Pelosi won’t seek leadership role, plans to stay in U.S. Congress

Article content material

WASHINGTON — Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi mentioned Thursday that she is not going to search a management place within the new Congress, a pivotal realignment making method for a brand new technology of leaders after Democrats misplaced management of the Home to Republicans within the midterm elections.

Article content material

Pelosi introduced in a spirited speech on the Home ground that she’s going to step apart after main Democrats for practically 20 years and within the aftermath of the brutal assault on her husband, Paul, final month of their San Francisco house.

Article content material

The California Democrat, who rose to turn out to be the nation’s first lady to wield the speaker’s gavel, mentioned she would stay in Congress because the consultant from San Francisco, a place she has held for 35 years, when the brand new Congress convenes in January.

“Now we should transfer boldly into the longer term,” Pelosi mentioned.

“I cannot search reelection to Democratic management within the subsequent Congress,” Pelosi mentioned. “For me, the hour has come for a brand new technology to steer the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”

Article content material

Pelosi obtained a standing ovation after her remarks, and lawmakers and visitors one after the other went as much as supply her hugs, many taking selfies of a second in historical past. President Joe Biden spoke with Pelosi within the morning and congratulated her on her historic tenure as speaker of the Home, the White home mentioned.

It’s an uncommon alternative for a celebration chief to remain on after withdrawing from congressional management however one befitting of Pelosi, who has lengthy defied conference in pursuing energy in Washington.

Pelosi recapped her profession, from seeing the Capitol the primary time as a younger lady along with her father, a former congressman and mayor, to serving as speaker alongside U.S. presidents and doing “the folks’s work.”

“Daily I’m in energy of the majestic miracle of American democracy,” she mentioned.

Article content material

Democrats cheered Pelosi as she arrived within the chamber at midday. On quick discover, lawmakers crammed the Home, a minimum of on the Democratic facet, and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer joined. The Speaker’s Gallery crammed with Pelosi employees and visitor. Some Republicans, together with some newly-elected members, additionally attended.

Schumer exchanged a protracted hug and kiss on the cheek with the speaker shortly after she completed her speech.

Earlier, Pelosi had famous in a press release after The Related Press known as management of the chamber that, within the subsequent Congress, Home Democrats may have “robust leverage over a scant Republican majority.”

Article content material

The primary lady to turn out to be speaker, and the one individual in a long time to be twice elected to the function, she has led Democrats by consequential moments, together with passage of the Inexpensive Care Act with President Barack Obama and the impeachments of President Donald Trump.

By saying her choice, Pelosi might launch a domino impact in Home Democratic management forward of inner celebration elections subsequent month as Democrats reorganize because the minority celebration for the brand new Congress.

Pelosi’s management workforce, with Majority Chief Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Democratic Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina, has lengthy moved as a triumvirate. Hoyer and Clyburn are additionally making choices about their futures.

All now of their 80s, the three Home Democratic leaders have confronted stressed colleagues anticipating them to step apart and permit a brand new technology to take cost.

Article content material

Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California have equally moved as a trio, all working towards changing into the subsequent technology of leaders. Jeffries might make historical past if he enters the race to turn out to be the nation’s first Black speaker of the Home.

One thought circulating on Capitol Hill was that Pelosi and the others might emerge as emeritus leaders as they move the baton to new Democrats.

Clyburn, the highest-ranking Black American in Congress, has mentioned he has little interest in being speaker or chief of the minority at this level in his life however expects to remain in Congress subsequent yr.

“I do want to stay on the management desk,” Clyburn mentioned per week after the midterms. “As to what capability that will likely be, I’ll depart that as much as our Democratic caucus.”

Article content material

Hoyer has not spoken publicly of his plans.

First elected in 1987, Pelosi has been a pivotal determine in American politics, lengthy ridiculed by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal whereas steadily rising as a talented legislator and fundraising powerhouse. Her personal Democratic colleagues have intermittently appreciated but additionally feared her highly effective model of management.

Pelosi first turned speaker in 2007, saying she had cracked the “marble ceiling,” after Democrats swept to energy within the 2006 midterm elections in a backlash to then-President George W. Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When she was poised in 2018 to return as speaker, within the Trump period, she vowed “to point out the facility of the gavel.”

Pelosi has repeatedly withstood management challenges over time and had urged in 2018 she would serve 4 extra years as chief. However she had not mentioned these plans extra lately.

Article content material

Sometimes unsentimental, Pelosi let present a uncommon second of emotion on the eve of the midterm elections as she held again tears discussing the grave assault on her husband of practically 60 years.

Paul Pelosi suffered a fractured cranium after an intruder broke into their house within the center the night time searching for the Democratic chief. The intruder’s query – “The place is Nancy?” – echoed the chants of the pro-Trump rioters on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as they hunted for Pelosi and tried to cease Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory over Trump.

David DePape is being held with out bail on tried homicide and different fees in what authorities mentioned was a political assault. Police mentioned DePape broke in and wakened Paul Pelosi, and the 2 struggled over a hammer earlier than DePape struck the 82-year-old on the top. DePape, 42, has pleaded not responsible to federal fees of trying to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official’s member of the family.

Paul Pelosi was hospitalized for per week however is predicted to get better, although his spouse has mentioned it is going to be a protracted haul.

On the time, Speaker Pelosi wouldn’t talk about her political plans however would solely disclose that the assault on her husband would impression her choice.

Historians have famous that different consequential political figures had careers as rank-and-file members of Congress, together with John Quincy Adams, the previous president, who went on to serve for practically 18 years in Congress.

— Related Press employees writers Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.