Anti-Pelosi Dem ‘100 percent confident we can forge new leadership’

Democratic Reps. Seth Moulton (Mass.) and Filemon Vela (Texas) said Tuesday they are “100 percent confident” that a coalition of party members will be able to block House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from securing the Speakership.

“I am 100 percent confident we can forge new leadership,” Vela told CNN.

The two lawmakers indicated they plan to gather enough signatures to show how widespread opposition to Pelosi’s bid for Speaker is within the caucus in the hopes she will step aside, according to the network.

“We are trying to do the right thing for the party by solving this ahead of time,” Moulton said.

{mosads}Vela told CNN he doesn’t expect Democrats to vote “present” during the vote for Speaker in January, essentially boycotting the vote if Pelosi were nominated.

“I’m confident that at this point, we have a number of current and incoming members committed to going to the floor and voting for someone else and not voting present,” Vela said.

Drew Hammil, a spokesman for Pelosi, told CNN that the lawmaker is “very confident in her support among members and members-elect.”

Hammil did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

Pelosi has repeatedly expressed confidence that she will be elected Speaker in the next session of Congress, despite internal opposition from some Democrats. 

A number of top-ranking House Democrats have backed her bid for Speaker, and President Trump has said she deserves the post.