Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island has launched a bid to become Assistant Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Cicilline currently serves as chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, cochair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, and on numerous other House committees, subcommittees and caucuses.
Also seeking the position is fellow Congressman Tony Cárdenas of California and possibly Congresswoman Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, currently the vice chairwoman of the Democratic caucus, according to a recent report in The Hill. The winner will replace fellow Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, who’s running for a seat in the Senate. House leadership election votes will be taken following the Nov. 3 general election.
“As the first openly gay member elected to the House leadership, it has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as Chairman and Co-chair of the DPCC over the last four years,” Cicilline wrote to colleagues, according to The Hill. “I am eager to take on a new responsibility and to help lead our caucus as the next Assistant Speaker.”
Reports The Hill:
There are no defined responsibilities for the assistant Speaker. The job was created by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to alleviate the bottleneck in leadership as younger, ambitious Democrats had nowhere to go as the old bulls — Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) — rejected calls to retire and held onto power.
In his “Dear Colleague” letter, Cicilline noted that he had run for assistant Speaker last cycle but dropped out when Luján, fresh off delivering the majority to the party as leader of the campaign arm, decided to seek the job. Cicilline, who has served in Congress since 2011, said he is even more prepared and experienced for the job now.
The 59-year-old vowed to act as a “bridge” between the leadership team and rank-and-file lawmakers, and said he wants members to have a stronger voice in the legislative process. He also said he would work closely with the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion to help members find diverse candidates for positions on Capitol Hill.
With a bigger profile in the caucus, Cicilline would be the favorite in a race against Cárdenas. But Cárdenas is a leading member of the increasingly powerful Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). He has served as chairman of the CHC’s political arm, Bold PAC, which during the past two cycles raised $17 million for Democrats and boosted the number of Hispanic members from 25 to 39.
Clark, however, could scramble the race entirely if she jumps in. She’s a popular member who’s been courting both minority and female Democrats, two groups that have quickly become the new power centers of the 232-member caucus. Some colleagues have nicknamed her the “silent assassin” as she’s plotted her climb up the leadership ladder.
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