Pelosi: Republicans’ ‘cavalier’ attitude in Speaker election ‘frivolous, disrespectful’

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is criticizing the GOP’s approach to the Speakership election as it reaches its third day, saying that Republicans’ “cavalier” attitude is “frivolous” and “disrespectful.”

“All who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body,” Pelosi tweeted late Wednesday. “Sadly, Republicans’ cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution.”

“We must open the House and proceed with the People’s work,” she continued.

The House has been brought to a standstill as the body has been unable to elect a Speaker during the first two days of its new session. The House is not able to conduct any additional business, including swearing in new members, until a Speaker is elected.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) has tried to consolidate Republicans to stand behind him, but 19 GOP members voted for another candidate on the first two ballots and 20 members voted for someone else on subsequent ballots, denying him victory.

This is the first time in a century that the House did not elect a Speaker on the first ballot. The House conducted three ballots on Tuesday and three additional ballots on Wednesday, but the vote count has remained roughly the same each time.

The House adjourned Wednesday afternoon to return at 8 p.m. for more votes, but it narrowly voted to adjourn again until Thursday at noon. Democrats opposed adjourning Wednesday night, wanting to proceed with the voting.

McCarthy made several concessions to hard-liners in his party ahead of the votes to try to win their support, but opponents have not been satisfied enough to back him for the position.

McCarthy has reportedly offered more concessions in his bid to gain the support of hard-line Republican opponents.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a PAC that works to elect Republican House candidates, agreed on Wednesday to not spend in any open-seat primaries in safe Republican districts as part of a deal for an influential conservative organization, the Club for Growth, to support McCarthy’s bid.

Also on Wednesday, The Associated Press captured a photo of Pelosi during the House session that showed her reading a New Yorker article titled “What Kevin McCarthy Will Do to Gain Power.”

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