WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed said he believes President Trump has realized that Republicans are open to having Nancy Pelosi serve as the next Speaker of the House.
Reed’s statement to reporters during a teleconference Monday comes after President Trump tweeted over the weekend that he believes Pelosi has deserved the right to serve as the next Speaker of the House. When asked by WNYNewsNow if he’s spoken to the President about Pelosi possibly becoming the next Speaker, Reed declined to comment as he said he will continue to keep any conversation with the President private.
“The bottom line is, I think the President is recognizing that there are many of us in the Republican Party that are open to this speakership of Nancy Pelosi,” Reed said. “It comes with a committment that we need to reform the rules of the House to make it work for the American people. That’s where I’m at, that’s where I believe many Republican potential members are at.”
“If Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to engage in this committment, there are other candidates on the Democratic side that have broached the conversation with our office as well as others about getting bipartisan support for the next Speaker of the House so long as that rule reform package is implemented and adopted so we can legislate again for the American people.”
Reed didn’t say, specifically, that he plans on voting for Pelosi. He said, from his perspective, that the process is very “dynamic” and is “very fluid” as significant change as possible. The Democrats, when they return to Capital Hill in the next few weeks, will undergo a private, secret ballot vote. The vote on the floor of the House, after the new Congress is sworn in, will take place in January.
A candidate must obtain 218 votes to become the next Speaker of the House as there are 535 U.S. Representatives.
Reed said that he’d hesitate to say Pelosi would be the most qualified person to become the Speaker of the House when asked by WNYNewsNow.
“I would hesitate to say that (she’d be the most qualified),” Reed said. “But, if knowing her ambition, knowing her desire to be Speaker of the House, and if that desire so moves her to make this committment and actually reform the rules of the House, I will cease upon that opportunity to do so.”
“I think there are many leaders on the Democratic side who are committed to legislatating. I think the realization Nancy is going to face over the next few weeks is she may be able to get the election by secret ballot at 51 percent, but she’s going to have a real hard time getting 218 votes on the floor of the House that she needs in order to be the next speaker.”
The Congressman said, regardless of whether or not it’s Pelosi, that there’s an opportunity for a candidate to emerge that could “unite” the House of Representatives.
“I think there’s a huge opportunity for a sincere person, rather than someone who’s represented historically a partisan effort with Nancy Pelosi’s speakership and leadership, for a new candidate to emerge that could, so to speak, unite the House of Representatives to have it become a functioning body for the American people.”
