A petition calling on House Democrats not to support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as the next Speaker has hit 500,000 signatures, according to its creator.
It follows the Democrats’ dramatic midterm election victory that saw the party flip both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which will lead to a new Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House.
The petition, which labels Jeffries part of the “Democratic establishment,” suggests Democratic leaders are likely to remain under pressure from their party’s left-wing over both personal and policy choices. It was created by Nicole Whitted, an author and Democratic supporting social media creator with over 210,000 followers on TikTok.
For those who don’t want to give newsweek a click: https://www.change.org/p/house-democrats-choose-a-new-speaker
If you’re going to do one thing, contact your Rep and Senator and tell them to change leadership. It’ll carry more weight than a change.org petition.
(Yes, I know that’s technically two things).
Yep - already sent this to my rep:
Now that the democratic party will have a majority in both houses of Congress, I and your constituents, along with democrats across the country, demand an end to the lackluster democratic leadership currently in place. We require new majority leaders that will actually hold Trump and his allies responsible for the many crimes that they have committed against this country and others worldwide. Please lend your support to candidates that will support action against this criminal behavior. Justice is what will ultimately help our nation to heal, not “moving on” or ignoring what has happened.
Are you sending it to your current rep, or the one that just got elected? Same for senator?
I’m just not sure the best way to reach out to a politician-elect if they haven’t even taken office yet
No harm in doing both. Sending an email is easy. Could take a little while for Congress freshmen to get their office communication systems set up.
Contact your representatives and sign the Change org petition. It shows public pressure and only takes a few minutes, so why not?
Because nobody cares about change.org petitions except the people who sign them.
Big brain move, convince Democrat members of Congress to sign the petition so they care about it and then they will pick a new speaker.
Now how do we convince them to sign it? Maybe to compel that signature we can put together some kind of petition…
I was initially writing a reply about how my district’s incumbent Republican unfortunately won by less than a percent but that I’m with y’all in spirit, and I looked it up to verify that the difference hadn’t changed. Fuck me, I missed that we elected who will now be my first Democrat House Representative. First Democrat to represent the district covering my hometown since the 30s lmao. So, thanks for the reminder to check the results after the initial disappointment, lol.
Congrats! And put in your name to phone bank for 'em next time!
Big fan of https://5calls.org/.
Even if I’m calling about something that is not a listed topic. In that case, I’ll
- click on the first topic and get the phone numbers off of it for the House rep
- hit Skip when I’m done instead of Made Contact or Voicemail. This, I think, avoids counting it as a contact on that specific topic, so I don’t mess up their numbers.
- repeat steps 1 and 2 for both Senators.
In other words, I use their site and/or app (Apple here, Android here) to just spoonfeed me the phone numbers of my representatives. So easy, less friction, and the easy habits get kept.
Another option is to write down the numbers in your contacts once, naming them something like
111111 HouseRepName,111111 Senator1,111111 Senator 2to ensure they stay together and at the top of your contact list, and then run down the list calling.(Listing for onlookers, I know you probably know!)
Mine are both Republicans and have no sway in it.
I’m in Florida. I don’t have anyone I can contact.
(In sorry, we tried.)
I sent angry voicemails to all of my representatives before the midterms. My capacity for action has been met for a bit. I do not have room in my brain for more political action right now.
Plus, I gave my info to the local election people so I could volunteer for elections next go around. I’m doing my part.
If it’s truly a new political era, like the pundits have all claimed, then it stands to reason that we should embrace new leadership. I have very little faith in Schumer and Jefferies.
They let MAGA rise and re-rise, and they’ve done NOTHING since to demonstrate that they’ve earned or deserve a THIRD chance to fuck it up. It’s time for some competence in our government, and these two losers ain’t it.
This really should be the nail in the coffin for them. Even if you don’t think they’re corrupt factional warriors whose purpose is to stymie change, they’ve been in their positions forever and had no real successes to show for it.
At least Pelosi had the myth that she was a great vote counter and could wrangle representatives well. These two assholes are just incompetent losers.
I have very little faith in Schumer and Jefferies.
