Sunday marks the swearing-in of the 117th Congress, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., likely to win re-election despite a shrinking Democratic majority.
Pelosi is running unopposed but, with Democrats holding a smaller majority than the prior Congress, she can only afford to have a small handful of lawmakers peel off and opt to write-in someone else.
“Well, Nancy Pelosi will be the next speaker of the House of Representatives,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told “Fox News Sunday.” “There is incredible enthusiasm for Speaker Pelosi because she’s done the work.”
In a letter to colleagues Sunday morning, Pelosi said the new Congress will convene “during a time of extraordinary difficulty.”
“Each of our communities has been drastically affected by the pandemic and economic crisis: 350,000 tragic deaths, over 20 million infections, millions without jobs — a toll almost beyond comprehension,” she said. “Thank you for your generosity of spirit and patriotism to take on this challenge For The People.”
“I am enormously grateful for the trust that Members have placed in me,” she added. “I am confident that the Speaker’s election today will show a united Democratic Caucus ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the vote for speaker— which must be conducted in person— will look different than in past years. Members will be broken up into separate groups rather than having all of the elected representatives gathered on the floor at once. This roll call vote is expected to take a few hours after it begins Sunday afternoon.
At least a handful of members will not be present for the vote, including Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., who is battling pancreatic cancer, and Rep. David Valadao, R-Ca., and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., who recently tested positive for Covid-19.
Pelosi won the prior vote for speaker by a 220 to 192 edge over House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Senators are also being sworn in on Sunday. The ceremonies will mark the end of Sen. David Perdue’s term in office. Perdue, R-Ga., will leave the seat vacant until either he or Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff is certified as the winner of one of Tuesday’s widely-watched Senate runoff in that state. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., is also facing a runoff on Tuesday, but she will remain in her seat through the election because she was earlier appointed to continue a term that does not expire on Sunday.
The Senate will stand at 51 Republican senators and 48 Democrats following the swearing-in ceremonies. Should Democrats prevail in the Georgia runoffs, that split would become 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote, giving Democrats the majority.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
