Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who broke the “marble ceiling” to become the first woman to lead the U.S. House — announced Thursday that she will step down as party leader.
“With great confidence in our caucus, I do not seek re-election to the Democratic leadership in the next Congress. It is time for me to have a new generation lead the Democratic caucus that I deeply respect,” Pelosi said. The floor of the house. “I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to take on this wonderful responsibility.”
Pelosi said she will continue to represent her San Francisco district in the House.
In her remarks, Pelosi warned that democracy “is majestic, but it is fragile” and said voters in 2022 sent a message to Congress that they will not support those who support violence or insurgency. She also praised the chamber for being more diverse in her 35-year career. When Congress first entered the Democratic Caucus in 1987, there were 12 women and now there are 90. “And we want more,” she said to applause.
Her decision comes a day after Republicans officially won control of the chamber in the 2022 midterms, and three weeks after her husband, Paul, was violently attacked at their San Francisco home.
The GOP is expected to have a slim majority on Election Day as the “red wave” never materializes. Democrats defied historic expectations and performed better than expected in the gubernatorial, Senate, and House elections.
Her decision comes as no surprise on Capitol Hill and is consistent with a promise she made four years ago in self-term limits after Democrats won the majority in 2018 and became the first speaker since the legendary Sam Rayburn to claim the speakership twice. Pelosi, 82, and two other top House Democratic leaders, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Rep. There is a quiet desire among rank-and-file Democrats to replace Jim Clyburn with a younger slate of leaders. D-S.C., who is also in his 80s.
After Pelosi’s announcement, Hoyer, who is currently the House majority leader, said she would not run for leadership in the next Congress.
“Now is the time for a new generation of leaders,” Hoyer said in a statement, adding that Democratic Rep. Hakeem said he would support Jefferies.
House Democrats will hold a leadership election later this month, and Pelosi’s announcement is likely to start a flurry of leadership bid announcements.
Topping the list are Jeffries of New York, Catherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Pete Aguilar of California. All three now serve in lower-level leadership roles and are eager to move up the ladder. Jeffries, 52, Clark, 59, and Aguilar, 43, will make African Americans, white women, and Hispanics the new face of the party. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is also considering a leadership bid. Fellow Californians Ami Berra and Tony Cardenas have announced a campaign to run the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of Democrats, for the 2024 election.
Pelosi will have a tough act to follow
Even those who have previously clashed with Pelosi praise her record of steering a divided caucus through often difficult times, with little room for error. With just a 5-seat majority, the speaker helped muscle through President Biden’s legislative achievements — a pandemic aid bill, a bipartisan infrastructure bill, legislation to increase production of semiconductor chips, and measures to reduce prescription drug costs and invest in climate programs.
“I’ve been elected for 26 years. I’ve been doing this for a while. I believe she is the most effective speaker and leader in the House of Representatives,” Cardenas said after Pelosi’s speech. “Every moment has been a blessing for me, and an honor to serve with him.”
Rep. Debbie Dingell called Pelosi “one of the giants of American history” and said, “The door has been opened wide for every one of us women.”
He also praised Pelosi’s toughness as a political negotiator.
“[He] knew when to put the hammer down,” Dingell said. “Thankfully the hammer didn’t come down on my head again and again.”
According to the White House, Biden and Pelosi spoke Thursday morning, and the president congratulated her on her historic tenure, which he noted was made up of four terms: “I know because I’ve seen her in action during my career as a senator, vice president, and now As president,” Biden said in a statement after his announcement.
“Because of Nancy Pelosi, lives are better for millions and millions of Americans, even in districts represented by Republicans who voted against her bills and often insulted her,” the statement said. “That’s Nancy — always working for the dignity of all people.”
When she first took the gavel into the House chamber in 2007, she surrounded herself on the floor with children — including some of her grandchildren. Throughout her tenure, she has repeatedly stated her focus on enacting progressive policies on health care, child care, and climate change, all guided by the mantra “for the children.” She served as minority leader after Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and were re-elected speaker in 2019. Drew Hamill, Pelosi’s longtime spokesman, has regularly responded to questions about her future in recent years, saying the speaker is “not on a shift, but on a mission.”