Pelosi appeared to back Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic lawmakers who've claimed that some GOP members pose a threat to them in the wake of the deadly Capitol siege on January 6.

• Democrats Want To Replace Pelosi
• Ocasio Cortez Pelosi Democrats

Tags Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Hakeem Jeffries Katherine Clark Bernie Sanders Chuck Schumer Nancy Pelosi Charles Schumer New York speaker vote progressives House Democrats View the discussion. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dismissed progressive congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) as just 'four. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) claimed on Sunday that she respects Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a far-left “Squad” member who has openly criticized the Democrat Party’s leadership, telling CBS News’s Leslie Stahl she is “not dismissing” people like AOC despite years-long rumors of infighting within the caucus. Ocasio-Cortez voted for Pelosi as speaker in 2019 and her support is needed again with a narrower Democratic majority due to Nov. Democrats are expected to hold 222 seats to Republicans’.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will likely retain the House Speaker’s gavel by a very slim margin, and progressives are angry that Democratic Socialists — particularly members of the self-labeled “Squad” — are committed to casting ballots for Pelosi without negotiating for concessions from the current House Speaker.

In particular, progressives want Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to press for a vote on a “Medicare-for-All” plan, which both Pelosi and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden oppose.

Progressive radio host Jimmy Dore is leading the charge, demanding Ocasio-Cortez honor her earlier commitment to forcing a vote on “Medicare for All,” and suggesting that now when Pelosi is noticeably weakened, is a good time to press the issue.

“Progressives in congress CAN actually force a Med4all vote if they withhold their vote for Pelosi as speaker to do it,” Dore tweeted. “I ask all progressives to pressure ur favorite progressive congressperson to withhold their Vote 4 Pelosi & demand a Med4all vote!”

“The Plan that is BEST for Everyone is MEDICARE FOR ALL. 15 million Americans have lost there (sic) jobs and don’t have money to purchase insurance from your DONORS,” Dore added later, tagging Ocasio-Cortez. “Pressure your progressive representative to WITHHOLD THEIR VOTE UNTIL PELOSI HOLDS MED4ALL VOTE IN HOUSE!”

The radio host later doubled down, demanding to know why Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t engaging in public negotiations over the issue, and asking “what changed” in reference to the New York Democrat’s previous pledge to force a Medicare for All vote at the earliest opportunity.

The tweets started a snowball effect, with everyone from MSNBC anchor Krystal Ball to former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson joining the call to have progressives demand a Medicare for All vote in return for casting ballots to keep Nancy Pelosi in charge.

“I’m enjoying @jimmy_doreputting House progressives on the spot on how they aren’t demanding anything in return for giving Pelosi their vote for Speaker. He’s pointing out they have not organized a coherent political agenda,” activist Matt Stoller added, pointedly.

“Progressives should either become a coherent independent Dem faction or fully embrace what they effectively are, a loyal supportive faction of Democrats with no independent policy goals,” he added, directing his ire at Ocasio-Cortez, specifically.

Stoller and some others did object to asking for Medicare for All specifically, noting that few Democrats are interested in a plan to transition to a fully state-run health care system without a concrete plan in place. Instead, Stoller suggested a number of more achievable goals: changes to House procedure, committee positions, and freedom to pursue a policy agenda separate from the Democrat bloc.

Late Sunday night, Ocasio-Cortez finally responded to the campaign, claiming that she was engaged in “negotiations” over her vote for Speaker, but that she was obligated to keep those negotiations quiet.

“‘They aren’t demanding anything’ is an assumption – and a false one,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. “These structural negotiations happen, they just aren’t live-tweeted. These negotiations started months ago, & include House rules, PAYGO exemptions, committee makeup, vote commitments, investigations, etc.”

She did not respond to repeated requests, in her mentions, for specifics about the negotiations themselves. Instead, she claimed that progressives are hamstrung by more moderate Democrats.

“Last term progs got the 1st-ever Congressional hearing in history on Medicare for All, allowing for markup,” she said. “That happened despite thrashing opposition from other Dems. But it goes both ways. Progs do withhold, but Conservative Dems also do to block. The numbers matter.”

Pelosi is facing an uphill battle to retain the Speaker’s gavel, as The Daily Wire reported earlier Monday. With a narrower Democrat margin and simmering concerns stemming from the November election — Democrats lost races and suffered in down-ballot elections — Pelosi is facing questions over her leadership. In response, she demanded loyalists return to Washington, D.C., for the in-person Speaker vote on January 3rd.

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.

Democrats Want To Replace Pelosi

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez insisted that top Democrats House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should no longer head the party.
• 'We need new leadership in the Democratic Party,' Ocasio-Cortez said in new podcast with the Intercept on Wednesday.
• The criticism comes as stimulus talks between the Democratic leaders and their Republican counterparts are ongoing.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez insisted that top Democrats House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should no longer head the party during a new podcast with The Intercept on Wednesday.

'We need new leadership in the Democratic Party,' Ocasio-Cortez told host Jeremy Scahill.

The criticism comes as stimulus talks between the Democratic leaders and their Republican counterparts, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have escalated in recent days. The parties appear near to finalizing a deal that would provide much-needed relief to Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ocasio Cortez Pelosi Democrats

'We, the Democratic Party, gave up a lot of leverage,' Ocasio-Cortez said of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in March. The legislation was 'everything that the Republican Party wanted.'

'I knew that if we gave away the farm then, we would have very little leverage to get them back to the negotiating table afterwards,' she added. 'And I'm afraid that that is the situation that we're dealing with right now.'

Video: GOP Leadership Urges Senate Republicans To Not Protest Election Results (CBS Los Angeles)

Congressional leaders have held up additional aid to Americans for the past eight months, while unemployment rates remain above pre-pandemic levels and millions face food insecurity and are at risk of eviction.

'Isn't this grounds, though, to take a stand, and say: 'No, I'm sorry. Nancy Pelosi should not be the speaker and Chuck Schumer should not be the leader?' Scahill asked.

The progressive Democrat from New York agreed, though argued that replacing them wasn't simple. She laid blame on the left wing of the party, as well as its more moderate members, who have neglected to build a next generation of leadership.

'The internal dynamics of the House has made it such that there is very little option for succession,' she said. 'The Speaker has indicated that she may be looking at transitioning and leaving at some point, and the left isn't really making a plan for that either. It's something that we need to think about.'

House Democrats have already nominated Pelosi to serve as speaker next year and she is likely to retain her top spot. However, the California congresswoman has signaled that she will step down after the two-year term.

'It's easy for someone to say: 'Oh, well, why don't you run?' Ocasio-Cortez said. 'But the House is extraordinarily complex. And I'm not ready. It can't be me. I know that I couldn't do that job.'