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WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats won the majority. Now, they just need a Speaker of the House.
The confrontation around Nancy Pelosi's candidacy intensified as Democrats left Washington for the Thanksgiving break after a troubling weekend in an otherwise triumphant week that had welcomed them with a historic class of newcomers to Capitol Hill and in preparation control Republicans.
Pelosi, lecturer from 2007 to 2011 and the first woman to hold the position, was certain to keep it. His opponents were just as confident of having the voices to stop his ascent. And now, President Donald Trump gets into the fray by proposing Saturday Republican voters to vote for the candidacy of Pelosi, although the GOP has long used the California Democrat as an election target.
For the moment, it is a group of discontented democrats, mainly led by men, at the forefront of the opposition. With an imminent test vote at the end of November and at least one potential Pelosi challenger ahead, the Democrats are facing the uncomfortable prospect of internal feuding that the January 3 vote of the speaker could last for years. weeks.
"I think chaos is good if it's productive. I think that chaos is bad if it creates too much disruption and that it divides us too much, "said Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus of Congress, whose leaders were optimistic after meeting Pelosi last week. .
"We do not have a lot of time," Jayapal said. "We have to give the vision of who we are as a party and what we are fighting for, so it must happen very, very quickly."
Pelosi had to work on the phone from California after meeting privately on Friday with newly elected Democrats, who could play a crucial role in his candidacy.
These new lawmakers indicated that they had good meetings with the leader, but few said the talks had changed in view.
Elected Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia said that she had had a "wonderful talk" about her district's priorities, but that she "will not vote" for Pelosi.
"It's not home, it's wanting new leadership," said Spanberger, a former CIA member who defeated Republican tea party representative Dave Brat in the suburbs of Richmond. "There is nothing she can say, because the decision does not concern her."
The elected representative, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, said that he had had a "nice meeting", but that there remained a "no" to Pelosi. He is one of 17 Democrats who signed a letter opposing her. Van Drew stated that they had discussed his districts and the committees on which he wished to sit. "I do not feel under pressure," he said.
Pelosi also met for 45 minutes with representative Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, a potential rival for the position of president, who said the two had "a very open and frank discussion," including on "the feeling within the caucus of people who feel left out. outside and left behind. "
Fudge said that she would probably decide after the Thanksgiving break if she will run.
"To her credit, she wanted to know what my concerns were," said Fudge. "What she asked me was basically how we could get to a point where I'm supportive."
A question for some Democrats is what Pelosi means exactly when she says she intends to become a leader of the transition, a bridge to a new generation. She has been running the party for 15 years.
"We talked about succession planning," Fudge said. "I think it's something that our caucus is interested in knowing."
If this was the responsibility of the majority of the Democratic Party, Pelosi would win easily. They see her as a competent and experienced leader, ready to confront Trump and respect his priorities.
Pelosi, 78, became the first speaker after the Democrats took control of the House in the mid-term elections of former President George W. Bush's second term. With President Barack Obama, she played a crucial role in passing the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
She seems to win the away match with her candidacy, amassing endorsements from a Democrat in the country. Inside the Capitol, it has the support of influential lawmakers such as the representative of Georgia, John Lewis, and the support of some of the new members of the House.
The domestic debate is overflowing at the national level, especially on social media, where Democratic activists publicly criticize Democratic representatives Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Tim Ryan of Ohio and others leading the campaign to overthrow Pelosi.
It is not lost on the fans' side that a group made up mostly of men leads the effort. On the list of the 17 names that signed a letter against her, there are only three women.
With a narrow Democratic majority, which now has 231 seats in the 435-member House, Pelosi does not have much leeway to get the required 218 votes, assuming all Republicans vote against it as planned. Some races in the House remain undecided and the Democratic majority could increase slightly.
If lawmakers are absent or vote "present", the calculations could change in favor of Pelosi, which means she would need fewer than 218 votes to get the absolute majority.
Trump, trying to interfere in the race, tweeted Saturday that he could get Pelosi "as many votes as he wants" to become an orator. "She deserves this win, she deserved it – but some members of her party are trying to take it away. She will win! "
Trump included the twitter link for Rep. Tom Reed, a New York Republican who stated that he might be willing to support Pelosi if she pledged to make changes that would somewhat deflect the power of the direction of the House.
Pelosi's latest eulogy on Trump's post-election elections raises questions about his sincerity, as Republicans have tried to tie every possible opportunity the Democrats in competitive congressional districts in Pelosi. GOP lawmakers who are considering approving Pelosi would open up to one of the main potential challenges in 2020 for daring to support a person their base has avenged.
Associate Press editors Alan Fram, Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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