevada political columnist who has followed Reid’s career for decades. “And his troops, despite the grumbling, generally remain loyal because he has been there for them.”
There are few young or new faces among the leaders in either party.
Reid, 74, has led Senate Democrats since 2006.
Pelosi, who is also 74, has been the top Democrat in the House since 2003.
Their deputies haven’t changed much, either.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, 75, of Maryland, has served as the No. 2 House Democrat since 2003. Rep. James Clyburn, 74, of South Carolina, has held the No. 3 spot since 2007.
Reid’s deputies, Majority Whip Dick Durbin, 69, of Illinois, and Charles Schumer of New York, 63, have held their leadership posts since 2007 and 2010, respectively.
Senate Republican leaders are just as grey at the top, though a couple of their deputies are under 60.
Boehner is about to turn 65. McConnell is 72.
The House GOP leadership is overall considerably younger, and all except Boehner were elected to their leadership positions just a few months ago — a major reason few in the House GOP are clamoring for a change at the top.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of California, is 49, as is Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry is 39.
