House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has led House Democrats for 20 years, declared on Thursday that she will give way to a “new generation” of leaders in the next year.
On Thursday, Pelosi said from the House floor, “With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress.” I’m pleased that so many people are prepared and eager to take on this enormous duty because, in my opinion, the time has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus, which I so truly admire.
The California Democrat’s decision has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks due to the party’s stunning success in the midterm elections, which all but guaranteed a significant red wave. Pelosi held off on announcing her next course of action until results poured in, postponing a decision on which party would dominate the lower chamber and despite appeals for the long-time leader to continue leading the party.
Pelosi’s spokesperson said that the speaker will discuss “her future intentions” on Thursday after the House was called for Republicans on Wednesday night, adding to the already dramatic buildup to Pelosi’s speech. The suspense increased when Pelosi skipped a caucus meeting on Thursday morning when she was supposed to inform the party’s leaders of her choice, maybe realizing that she would soon lose control of the announcement.
But it was obvious that she would give a goodbye address as she entered the podium on Thursday to a thunderous wave of applause while dressed in a white pantsuit as an homage to the women’s rights and suffrage struggles.
Pelosi promised in 2018 that she would only serve as party leader for another four years. However, many Democrats openly urged her to stay, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and President Joe Biden.
Pelosi, 82, said in a recent interview with CNN that her decision over whether to retire will “be impacted” by a recent politically motivated assault on her husband at their San Francisco home. If that attack hadn’t occurred, Pelosi’s choice may have been different.
Pelosi finally mentioned the incident on Thursday when she thanked everyone for their best wishes for her husband’s recovery.
Pelosi was initially elected to the House in 1987, and as the party’s longest-serving House leader and the first and only woman to be elected House speaker, she has emerged as a dominant force in American politics.
“There were 12 Democratic women in the Congress when I first arrived in 1987. There are already more than 90, and Pelosi announced on Thursday that she wants more. “I never would have dreamed that someday I would go from housewife to House speaker when I first came to the floor at age 6,” the speaker said.
During her time in office, she established a reputation as one of the most effective fundraisers and strategists in recent memory, guiding important Democratic legislation through the Obama and now Biden administrations, and as a force to be reckoned with, particularly among Republican foes.
As a result, Pelosi has represented the liberal Democratic agenda for the party’s GOP opponents for years. As a result, she is frequently the target of violent threats, such as those made during the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the Capitol and again during the attack on her home, during which screams of “Where’s Nancy?” were reportedly heard.
Republicans taking back control of the House, a result Pelosi did not discuss in interviews before the election, marks the end of her tenure as speaker. Pelosi may be content to accept the achievement of containing a red wave and handing Republicans a slim majority in the lower house.
Democrats “defied expectations with a tremendous performance: running their campaigns with bravery, hope, and commitment,” Pelosi said in a statement after the House was called for Republicans on Wednesday night.
Pelosi declared on Thursday that “the people stood in the breach and repulsed the attack on Democracy” with these elections. They emphatically rejected violence and revolt, demonstrating throughout the night that our flag was still present.
With her decision, Pelosi casts doubt on the future of the other members of the House leadership. For example, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Pete Aguilar of California have been suggested as potential newcomers. These factors will probably become more apparent in the coming days as Democrats prepare for their leadership elections, which will take place on November 30.
But on Thursday, Democrats congregated in the chamber to concentrate on and honor Pelosi’s legacy, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
As she began her remarks, Pelosi reflected on the first time she visited the Capitol: “I will never forget.
Because of what it stands for, she stated, “I feel now as I did then, this is the most beautiful structure in the world.” The Capitol is a shrine for our democracy, our Constitution, and our noblest aspirations, according to the saying.
