Dems Pick Hoyers for Majority Leader; First Setback For Pelosi
The House Democratic Caucus has selected Steny Hoyer to become the House Majority Leader Designee. In a bitter internal battle the House Democratic Caucus by secret ballot elected Hoyer by a vote of 149 - 86.
Hoyer you may remember was locked in a bitter battle against Nancy Pelosi for House Minority Leader a few years ago. Earlier in the day, the Caucus unanimously elected Pelosi Speaker Designee after which she nominated and put her full support behind Jack Murtha for Majority Leader.
Only time will tell now if there will be internal strife within the House Democratic Caucus in the next 2 years.
Murtha was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam scandal of the 1970s, which has prompted some to support the other man seeking the House majority leader’s job — Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland — as the more ethical candidate.
Hoyer, also on appropriations, sent $61.7 million to his district just outside of Washington during this Congress, the watchdog group says. That put him among the top 10% of earmarkers in the House. The earmarks frequently benefited local defense contractors.
In the 2006 defense appropriations bill, for example, Hoyer secured $2.8 million for ManTech International Corp., which has a facility in his district that is developing a military project. ManTech’s executives and its political action committee have donated $49,000 to Hoyer’s campaign and leadership funds since 2001.
AP
The balloting marked a personal triumph for him, but also a snub to Pelosi, moments after the rank and file selected her unanimously to become speaker when the House convenes in January.
“We made history and now we will make progress for the American people,” Pelosi told the party caucus moments after her selection.
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