That’s still a little too much
The original concept of change.org was that average folks could petition leaders with the backing of many people. You didn’t earn money from petition-creation efforts.
According to the petition, “Nicole Whitted is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.”
I found myself wondering what a “Change Ambassador” was, search said, "Ambassadors receive a flat advance payment plus performance-based compensation—often ranging from $0.30 to $0.50 per signature collected over a specified period.
It seems that as of 2024, change.org has become a way to earn a small fortune. If she gets 50 cents for each signature, and this one hit half a million signatures, then she just made $250,000.
I really need to get into grifting. It seems very profitable.
The profiteriest.
So this person made somewhere between $150-250k for posting this? How do I become a Change Ambassador?
e: You have to have a social following of >100k. You get an upfront payment based on audience size, then performance-based payouts for each petition on top of that.
I didn’t know this was a thing, gross.
If someone tells you about something, ask you to do something, gives you anything, talks to you, says hello, looks at you, it’s probably because they made a nickle by doing it.
That’s the world we live in now.
But where does that moeny supposedly come from? Ads aren’t likely to generate that much per person signing.
I dunno. I could see campaigns being willing to pay a fair bit for a list of email addresses of people who care about a specific topic.
Thats a pretty good point. That might map out.
ICE or other three letter organizations would also pay for lists of people who care about certain things.
That’s what I thought too. I decided the petition was more important, and there are lits of right wing people who are sick of AIPAC too.
It straight up asks you for money after you sign
But how many people give money? Very few. And of course I am sure the site takes a cut. I’m not saying there isn’t some payment. But the number seem off. Maybe it was .3 to .5 for paying signatures. That could work out.
What does it say the money is for?
Bribing/lobbying?
Data harvesters.
You also may not have realized that you would be on their email list for the rest of your life.
Filters and blocking takes care of 99% of my junk
If she gets 50 cents for each signature, and this one hit half a million signatures, then she just made $250,000.
That’s of course scummy as hell, but you know what?
If it leads to the permanent ouster from leadership of that corrupt demagogue with zero charisma or other redeeming qualities, I’d say she earned it and should get double if she can do the same thing to Schumer too 🤷🏻
I haven’t signed it, I have not decided that Jeffries is corrupt. I also find myself wondering about racism, whether that’s at play here. Further, republicans will now change their game, well come Jan 3, they’re lame duck now. Take down the democratic leadership?
I am seeing this petition being posted in a lot of threads I’m reading this morning. With 50 cents per signature, that’s a good incentive to spam it all over the place.
Well, corrupt or not, he has said he doesn’t support going after the corrupt individuals in the current administration. That is enough of a reason for me to not want him in that job.
He has also said medicare for all is not possible.
if you haven’t made a decision yet about him being corrupted, you are either not paying attention or you are paying attention. either way your call that this is based on racism AND that we should not bother because republicans lost power anyways scream you are not being honest about your intentions.
I have not decided that Jeffries is corrupt
You haven’t decided that the Pacific Ocean is large either.
I also find myself wondering about racism, whether that’s at play here.
Fuck off with that bullshit. Jeffries is the hand picked protégé of Pelosi and in many ways is even more awful than her. His skin color and/or ethnicity has nothing to do with it.
republicans will now change their game
Bullshit. It’s not like they were passing much even WITH majorities in both chambers. Their main function was to not stop their Mango Messiah from constantly breaking the law.
In that aspect, ineffective and corrupt leaders like Jeffries and Schumer who haven’t ever met a fascist they don’t yearn to give concessions are not that different from the current fascists doing the same nothing because they support the crimes.
Take down the democratic leadership?
No. Replace them with others who actually represent the needs and wants of the majority of their constituency rather than the majority of donation dollars.
I am seeing this petition being posted in a lot of threads I’m reading this morning
Because a shitload of people agree that he’s an embarrassment in desperate need for replacement.
With 50 cents per signature, that’s a good incentive to spam it all over the place.
That’s only for the one who first posted it. Unless she’s illegally giving some posters a cut, nobody but she and the site are making any money from it being shared.
