Democrats Pick Hoyer for House Majority Leader

MARGARET WARNER:

Shortly after noon today, 235 Democrats, soon to be the new majority in Congress, poured out of the caucus room of the Cannon House Office Building. They had just chosen a five-member team to lead them in the 110th Congress, and they looked relieved to be done with it.

Soon after, the new team emerged. California's Nancy Pelosi, due to become speaker in January, was reelected leader by acclamation. So were James Clyburn, Rahm Emanuel and John Larsen, for the number-three, -four and -five posts.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), House of Representatives Speaker-Elect: What an honor it is to be nominated by my colleagues to be the speaker of the House.

MARGARET WARNER:

But the drama centered on how Pelosi would handle the setback she'd just suffered at the hands of her caucus. Her colleagues had just chosen as majority leader — by a nearly two-to-one margin — Maryland's Steny Hoyer, the current whip, over her endorsed candidate, Pennsylvania's John Murtha.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

As you know, our colleagues chose our distinguished whip, Mr. Hoyer, to be the Democratic leader of the House. I extend great congratulations to him, and we will hear from him in a moment.

But before handing over to him the microphone, though, I want to acknowledge the magnificent contribution of Mr. Murtha to this debate on the war in Iraq. I thank him for his courage in stepping forward one year ago to speak truth to power, to change the debate in this country in a way that I think gave us this majority in this November.

MARGARET WARNER:

Murtha, a former Marine, invigorated House Democrats last year with his public call to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq.

REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), Pennsylvania: This is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion.

MARGARET WARNER:

He decided to challenge Hoyer months ago. And in recent days, after Pelosi released a letter supporting Murtha, the campaign got rough.

Hoyer supporters said Murtha had ethics problems. They dredged up his involvement in the 1980s Abscam scandal, though he was never charged, and noted he'd helped kill a House Democrats ethics bill earlier this year.

Pelosi responded by intensely lobbying her colleagues, including many seeking her favor for choice committee assignments. Today, the two candidates insisted there were no hard feelings between them.

REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), House Majority Leader-Elect: We have had differences, Jack Murtha and I. But Jack Murtha will continue to be one of the most significant leaders in the Congress of the United States as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee.

REP. JOHN MURTHA:

And I congratulate Steny on his campaign. He ran a hell of a campaign, and I can't fault anything that he did.

MARGARET WARNER:

But it's unclear what effect all this will have on the relationship and longstanding rivalry between Pelosi and her number-two, Hoyer.

REP. STENY HOYER:

Nancy and I have worked together for four years, closely and effectively. And we have created the most unified caucus in the last half-century. Nancy and I, I think, have been a good team.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

As I said, Steny came out a big winner today. It was a stunning victory for him. We've had our debates, we've had our disagreements in that room, and now that is over. As I said to my colleagues, as we say in church, "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with us." Let the healing begin.