Nancy Pelosi's historic role as first female House speaker

Table Of Content

• Clyburn signals he will step aside and let a new trio lead House Democrats
• Minority Leader
• ‘I’m emancipated now’: Nancy Pelosi enjoying life after leadership
• Speaker Pelosi says she will step down as party leader after two decades at the top
• Nancy Pelosi says she respects Mike Johnson and hopes Trump isn't 'his puppeteer'
• Early House of Representatives tenure

An increasing number of Americans say Mr. Biden should encourage Israel to cease its actions in Gaza. Pelosi made the remarks in an interview with Irish public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann during a visit to Ireland. Democrats, including President Biden, have grown increasingly critical of Netanyahu's leadership as Israel continues its assault on Gaza. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond.

Clyburn signals he will step aside and let a new trio lead House Democrats

The speaker then delayed the process of relaying the articles to the Senate, in hopes of securing terms for a fair trial in the Republican-controlled upper chamber, before finally following through on January 15, 2020. She became the first speaker to launch two impeachments against the same sitting president, Donald Trump, including for his role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol during the counting of electoral votes to affirm Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election victory. Pelosi joined with other leaders to reconvene Congress that evening to finish the count.

‘Warmonger’ Nancy Pelosi's speech heckled by pro-Palestine protestors at UK university: WATCH - Hindustan Times

‘Warmonger’ Nancy Pelosi's speech heckled by pro-Palestine protestors at UK university: WATCH.

Posted: Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:42:30 GMT [source]

Minority Leader

But Ms. Pelosi insisted she would have had the support to remain if she had opted to; she said her phone had been “exploding” with calls from her colleagues urging her to stay as their leader, but that she had chosen otherwise. The decision came less than three weeks after her husband, Paul Pelosi, was brutally attacked in their San Francisco home by a hammer-wielding assailant who was said to have been planning to kidnap and assault the speaker herself. Shortly after Ms. Pelosi, 82, concluded her remarks, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the 83-year-old majority leader, said in a letter to his colleagues that he too would refrain from seeking a leadership position in the next Congress. He endorsed Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, 52, to be the next Democratic leader, throwing his support to a lawmaker who is widely regarded as Ms. Pelosi’s likeliest successor. Other than sending a team of House impeachment managers to argue the Democrats' case, Pelosi could do little as Senate Republicans voted against allowing additional witnesses and expressed the belief that the president's conduct did not warrant removal from office.

‘I’m emancipated now’: Nancy Pelosi enjoying life after leadership

With her in a leadership role, Democrats challenged President George W. Bush over the Iraq war and his plan to privatize Social Security, and won approval of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, her greatest legislative achievement, in 2010. She helped steer the nation through a grave economic crisis in 2008, and this year finished her leadership stint by passing legacy-building climate change legislation. The No. 3 Democrat, Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, 82, was expected to cede the position of whip and seek to become the assistant leader, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke about them on the condition of anonymity because they had yet to be announced. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. For years, Pelosi has long been the subject of Republican ridicule, her image satirized more than most others for years in GOP campaign ads. It came to a head in October, when her husband of almost 60 years was subject to a targeted attack.

"With Nancy, you see a father's daughter who learned by his side how to win and govern. With her leading the way, you never worry about whether a bill will pass," he said. "For me, the hour’s come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m so grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility." Pelosi, 82, is one of the most powerful lawmakers of her generation or any other, and her departure will rob Democrats of strategic acumen and unmatched fundraising skills.

Two Freedom Caucus members say McCarthy doesn't have the votes to become speaker

She added, "If you're just sitting in the back bench, and then they tap you to become the speaker, they shouldn't complain when you don't know how to be speaker from day one." The shifting sentiments among some party activists reflect changing opinions from the broader California electorate. He recalled the initial skepticism when Pelosi defeated Harry Britt, a progressive who would have been the first out gay member of Congress from San Francisco. “I think that it has been an evolution for many of us to fully appreciate what she has done,” said David Campos, vice chair of the state Democratic Party and a former leader in San Francisco’s progressive politics.

Nancy Pelosi says she respects Mike Johnson and hopes Trump isn't 'his puppeteer'

"Now we must move boldly into the future, grounded by the principles that have propelled us this far and open to fresh possibilities for the future," Pelosi said. "With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus." Senator Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who has been the subject of threats and had a window broken at her home this summer, said in statement that she “was horrified by this vicious attack on Paul Pelosi at his home. My prayers are with him, Speaker Pelosi and their family.” In a recent New York Times article about threats against lawmakers, Ms. Collins said she would not be surprised if one were killed, given the escalating threats. The department has opened two field offices in Florida and California, whose congressional representatives receive the most threats. It has also hired a new intelligence director, tasked with improving data collection and sharing.

