A key Democrat said he’d struck a deal with Rep. Nancy Pelosi Wednesday to limit her to just one or two more terms as the party’s leader.
The move appeared to win over some key holdouts, bringing Mrs. Pelosi closer to the support she needs to claim the speaker’s gavel next year.
Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat who had challenged Mrs. Pelosi in a previous leadership race, said she also agreed to allow a vote on term limits on the party’s top three positions in the House.
He said the agreement would limit Mrs. Pelosi and her top lieutenants Reps. Steny H. Hoyer and James Clyburn, to only another term in their jobs. They could earn one additional term only if they get the support of two-thirds of House Democrats.
The full Democratic Caucus must still vote to approve the plan, but Mrs. Pelosi has agreed to abide by the terms even if it’s not officially adopted.
“Leader Pelosi has been an honest partner throughout these negotiations, and I applaud her commitment to creating a system that will ensure the speedy rise of new leadership reflecting the diversity and energy of our caucus,” Mr. Ryan said in a statement.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, California Democrat, said the deal also earned her support for Mrs. Pelosi to be speaker.
“I firmly believe that the reforms we have advocated for will create advancement opportunities for the next generation of Democratic leaders and will strengthen our caucus,” Ms. Sanchez said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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