WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi reached an agreement Wednesday with her opponents which, if adopted, would most likely secure her the post of House speaker in the next Congress.
The agreement will limit Pelosi, a Democrat from the U.S. state of California, to two two-year terms as House speaker, a post she served two terms from 2007 to 2011. She has been bidding for it again since the Democrats regained House majority in the November midterm elections.
In return, a small group of critics within the Democratic Party who initially vowed to block Pelosi's ascent to the post will back her in a full House vote on Jan. 3.
The deal is expected to give Pelosi at least five extra votes, enough for her to clinch the speakership, according to Politico, a U.S. news portal focusing on political news.
Setting a term limit for party leadership has changed the Democratic Caucus rules, and thus has to be approved by other Democratic lawmakers, some of whom still oppose it.
"I am comfortable with the proposal, and it is my intention to abide by it, whether it passes or not," Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday.
The 78-year-old congresswoman won the intraparty nomination for House speaker on Nov. 28. She gained 203 votes to become the nominee, but that was still short of the 218 votes needed when all lawmakers in the House vote in January.
Pelosi's opponents have asked not only her, but also other elderly Democratic Party leaders to step aside and give way to younger generations.
