House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received an outpouring of respect from House Democrats after she announced she would be stepping down from her leadership position, with lawmakers praising the California Democrat for her work over the last two decades.
The 82-year-old made the highly anticipated announcement on Thursday, confirming she would step down from her role despite calls from some in her party to remain in a leadership position. She is expected to remain a member of the House, at least temporarily, and plans to be involved with the party in an “advisory role.” However, Pelosi also faced calls from Democrats to retire and clear the way for the next generation of leadership.
PELOSI’S TOP DEPUTIES TO MAKE WAY FOR NEXT GENERATION OF DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
Pelosi announced her plans to step down in a floor speech, receiving applause and several standing ovations from lawmakers during her remarks. The applause was followed by kind words as reporters caught up with lawmakers at the Capitol.
“She called me and told me all this, and all that I said [was], ‘Please change your mind. We need you here,’” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who attended the speech. “We’re only as good as the team in our unit. One of her famous expressions, which I have tried to carry out in the Senate and learned from her, [is] ‘In unity, there is strength.’”
Other Democrats echoed those sentiments, noting they held mixed feelings about Pelosi’s decision.
“I’ve got to be honest for you — there’s a part of me that understands the decision, but there’s another part of me that is kind of sad because I think she’s such an extraordinary leader,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). “But we will elect new leaders.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) also praised Pelosi for her work in Congress, pointing to her leadership over the course of four presidents.
“She kept a diverse caucus united, and served as a fearless check-and-balance during the four years of the Trump presidency,” Durbin said in a statement. “She was instrumental in pushing the Affordable Care Act over the finish line in 2010 — which has expanded health coverage to 30 million Americans and saved thousands of lives — as well as guided Congress through the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and helped rescue the nation from the depths of the 2008 financial crisis.”
A slew of Democrats also reflected on their personal interactions with the House speaker, painting her as a dedicated public servant with a lasting legacy. Pelosi’s tenure as the nation’s first female House speaker is a role that would define her political career and further carve a path for women in congressional leadership.
“Inspiring a nation of women as leaders — I think that will be her legacy,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY). “I have this playful thing [where] I playfully refer to her as ‘gangsta’ because she is in the most hip-hop way.”
When she took the gavel for the first time in 2007, she surrounded herself with children, including some of her own grandchildren, on the floor of the House chamber. She has said her focus is to enact progressive policies on childcare, healthcare, and climate change, guided by her personal mantra: “for the children.”
“You’re just in this, trying to do a job in an institution that’s been all male for 200 years. You’re trying to hold your own values close to your heart, and that’s what she taught me,” said Rep. Annie McLane Kuster (D-NH). “She always would say, ‘For the children,’ and she didn’t hide that. When I was a young lawyer, I had to hide that I had children. She taught us we’re all in it for the children, for the next generation. Be proud of that, don’t hide that.”
Pelosi repeatedly managed to get results, even when the Democratic majority was narrow. During the 2008 financial meltdown, she pushed through President George W. Bush’s Wall Street bailout. One of her most significant legislative victories was in 2010, when she was able to pass the largest expansion of healthcare coverage in a half-century, holding together a Democratic caucus that included progressives who didn’t think the bill went far enough and centrists who feared it would endanger their chances of getting reelected. She also became the face of opposition to the Trump administration, proceeding with impeachment proceedings two separate times.
“I believe that she has been the most effective speaker and leader that the House of Representatives has ever had,” said Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA), who is running to lead the House Democrats’ campaign arm for the 2024 cycle.
“Nancy Pelosi has never told me how to vote or what to vote for or against. Every time she had to approach me in that capacity, she always respected my vote and let me know why she thought it was a good idea for me to vote in a certain way. I want to make that clear. Nancy Pelosi understands that, and I believe that’s one of the reasons why people from the Blue Dogs to the Progressive Caucus have voted for Nancy Pelosi to be our leader and our speaker — because she knows how to get the best out of us and at the same time respect us,” he said.
Her colleagues also highlighted the House speaker’s work ethic.
“She’s an extraordinary human being, I mean, in terms of her level of energy and, you know, focus, just constantly being able to perform at a very, very high level. I think it’s the dark chocolate,” Kuster joked. “My favorite time with her is if you catch her late at night, when she has a little time on her hands and she just chats like a girlfriend, you know, and you just talk for 20 minutes, and you feel better about the direction you’re taking and the advice that she’s given.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) pointed to a trip he took with Pelosi to Taiwan earlier this year in which the House speaker led a delegation to focus on strengthening economic and security partnerships overseas.
”She showed leadership. That was remarkable. Look at the people in Taiwan who said, ‘Welcome, Nancy Pelosi,’” Meeks said. “I thought it was just fantastic and historic. There’s a whole lot of other things she’s done to hold this caucus together.”
Some lawmakers lauded Pelosi’s decision to make way for a new generation of leaders, praising the House speaker as opening the door to a new chapter for the party.
”I thought it was one of the most eloquent speeches I’ve heard on the floor. I think that it was such a gracious and generous speech,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). “We watched history in the making, and now we’re gonna see a new generational change in the leadership of the party, and I can’t wait to be a part of what’s next.”
Pelosi’s decision on whether she’ll launch another leadership bid or even retire from politics altogether has been widely anticipated for months and was consistent with a promise she made four years ago to self-term-limit after Democrats won the majority in 2018.
Pelosi won her first election to Congress in 1987 and has served as the party’s House leader since 2002, quickly becoming the lower chamber’s most prolific fundraiser and a well-recognized face throughout the nation. Her colleagues suspect she may continue to utilize her fundraising skills for House Democrats.
“That may be part of what this arrangement is about. She is a juggernaut when it comes to fundraising, and I had been joking earlier in the week that it would take all of us to replace her in that regard,” Kuster said.
“Serving with and learning from Speaker Pelosi has been the greatest professional experience of my life,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), who has worked closely with the speaker to elect Democrats to the House. “We are all blessed to be citizens of a country made better by her service. Her contributions to our democracy rank among the greatest of our republic.”
Replacing her will be no easy task, and Democrats have been quietly discussing for months who would be the best successor — with many pointing to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who has emerged as a fan favorite among the party.
Just minutes after Pelosi announced her plans to step down, her two top deputies also signaled they would make way for the next generation of Democratic leadership. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced he would step down from the No. 2 post after the current session of Congress expires, and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) said he would remain in leadership but as assistant Democratic leader.
The moves make way for Jeffries, Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) to rise to the top three spots.
Jeffries also responded to the news of Pelosi’s departure on Thursday, praising the speaker for her legacy as the “first woman Speaker of the House” but stopped short of announcing any plans to replace her.
“The Speaker often reminds us that our diversity is our strength,” Jeffries said in a statement. “I know that we will draw on that wisdom often as we come together as a Caucus to begin a new chapter, reflecting the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the people we represent.”
Aguilar also declined to comment on his future plans.
“We’re all just trying to process what we heard and honor the legacy of Speaker Pelosi. … Those are the things I’m reflecting on right now,” Aguilar said. “We will communicate to our colleagues when it’s right.”
A handful of Republicans attended Pelosi’s speech on Thursday, although nearly all senior GOP leaders were not in attendance, with the exception of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA).
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“That was disappointing, but I was actually focusing on the Republicans who were there. There were many Republicans who were there who recognized the power of this moment,” Bowman said. “It was disappointing to not see more of the Republicans. The ones I saw there, I was happy to see them there.”
Notably, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was not in attendance, later noting he was “in meetings” at the time of her speech.
“Normally, the others would do it during votes,” McCarthy said. “I wish she could’ve done that. I could’ve been there.”
