PECKING AT PELOSI

It’s looking like a sure thing that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will once again be elected Speaker of the House in early January, but it has cost Pelosi concessions from several incoming freshman congressmen. There are 66 new (and counting, with a few races still being counted) members in the 234-member caucus, which includes 35 women and 22 individuals of color – the most diverse group ever elected, and they represent a broad ideological spread, and want Pelosi and her leadership group to accommodate their views. In December, a group of 46 newly-elected members – including Elissa Slotkin (D-Rochester, Rochester Hills), Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills) and Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township), sent Pelosi a letter asking for spots on powerful committees and monthly meetings with leadership. Pelosi has agreed to many of the group’s requests, and Levin and Stevens have stated they will vote for her as Speaker. However, Slotkin so far is holding out from committing to vote for her, stating that she is “sticking to her word.” Throughout her successful campaign against Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester,Rochester Hills) in November for MI-8, she had vowed to not support Pelosi for Speaker, asserting it is time for new leadership in Congress. But after Pelosi’s recent showdown with President Trump over the issue of the “wall,” Slotkin may want to get on board.