Should Progressive Democrats leverage their vote for Speaker?

Recently on Twitter, progressive individuals, including YouTuber Jimmy Dore, boasting 845,000+ subscribers and 365+ million views, have called on members of “the Squad”, such as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley to withhold their vote from Rep. Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House in the 117th Congress, unless she agrees to a floor vote on Medicare for All.

In the 2020 elections, House Democrats went from 235 seats to 222 seats, potentially 224, meaning that the House Democrats will have a much slimmer majority than previously. A candidate for Speaker needs 218 votes to be elected, which leaves very little leeway for Pelosi to lose Democratic votes, if she is to run for re-election as Speaker. In fact, progressives would only need 5 votes to block Pelosi’s speakership, assuming all members vote along partisan lines. Specific key votes could include firebrand leftists such as members of the Squad, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Raul Grijalva, and Marie Newman.

While left-wing Twitter has spent the past week or so deeply divided over this concept, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has signaled that the time is now to hold a vote on Medicare for All, and it would not be difficult for one to speculate that she is on board with Jimmy Dore’s proposal. Critics have suggested that a failed vote on M4A could result in a downgrade of public support for the bill championed by two-time presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Others have shot back, saying that members of Congress voting against single-payer healthcare during a pandemic will significantly aid leftist challengers to Congressmembers in the 2022 midterms.

David Sirota, a columnist at The Guardian and an editor for Jacobin, who served as a senior adviser and speechwriter to the 2020 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, has proposed the following conditions to be met by Pelosi to earn the votes of progressives:

It seems to be clear that because of the slim House Democratic majority, progressives have critical power to block legislation and the speakership vote. however the question is, will they use it?

I believe they should, and to quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The time is always right to do what is right.” If not now, then when? If our elected officials aren’t willing to ruthlessly fight for what got them elected, then the question must be asked, what are they there for?