Democrats anticipating Nancy Pelosi's exit, Hakeem Jeffries seen as contender to be House Speaker

There has been speculation as to when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will step down from her role as the top Democrat in Congress. The Democratic Party has reportedly been preparing for a future where Pelosi is no longer the Speaker, with New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries seen as a major contender to the position.

A report by the Washington Post reveals that House Democrats are now preparing for a major shift in leadership when Pelosi finally steps down as House Speaker. The major shift would come to define the party moving forward, especially as younger lawmakers are gaining more support. Jeffries, who chairs the House Democratic caucus, is seen as a big favorite to succeed Pelosi when the California Democrat finally steps down from her position.

However, the report noted that a debate has begun among House Democrats as to who will serve in the House Democratic leadership, which would expose a divide between progressives and moderates. The report further noted the growing progressive faction of the party and what may happen regarding how the party plans to counter the Republican Party that is still under the control of Donald Trump.

Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna told the newspaper that whoever is going to succeed Pelosi or serve in the House Democratic leadership role will have to listen to the members of the caucus. Khanna also said he hopes that the next generation of House Democratic leaders also embraces progressive positions.

The news outlet interviewed two dozen lawmakers who expressed respect for Pelosi, but some also expressed an eagerness to be under new leadership.

This week marks one year since the January 6 Capitol insurrection, and Pelosi recently announced the lineup of events to commemorate the incident. Pelosi announced Thursday last week that the events include testimonials from lawmakers, a prayer vigil with the Senate, as well as a panel discussion with historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham.

The House is not in session on the week of the anniversary, and the events would be live-streamed to the public. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow will be leading the session of testimonials of lawmakers regarding the events of January 6.