House Democrat who opposed Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker now says he will back her
House Democrat who opposed Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker now says he will back her
One of the House Democrats who signed onto a letter opposing Nancy Pelosi for Speaker has apparently changed his mind.
Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., told The Buffalo News he decided to back Pelosi, 78, after she promised to allow him to head up Democrats’ push to change the Medicare buy-in age and would tackle a major infrastructure bill.
“I have an agreement in principle with the Democratic leader that those are going to be two priorities, and that I will be the lead person on the Medicare buy-in,” Higgins told the newspaper, adding he’s spoken to Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over the past few days.
Earlier this year, Higgins called Pelosi “aloof, frenetic and misguided.”
Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., said he decided to support Nancy Pelosi's bid for Speaker after she agreed to tackle parts of his agenda.
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But Higgins also noted that Democrats “don’t even have a semblance of a viable alternative at this point” when it comes to who will hold the gavel in the upcoming Congress.
Pelosi, who became the first female House Speaker when she was elected in 2007, is facing some opposition from those in her own party in her bid to take her old job back now that Democrats have regained control of the House. Earlier this week, 16 Democrats – including Higgins – circulated a letter calling for “new leadership” and promising to vote against her.
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“We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus. She is a historic figure whose leadership has been instrumental to some of our party’s most important legislative achievements,” the letter from both incumbent and newly elected Democrats read. “However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran and won on a message of change.”
To get the gavel, Pelosi would first need to pick up a majority of the Democratic Caucus in internal leadership elections, then go on to win an “absolute majority” of votes cast on the House floor. If just 17 Democrats vote against Pelosi on the floor, she would not have the votes – at least from her party – to secure the leadership post.
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Higgins' reversal comes a day after Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge decided not to launch a campaign for House Speaker, backing her California colleague instead. Pelosi named Fudge the incoming chairman of a revived elections subcommittee. The panel will delve into voting rights issues that are a priority for Fudge and the new Democratic majority.
After Higgins’ reversal, Pelosi told The Buffalo News she thought the New Yorker “has been an extraordinary leader on the issue of achieving quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”
“I am honored by his support,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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