I was polite and respectful to you, and you tell me I’m full of bullshit, and don’t know the Pacific Ocean is large. That’s all I need to know I don’t ever want to see another post of yours. Adios.
I was polite and respectful to you
Not really, no.
you tell me I’m full of bullshit
Because you are.
and don’t know the Pacific Ocean is large
No, that was just my way of illustrating how obviously corrupt Jeffries is regardless of whether you’ve decided that it’s true.
That’s all I need to know I don’t ever want to see another post of yours. Adios.
I think I might manage to survive without your attention 🙄
To be fair the only reason you were told that is because it’s true.
Despite the downvotes, it sounds like you are responding in good faith. So I’ll say, I’ve been watching Jeffries for a long time, and he is not a fighter. He just makes tepid speeches for even more tepid action still.
I can say with rare confidence there’s no racism at play for me or the movement to oust him from leadership - everything I say about him is interchangeable with Schumer.
The bottom line is we need a wartime consigliere to seize this moment or we’ll backslide in two years, and Jeffries ain’t it.
Currently 800k signatures and rising, so more then that.
Currently at 881,098 signatures, including mine now.
Jeffries says the agenda is not about “getting even”, what he’s really saying is he won’t allow any real accountability for criminals because they are fellow politicians. He’s clearly not fit for the job.
There is nothing in the rules that says the speaker has to be a member of the house, so I say we push for a speaker who will bring some accountability to the criminals throughout our government and demand that Democrats elect Jack Smith as Speaker of the House.
Let’s have Jon Stewart as Speaker of the House.
Good point! Does the law say that the Speaker has to be a member of the House?
The constitution does not explicitly say that the Speaker must be a member of congress. However, the Speaker always has been one.
The House Speaker should be AOC. Jeffries will hinder the Democrats for 2028.
Get rid of him and get rid of Schumer. Get rid of anyone who supports Israel in their genocide and their apartheid state.
Get rid
Every two years there is a vote for leadership…
Mainstream media immediately jumped on those two shitbirds as the default, but they have absolutely zero claim.
They don’t reflect the values of Dem voters, and they’re both shitty leaders. There is zero reason to give them leadership, or to keep determining committee chairs based solely off seniority.
People are so used to how neoliberals ran shit for 30 years, they forget there is absolutely nothing making the next congress follow those bullshit traditions.
The petition for Jeffries to not be speaker already has more than 5x as many votes as Jeffries had to get elected
These soft democratic leaders already showed us who they are, and I’m not interested. Get the Pelosi generation tf on out of here. Them and their stupid stock trading and dumb shit kneeling and wishy wishy nonsense.
Where do I sign?
Edit: never mind, found it and signed
I posted it!
This is becoming my copy pasta moment. But Hakeem Jeffries…let’s start with his charisma. His charisma is more akin to that of a Home Depot bag of paver sand. You search through the poorly stacked pile selecting the one with the least holes. Yet, despite that effort, it still spills it’s contents all over the cart on the way to the register. Not a good look. But useful if you are doing what he is good at doing. Laying the foundation for your country to get paved over by corporate donors.
If that does not speak for itself, then consider this. As a potential Speaker, Mr. Jeffries would face the immense challenge of uniting a fractured party that has not managed to maintain a large and diverse tent of voters since Debbie Wasserman Schultz declared Bernie a non-starter. Mr. Jeffries is simply not capable of standing firm in the face of political opposition. Don’t take my word for it. Perhaps, instead, the ever present consumer advocate Ralph Nader may sway you:
More introspection may lead you to ask yourself whether you are up to leading the House Democrats in their immense and immediate tasks of policy and program restorations and adopting our Constitution’s mandated Congressional independence from the Presidency for the protection and advancement of the livelihoods, peace and freedoms of the American people. There is no indication that you are so willing and prepared. Unfortunately.
His record in Congress has not demonstrated the kind of bold, decisive leadership that the position of Speaker demands. Instead, he has often been seen as a cautious, moderate voice. Dare I say, a voice coming from a very real human (I swear) with a spine made of NeeDoh.
