>> lots of waiting for results on capitol hill today. we think reporters there are speaking with democratic representative brian higgins of new york. a live coverage today of events all happening behind closed doors. the leadership election, democratic leadership elections and caucus meeting to elect their leaders for the 116th congress. the democratic leader, nancy pelosi, arriving a short while ago. we also understand that her husband, paul pelosi, is there. scott wong of the hill tweeting this, just a short while ago, the democrats have passed their internal caucus rules package. moving on to nominations for

democratic caucus chair now and then speaker. scott wong is senior correspondent for the hill covering leadership at the hill. up on capitol hill, scott wong, tell us about the day, how it will unfold after this passage of the rules package. >> we're going to start to see votes on leadership position fairly quickly. they are in the nomination process for the house democratic caucus chair. that is a very interesting race between two members of the congressional black caucus, hakim jefferies, a rising star, young congressman from new york, and barbara lee, very senior member from the san francisco bay area representing oakland. then we'll get right into the speaker vote and go down the line. nancy pelosi, as you know, is

running unopposed. she will come out of today's internal caucus vote with the democratic nomination for speaker. of course, the tougher test will come on january 3 on the house floor where she will need exactly more than half of the 435 members of congress. that magic number for her is 218 votes. and she is saying she's very confident, but there are, as we know, a group of insurgents threatening to deny her that magic number of 218 votes. so that's sort of where we're at the moment. very interesting day and full day of voting in the internal democratic caucus. host: what has democratic leader pelosi done to solidify, particularly some of the new members coming into the 116th who expressed disapproval or lack of support for leader pelosi solidifying that number not only in the caucus but as they head to that vote you

mentioned on january 3? guest: she's been holding a number of one-on-one meetings with incoming freshmen who have expressed a need for change in the upper echelons of democratic leadership, including in the speaker's office. she has been discussing committee assignments. she controls the powerful steering committee, which will be doling out committee assignments. we know that one member of the freshmen class to recently got onboard with pelosi is lexandria ocasio-cortez from new york and she's trying to negotiate with the leadership a spot on the very influential energy and commerce committee. she's been holding committeings, listening to what the needs are of individual members. nancy pelosi has been at this for a long time. she understands the need, specific districts. she's probably traveled to every district in the country over her

years of service. for example, brian higgins, another new york representative who had been on this letter of opposition to nancy pelosi, 16 dissidents, recently cut a deal with her. in exchange pelosi said she will support and prioritize a transportation project in higgins' district. things like that. she is a master vote counter. she knows the specific needs of individual districts. host: lastly, scott wong, looking ahead to the january 3 vote with the 116th congress, assuming that nancy pelosi is chosen by her caucus was speaker, she needs 218, as any speaker would in any election, to pass the house. tell us again the challenge she faces both within her caucus and is there any chance she'll get any republican support in that vote? guest: that's an interesting

thought. tom reed, the co-chairman, republican from new york, of the problem solvers caucus, has told me and many other reporters in the capitol, that he and a small faction of problem solvers would be willing to cross the aisle if she agrees to a series of rules reforms that they have put forward. nancy pelosi is currently negotiating with the problem solvers caucus. this is a bipartisan group on ways to ease bipartisan legislation to the house floor in the 116th congress. these are discussions that will be happening after today's internal caucus vote. so she -- nancy pelosi is hoping to put up a big number. she doesn't need 218 today. she just needs a simple majority of democrats, which she will attain easily. but she will be trying to pick off dissenting members one by the next he course of

several weeks and into the holidays heading into january 3. it is possible i would say that maybe -- maybe would be a first time in a long time we would see some republicans cross the aisle and support a democrat for speaker. host: we'll let you go. check back in with you later and our viewers and listeners can follow your reporting today at scottwongd.c. thanks for the update. again the democratic caucus, live coverage outside of the meeting room at the capitol visitors center on capitol hill, they have passed the rules baggage. we expect as scott wong said to move on to the nomination process for first the conference chair, the caucus chair rather, because that member will run the rest of the meeting today. this is for the 116th congress. the current members are not participating in this vote. this is the new members and the returning members all taking place in the meeting on capitol

hill. . just a sense of the schedule as well from john bresnahan. joe kennedy will nominate nancy pelosi at the caucus today. eight other democrats, including john lewis, will second the nomination. the speaker vote expected this afternoon. pelosi still has to win the floor roll call vote on january 3. though there has been some indication there may be -- it's possible they could wrap up work on capitol hill, work in this meeting before noon. however, what we expect will happen will the meeting will continue with additional leadership positions being elected over in the longworth house office building. for now they are at the capitol visitor's center. chad program tweeting this about -- from democratic representative gallego saying today we mourn the passing and honor the legacy of an arizona

legend, congressman ed pastor. he was a trail blazer who dedicated his life to -- trailblazer who dedicated his 's and represented arizona seventh district with distinction for 12 terms. died at the age of 75. just a short while ago we had the opportunity to speak with former democratic leader, the former chair of the democratic congressional campaign committee, steve israel of new york, for some details on what's going on behind those closed doors. congressman israel, the rooms are no longer smoke filled on capitol hill but they are tension filled and anxiety filled. take us back to your most recent rex for the democrats and wh