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The 2018 midterm elections saw a massive resurgence for the Democrats as they regained control of the House. As calls continued for leadership changes, Pelosi made various concessions, notably accepting term limits, and in January 2019 she was officially elected speaker, becoming the first person in more than 60 years to serve nonconsecutive terms in the post. Pelosi’s political skills were also on display as she dealt with a government shutdown that had begun in late December. Pelosi united her party in opposition to the president, who vowed to keep the government closed until he received billions for the proposed wall. Citing security concerns, Pelosi refused to allow Trump to hold the annual State of the Union address in the House chambers while the government was closed. In late January Trump finally agreed to end the shutdown, which was the longest to date, even though he had failed to secure the necessary funding.

In the wake of Bush's 2004 reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue impeachment proceedings against him, asserting that he had misled Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and violated Americans' civil liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps. Phelan hasn’t shied away from talking about the ad, recently using the doctored photo in his own ad to show the lengths at which David Covey would go in his primary challenge against the speaker. Phelan didn’t respond to a question asking whether he would support updating the deep fake law. Less publicized was the flip side of the mailer, which falsely depicted Phelan at a lectern speaking at a Texas House Democratic Caucus news conference. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Apple's sluggish growth arguably doesn't justify its forward price-to-earnings ratio of nearly 26.

Prosecutors said the recent attack on Paul Pelosi, her husband, in the couple's San Francisco home was politically motivated. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shattered the so-called "marble ceiling" in Congress during her two decade career as a leader in those halls. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a towering figure in American politics with a history-making legacy of shattering glass ceilings as the first and so far only woman to be speaker of the US House of Representatives. Coming off the House floor, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t say who’d she support as Democratic leader to succeed her.

She stepped down from House Democratic leadership last year after the party narrowly lost its majority in the midterm elections. She said then that the time had come to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. When Pelosi refused to seat two of Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s five nominees for the committee—Representatives Jim Banks and Jim Jordan—because, she argued, they were too closely involved with Trump to participate credibly, McCarthy withdrew all five nominations. In their places Pelosi appointed Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who joined the seven Democrats on the committee, which began its investigation in July 2021. In the meantime, Pelosi shepherded House passage of a massive bill aimed at restoring and improving U.S. infrastructure despite the Senate’s failure to approve the Build Back Better Act.

As speaker, Pelosi served as a critical ally to the nation's first Black president, Obama, and together enacted into law one of their signature legislative achievements, the landmark 2010 Affordable Care Act that inched the nation closer to health care coverage for all Americans. Democrats swept control of the House by making big promises to change the way Washington worked. "The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., And the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history," Pelosi said the day after the election. As speaker, Pelosi remained the leader of the House Democrats, as the speaker is considered the leader of the majority caucus. But by tradition, she did not normally participate in debate and almost never voted on the floor, though she had the right to do so as a member of the House. Pelosi's reelection announcement comes as Democrats look to take back majority control of the chamber in the 2024 cycle.

Addressing the convention Saturday morning, Pelosi made clear how much she has enjoyed her post-speakership victory lap. The decision also comes amid debate about the relatively advanced age of the nation's elected officials. "A new day is dawning on the horizon, and I look forward, always forward, to the unfolding story of our nation, a story of light and love, of patriotism and progress, of many becoming one," she said in an emotional speech delivered on the House floor. "And always an unfinished mission to make the dreams of today the reality of tomorrow."

Hakeem Jeffries of New York, 52, the Democratic Caucus chairman, has been considered Pelosi’s heir apparent, and he would become the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in history if he were to win. The fear of reprisal is one reason Pelosi hasn’t been seriously challenged in a leadership election since she first won the post of Democratic whip over Hoyer in 2001. Since 2003, she has been her party’s leader in the House, the longest streak in either party since Speaker Sam Rayburn, the Texas Democrat who died in 1961 after more than 21 years running his party.

In San Francisco, the attack forced the shutdown of the stately block in Pacific Heights where the Pelosis live, as the police cordoned off the area with crime-scene tape and patrol cars with flashing lights. Simon & Schuster announced Thursday that Pelosi’s “The Art of Power” will be released Aug. 6. Rather than leading her to consider leaving Congress entirely, Ms. Pelosi said the attack had fortified her decision to stay. “The traumatic effect of that being in our home has had such an impact on my husband and me, but also on our children and grandchildren,” she said, expressing fury at Republicans and others for making light of the incident. On Thursday, Mr. McCarthy offered no comment on Ms. Pelosi’s announcement, though his staff noted that they expected that her final act as speaker would be to hand him the gavel in January, as is tradition in a handover of power in the House. “I have no intention of being the mother-in-law in the kitchen saying, ‘My son doesn’t like this thing this way,’” said Ms. Pelosi, who said she would focus her energy instead on representing the city that had first sent her to the House in 1987.

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