New York Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins, who had vowed to oppose House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's bid to regain her seat as House speaker, has flipped to support her, after she agreed to back two of his key agenda items in Congress next year.
Higgins had been criticizing Pelosi for months, including being one of 16 Democrats to sign a letter opposing her campaign earlier this week, reports Politico.
On Wednesday, though, he announced he's changed his mind after "conversations with Nancy and other caucus leaders."
"I have renewed confidence that more voices will be heard, that members will each have greater opportunities to advance policies meaningful to the communities and country we love," he added.
Still, Higgins said that he believes that power has been "too consolidated atop the caucus," and that he'd hoped he and other like-minded lawmakers could "forge a new leadership structure."
Pelosi, meanwhile, has agreed to support his call for a major infrastructure package and legislation dealing with Medicare enrollment age.
Higgins is the second Pelosi opponent to flip. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, announced Tuesday she would back Pelosi, just a few days after she said she was considering challenging her for the Speaker seat. Instead, if Pelosi is elected, Fudge will chair the soon-to-be-restored House Administration Subcommittee on Elections.
Higgins said he changed his position because he's made "a principled stand on issues of vital importance not only to my constituents in Western New York but also to more than 300 million Americans whose lives can be improved by progress in these areas."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Pelosi said she is "honored" to have Higgins' support and praised his work on healthcare issues.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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