WASHINGTON –
With management of the House nonetheless hanging within the steadiness, Speaker Nancy Pelosi stayed mum Sunday on her future plans however mentioned congressional colleagues are urging her to hunt one other time period as Democratic leader following a powerful displaying within the midterm elections.
Appearing in Sunday information exhibits, Pelosi mentioned Democrats are “still alive” of their struggle to win the chamber and that she’s going to decide on whether or not to run for House management within the subsequent couple weeks.
“People are campaigning and that’s a beautiful thing. And I’m not asking anyone for anything,” she mentioned, referring to House Democratic management elections set for Nov. 30. “My members are asking me to consider doing that. But, again, let’s just get through the (midterm) election.”
“An important deal is at stake, as a result of we will probably be in a presidential election,” Pelosi mentioned.
Over the weekend, Democrats clinched management of the Senate following Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s victory in Nevada. But within the House, a majority stays unsettled with neither social gathering having but reached the 218 seats wanted to regulate the 435-member chamber. As of Sunday, Republicans had 212 seats in comparison with 204 for the Democrats, with 19 races nonetheless to be known as by The Associated Press.
Some races can take days and even weeks to name.
Pelosi, D-Calif., declined to foresee whether or not her social gathering will retain management of the House, saying she was “disappointed” with 4 Democratic losses in New York, together with by Congressional Campaign Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney, which in the end may make the distinction.
“Nonetheless, we still think we have a chance to win this,” she mentioned. “Nobody would have ever expected that we would be this close. Well, we expected it.”
On the GOP aspect, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is searching for to change into House speaker if his social gathering prevails, however the disappointing displaying within the midterms has created turmoil for leaders and requires a brand new path. Former President Donald Trump’s impact on the 2022 races can also be being hotly debated as he prepares to announce one other run.
Pelosi on Sunday mentioned she believed that President Joe Biden ought to run for a second time period, citing his legislative accomplishments such because the bipartisan infrastructure regulation and the Inflation Reduction Act in addition to the creation of thousands and thousands of jobs underneath his watch.
“He has been a great president and he has a great record to run on,” she mentioned.
The 82-year-old Pelosi, who has led Democrats within the House since 2003 and is the primary feminine speaker, had struck a cope with House members to serve for 2 extra phrases as leader — or 4 years — after Democrats received management of the chamber in 2018. But she hasn’t introduced her plans, nor have her prime two deputies, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. There has been some strain from youthful House members to move the torch to new leaders.
Pelosi’s choice additionally comes after her husband was attacked late final month within the couple’s San Francisco house, struggling a cranium fracture and different accidents. The intruder, 42-year-old David DePape, demanded “Where is Nancy?” earlier than hanging Paul Pelosi with a hammer. She was in Washington on the time.
Pelosi mentioned Sunday that her husband’s restoration will probably be a “long haul, but he’s doing well,” though the trauma of the attack was “intensified” by Republicans’ “ridiculous, disrespectful attitude.” Top Republicans, together with Trump, had downplayed the assault and unfold misinformation about it.
“It wasn’t just the attack. It was the Republican reaction to it, which was disgraceful,” she mentioned.
Pelosi mentioned her choice on whether or not to run once more for House management will probably be “about family” but “also my colleagues,” citing a need to move forward “in a very unified way” going into a brand new Congress and the 2024 marketing campaign season. She harassed the alternatives for Democrats that lie forward.
“Who would have thought two months ago that this red wave would turn into a little tiny trickle, if that at all?” she mentioned. “But we never believed that. We believed.”
“There are all kinds of ways to exert influence,” Pelosi added. “Speaker has superior energy, however I’ll at all times have affect.”
Pelosi spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union” and ABC’s “This Week.”