Hoyer & Clyburn Reach Leadership Deal
Politico reports:
House Democrats have reached a deal to keep both Reps. Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn in the leadership, with Hoyer (D-Md.) serving as minority whip and Clyburn (D-S.C) taking a new, as-yet-still-undefined number three position.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) who is seeking the minority leader's job in the next Congress, reached an agreement with Clyburn on late Friday night, and Democratic leaders quickly announced the deal.
Clyburn's title and responsibilities were not specified in the announcement from Pelosi's office, and Democratic leadership aides scrambled to explain the deal to reporters.
The agreement ends a race between Hoyer and Clyburn for minority whip while also leaving Rep. John Larson (Conn.) as Democratic Caucus chairman, the number four leadership position.
"Over the past four years, Congressman Clyburn’s effective leadership in the Whip’s Office was crucial to our passage of historic legislation on jobs, health care, veterans and Wall Street reform on behalf of the American people," Pelosi said in a statement. "Without Jim Clyburn’s determination, we would not have expanded college opportunities for millions of students, improved community health centers, or promoted jobs through investments in infrastructure, including rural broadband."
Pelosi can now move into Wednesday's caucus vote with no major leadership fights on the her hand, although there is still significant unrest over her decision to stay on as minority leader despite the Democratic defeat in the Nov. 2 midterms.
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