House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been deafeningly quiet on reports that she may step down at the end of this term.
Democratic House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., told The Hill that his gut tells him that this will be Pelosi’s last term. He also added that there are a lot of people who can be Pelosi’s successors.
Pelosi would not be alone if she were to resign from the House of Representatives.
No less than 23 Democratic parliamentarians have stated their intention to resign, with some quitting politics entirely and others going on to other jobs or the private sector.
This hurricane of departures from the left has generated what some have dubbed “destabilization” within the party’s rank and file, resulting in a slew of concerns.
One of the questions that many Democrats are asking is who will head the party if Pelosi steps down and President Joe Biden’s popularity declines.
Another concern related to this one is whether the party is leaning too much to the left and right, with moderates feeling more alienated from progressives.
Senators Joe Manchin and Krystin Sinema are two examples of this division, since they have repeatedly opposed the party policy, most recently on the clot repeal effort.
In contrast, the “Squad” has been criticizing the DNC’s normal policy decisions, claiming that even Pelosi’s leadership isn’t doing enough to advance the far-left agenda, casting doubt on the party’s future leadership.
If Pelosi confirms her resignation, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) would likely be the first in line to succeed her, followed by House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC).
Neither of them, however, has stated that they want to campaign for the role.