Let’s be frank. In times of crisis or when tough decisions must be made, the leader of the Democratic Party and Speaker of the House is not merely about personality. I understand that. Such positions require a deep understanding of the legislative process, the ability to negotiate, and the resilience to withstand the political pressures that come with the position. Jeffries has not consistently shown these traits in his career. For any informed observers, this must raise serious questions about his suitability for such a high-stakes role.
Finally, to convey my firm belief that Mr. Jeffries is not the right person for the leadership role come January, I paraphrase the amazing Forest Whitaker in his role as PFC Edward Garlick in “Good Morning Vietnam”
Hakeem Jeffries sucks the sweat off a dead man’s balls. I have no idea what that means, sir, but it seems very negative to me.
He made secretive deals with Jared Kushner
He’s a centrist in the hardest left house we’ve had in decades
He represents the Democratic elite that lost to Trump in 2024, ushering in the most damaging US presidency in living memory
He needs to go. Schumer too. They should no longer be allowed to “lead” us back to hell. i.e. trump.
Close to a million signatures now!
I’d say that Ro Khanna or Pramila Jayapal in terms of seniority and experience and proven progressive streak should become Speaker.
For US Senate, I see nobody better than Senator Sanders who is actually the visionary who helped set this all in motion, unlike Schumer. It’s a perfect role and way to cement his legacy in a substantive way.
For both these positions, age is less of an issue and more respect, experience, and understanding of chamber rules matter more.
Being the Senate majority leader requires a different skillset than retail campaigning. We need a progressive in that role, though, definitely, someone who will take risks and bend only when absolutely necessary.
You also don’t want to put any potential presidential candidates in there–legislators have a lot of exposure to attack ads by voting for bills they don’t 100% agree with but are worth the tradeoffs and a majority leader is going to have less freedom to vote No.
I feel this is exactly why Sanders is perfect for the role, though.
- He’s worked on bipartisan legislation
- He’s one of the most experienced, longest-serving members of Congress.
- He’s by definition “Independent”
- He is a visionary, and fulfills precisely what is entirely lacking by way of Schumer in lack of passion and willingness to fight.
The mere signal this would send to say that progressives are here to stay for the Democratic party would be massive alone.
That said I’m open to other suggestions, but the options are somewhat limited for experienced progressives who understand Senate rules and decorum and have relationships with much of the Senate.
He’s 85. We wouldn’t let an 85-year-old manage an Arby’s. I love Bernie, but we gotta get off the gerontocracy.
But he’s already a US Senator, repeatedly elected, and part of the most powerful chamber. The US Senate Majority Leader role is all about age and wisdom, frankly and little different than the duties he’s already fulfilling effectively.
I can see this concern for the President, but in this case if the worst happens, Dems can just appoint someone else. It’s Low Risk / High Reward.
The real question is: What can you point to that has shown his age with respect to cognition or position on current-events?
The second question: If not him, then who?
The real question is: What can you point to that has shown his age with respect to cognition or position on current-events?
Pretty much everything he’s ever said about the AI bubble. He’s either drunk the fearmonger Kool Aid or some awful staffers. Either way, he’s dropped the ball entirely, up to going on stage with Steve Fucking Bannon to talk about a sci-fi concept that has nothing to do with LLM tech or the real stakes of the bubble. It’s been an awful show of face for him.
going on stage with Steve Fucking Bannon
I take issue with the way one framed this. It feels disingenuous.
He did not go on stage “with” Steve Bannon; he had a speech on the same stage that Bannon gave a speech on at the same event, detailing mutual if not tangential concerns about AI and its effect son humanity. That seems completely different than seemingly trying to imply they’re buddies or something.
Seems that while Bernie may be overextending the capacity for AI to be fluidly intelligent, I actually think he and his advisors are threading the needle very effectively in saying that, “Hey look, we know AI in some shape or form is likely here to stay. If it is, then it should be regulated, perhaps nationalized, and in the hands of public interests to be used for good – like combating disinformation or pursing advancements in healthcare, etc.”
