Kurt Schrader Blasts Re-Election of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

"We just signed the Democratic Party’s death certificate for the next decade and a half.”

U.S. Rep Kurt Schrader
By Nigel Jaquiss

The House Democratic caucus yesterday gave a ringing endorsement of the status quo, re-electing as its standard-bearers House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), age 76; U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), age 77 as whip; and U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), age 76, as assistant minority leader.

Although Democrats lost their majority in the House in 2010, Pelosi won her eighth term as caucus leader, easily defeating U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), 43, who wanted to push the party back towards its working class roots.

Pelosi's victory irked U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) who in November won election to his fifth term serving Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, which covers the central coast and central Willamette Valley from Portland to Albany.

In comments to the New York Times after the caucus vote, Schrader expressed dissatisfaction about the vote to stick with Pelosi's leadership team.

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