Democrats are anticipated to gather in the Capitol on Friday for the crucial vote to appoint the next Speaker of the House, as reported by the Democratic whip’s office.
The importance of full participation from Democrats is underscored by the narrow margins within the House, along with the potential for certain conservative Republicans to oppose Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) attempt to retain his position as Speaker in the 119th Congress.
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Currently, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has pledged to cast his vote for a candidate other than Johnson during Friday’s session. This situation means that if another Republican also defects, Johnson would be unable to secure the simple majority of voting members necessary to maintain his Speakership, provided all Democrats are present and voting for their preferred candidate, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Johnson can withstand two GOP defections if just one Democrat is absent; should three Democrats miss the vote, he could allow for three Republican defections and still succeed.
These factors have turned the issue of Democratic attendance into a point of focus in Washington, particularly due to health concerns affecting a few Democratic lawmakers.
Among those is Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who has been undergoing lung cancer treatment for much of the past year, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who recently had hip replacement surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Germany following a fall in Luxembourg last month.
On Thursday morning, Pelosi shared a brief update on the social platform X, stating that she was on a plane headed to Washington. Additionally, Rep. Katherine Clark’s (D-Mass.) office, representing the Democratic whip, conveyed that party leaders expect all caucus members to be present for the vote on Friday.