Overall, across all issues, I think he and his team are pretty much on-point, and splitting hairs on AI is maybe a rare exception, not the norm – and certainly not an indication of declining cognitive capacity or age. But again, since our options are limited to 100 US Senators and non-freshman generally, I’m very curious who one believes the better pick would be.
He’s 85 years old. It’s safe to assume cognitive decline. We let people retire at 67 without an exam, and we should be able to retire our legislators the same way.
We don’t force them to retire at 67, though. There are a lot of morons in the world. I’d put Bernie at 10% decline against most people 40 years younger.
That said, I doubt he wants the job and I doubt the caucus as a whole would support an independent.
I just want to put it here, too:
Elizabeth Warren for Senate Majority Leader!
You’re right. I love Bernie, but he’s not a strategic thinker.
Strategic aka always bending to the Republicans?
No, as in knowing how to outmaneuver them.
The current moment owes almost everything to Bernie’s first major campaign ten years ago, but he’s made some pretty big blunders recently. Going on stage with Steve Bannon to fearmonger about rogue AI, a complete sci-fi concept, WTF?
No real shade. He’s old, no one can turn the wheel forever and eventually someone’s gotta keep the momentum moving, and that’s exactly what I think has happened to Sanders.
Well, I’ve been a fan of his since the 90’s he’s never been that great at picking staff and he’s not very good on subjects that aren’t his focus. And he’s a tad sexist. But his heart is in the right place.
I’m in favor of Elizabeth Warren. She can fight
I would be 100% fine with her, and I’m ashamed I didn’t think of her as a candidate.
She’s a self declared capitalist. We can do better
nah she’s a snake
Bernie is not a Democrat, they’d never let him become Majority leader for their party. I’m not even sure if it would be possible unless Sanders switched from I to D
You’ve got me curious about what the exact rules of selecting the Senate Leader. I know in the House, literally anyone can be voted into Speaker of the House, they don’t even have to be in Congress.
Yes, Speaker of the House is a singular role that overseas the entire House, and everyone votes on it.
It’s per-party in the Senate. Each party selects their leader, and depending on which party gets the majority, they get named “Senate Majority/Minority Leader”
Progressives don’t have enough clout yet to choose the speaker. A lot of the people who just won new seats are conservative to moderate Democrats.
At this point I just want a fighter who’s going to go after maga. I’m pretty progressive but we need to be realistic about how Congress actually works.
No point in preemptively negotiating yourself down though, right? nows exactly the time to set levels
Being a realist will make you no friends here.
If being a realist means compromising your values before negotiations even begin and calling that strategy then yes that is going to be very poorly received.
No basically if you’re not cheering for your favorite manic socialist dream candidate then it’s going to be ill received.
Oh I’m well aware lol.
Bernie is a million years old let the poor man rest and get someone younger for that job man.
Bernie never does anything he doesn’t want to do. I’d let him speak for himself on that, not us.
Speaking for us is the role though.
Sort of, and to that extent Sanders is excellent at that!
But I’m confused. Is this about what Sanders wants to do with his remaining time here with us, or what you want?
It’s elder abuse to want an eighty-five year old to do that job when there are plenty of younger people who are willing and able to.
Isn’t it ageism to tell someone what they can and can’t do?
I’m pro-choice, which means letting him decide for himself.
And who?
I think the world should be ran by people under the age of sixty.
Should we have age restrictions on voting? Should a baby be allowed to vote?
He gets to be the party sage telling people not to look in the mirror while they’re rolling.
Please, if you are in the US, contact your senators and representatives to urge them to choose better leaders than these milquetoast corporate dems.
What if my senators and representatives are milquetoast corporate dems? Seriously though, there’s only a handful of Dem politicians who don’t take AIPAC money. I don’t think we’re going to get progressive leadership any time soon.
I hear you, I really truly do, but we have to keep pressing. This week has clearly proven that voting still matters and the power remains with the people. The only thing those corporate dems fear more than their corporate masters is the thought of having to find another job. Put the pressure on them and hold them to account. We still have the power, we just have to stay united and use it.
