Pelosi Fall Will Hit Bay Area Hard
- November 2, 2010
The Republican Party’s takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives could have far-reaching implications for the Bay Area.
The Republican's big national victory in House races means that San Francisco’s Nancy Pelosi will lose her position as Speaker of the House. She may also be forced to step down as the Democratic Party’s leader in that chamber.
With Republicans wresting the House from the Democrats' control, other Bay Area representatives will lose their powerful positions as chairs of committees and subcommittees.
Overall, Northern California’s clout in Washington will be vastly reduced.
This loss of power will be especially felt in San Francisco, said George Broder, of the business-backed Bay Area Council.
This year alone, Broder said, Pelosi brought in $46 million to retrofit Doyle Drive, which connects the Golden Gate Bridge to the Presidio, and $86 million more for toxic clean-up at the old Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and strong-armed the U.S. Navy into turning Treasure Island over to the city.
“From her perch as Speaker of the House, she’s been able to advocate very effectively for her district,” Broder said.
When U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood came to San Francisco to unveil a $400 million grant for a new high-speed rail terminal at First and Mission streets, Broder said, “he made very clear that Speaker Pelosi let him know this was a top priority for the country and for her district.”
With the Republican takeover, Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) is poised to lose his position as chairman of the powerful Committee on Labor, while Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) will lose her position as chairwoman of a subcommittee on immigration and border security.
“In the short run, there’s no doubt that local interests will take a very, very grave hit,” said Larry Bensky, who teachers courses on Congress and the presidency at 麻豆传媒社区入口, East Bay.
This loss of local power is likely to be especially pronounced if Pelosi is forced to step down as House Democratic leader.
Nationally, the GOP has cast Pelosi, and the city of San Francisco, as villains this election season.
The Republican National Committee organized a “Fire Pelosi 2010 Bus Tour.” Even some Democrats have run from her this election year, with one conservative lawmaker running a commercial featuring gyrating hippies and warning: “Georgia is a long way from San Francisco.”
These attacks, and huge Democratic losses at the polls, spell trouble for Pelosi’s continued ability to fundraise, according to Bensky.
“Nancy Pelosi has always been a world-class fundraiser for the Democratic Party, but her low national popularity rating and Barack Obama’s status as fundraiser-in-chief means that’s no longer as valuable” Benksy said.
And if Pelosi is forced to step down as Democratic Party leader, many observers believe she may decide to retire from Congress or decide against running for re-election in 2012.
Other observers doubt Pelosi will step down from her leadership position even after Tuesday's losses at the polls.
"The Bay Area will always be very influential in the party and will continue to be influential in the party," said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland).
"I'm always in Nancy Pelosi's corner," Lee said. "She fought President Bush to save Social Security from privatization, reformed our energy policy and got us health care reform."
Already, some local politicians have begun jockeying to fill her shoes should Pelosi decide to withdraw, although San Francisco Democratic Party head Aaron Peskin told The Bay Citizen, “It’s way too early to have that conversation.”
“Everyone in San Francisco wants her to stay,” he said.
Peskin, who served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2000 to 2008, said the city and the Bay Area will be able to persevere despite their loss of clout in Washington.
“When I was on the Board of Supervisors, we had Republicans in control of the presidency and both houses of Congress,” he said.
“San Francisco survived and thrived” during those years, Peskin said, even with the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money.
Peskin noted the Senate is likely to remain in Democratic hands, with former San Francisco Mayor and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein remaining powerful in the upper house.
Besides, Peskin said, “these elections happen every two years. These things flip around. We’ll be back.”
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