Nancy Pelosi Will Resign as House Democratic Party Leader

She will continue to serve her California district in Congress when the  Republicans take control of the House.  After losing control of the House in the midterm elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) announced she would not seek to remain the Democratic leader. She made the statement during a speech recounting her career on the House floor. She said the time has come for a new generation to head the Democratic caucus, which she will hold in high regard.

Democrats and Republicans gave the first woman to ever serve as speaker an extended standing ovation and embraced her after her address. With a victory in California on Wednesday evening, Republicans secured a small majority of House seats, ending two years of Democratic dominance of both houses of Congress and the White House. The control of the senate control will remain with the Democrats.

Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of the Democratic Caucus in New York, is viewed as the frontrunner to succeed Nancy Pelosi as caucus leader. According to legislators and aides, he has been visiting with colleagues to gauge their support. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, another possible contender, has withdrawn from consideration.

Mrs. Pelosi entered the House floor wearing a white suit, a color she and other female members of Congress have worn too big occasions in the past owing to its affiliation with the suffragist movement. As a child, the daughter of a Maryland congressman recalls traveling to Washington in the automobile with her brothers.

She praised her collaboration with President Biden and former presidents from both parties on significant energy, environment, and healthcare laws. She also remarked on the outcomes of the midterm elections, the first since January 6, 2021, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the Capitol. With these elections, the people stepped up and fought the assault on democracy, she explained.

She also referenced the increasing diversity of Congress throughout her decades of service, citing an increase in the number of women and members of ethnic groups. When she entered Congress, there were 23 women in the House of Representatives, and there are now123 women in the most recent Congress, 91 Democrats and 32 Republicans.

She stated that she would continue to serve as the representative for her district. She stated that there was no higher formal honor for her than to stand here and represent the people of San Francisco.

Drew Hammill, Mrs. Pelosi’s spokesman, said on Thursday that Mrs. Pelosi had prepared two speeches for Wednesday. Thursday morning, lawmakers in the Capitol stated that they did not know what she planned to say.

It is expected that Kevin McCarthy (R-California) will succeed Nancy Pelosi as speaker if he can maintain a mostly united caucus. Mrs. Pelosi was a political target for years, with Republicans campaigning in numerous places under the slogan “fire Pelosi” and frequently referencing her in attack advertisements.

It is confirmed. The era of one-party Democratic control in Washington is over, and we have dismissed Nancy Pelosi, Mr. McCarthy said on Wednesday’s Fox News broadcast.

Due to voter worries about the economy and crime, Biden’s low approval rating, and the history of losing seats to the party that occupies the White House in midterms, Republicans were widely favored to regain the House. Analysts and politicians attributed the GOP’s less-than-anticipated wins to independent voters’ worries over abortion access, the GOP’s message regarding election fraud, and former President Trump’s influence. According to some, the results might alter the calculations of Democratic leaders since the minority might have more influence in a parliament with a slim majority.

As a speaker, Pelosi, who is 82 years old, promised in 2019, when Democrats last won the majority, that she would only serve two more terms, which ends with the current Congress. Additionally, her two senior deputies, Maryland’s Steny Hoyer, 83, and South Carolina’s Jim Clyburn, 82, are uncertain of their futures. When asked about his plans as he entered a Democratic party gathering on Thursday, Mr. Hoyer replied he’d wait for the speaker to make hers and he is not going to say anymore. It’s too soon.

During her tenure as speaker, Pelosi became the first female speaker and the first in more than 60 years to have lost and regained the gavel. Her skill to count votes and bend arms is revered, even by her opponents, who sought her out on occasion to pass legislation.

She repeatedly clashed with Mr. Trump, at one point dramatically ripping up the State of the Union speech text at the end of his address. Under her leadership, the Democrats twice impeached him; the Senate acquitted him both times.

Her leadership helped House Democrats pass legislation that led the party to success over the past several years, including the Affordable Care Act under President Obama and the Biden administration’s Covid-19 aid, healthcare, climate change, and social policy packages as a bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Pelosi announced the news only a few weeks after her husband, Paul, was assaulted at their San Francisco home, necessitating surgery and intensive care. Mrs. Pelosi previously stated that the attack would impact her decision.