Nancy Pelosi Resign After Republicans Won Majority In House
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) talks to reporters during her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill on January 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. The White House's bid to push voting rights legislation through a divided Senate collapsed yesterday as two key Democrats broke with their party to squash the bill's chances. (Photo by Eric Lee-Pool/Getty Images)
Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the US House of Representatives, made the historic announcement on Thursday that she will step down when the Republicans take control of the chamber in January 2023.
In an emotional statement on the House floor, 82-year-old Pelosi declared, “I will not run for re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress.” “A new generation has to take the helm of the Democratic caucus,”
Republicans narrowly secured a majority in the House in last week’s midterm elections, while Democrats retained control of the Senate.
A new era in Washington will end with Pelosi’s resignation as party leader.
She won her first congressional election in 1987, and in 2007 she was appointed speaker. She presided over both of Donald Trump’s impeachments during her second term in office and was noted for keeping a firm hold on party ranks.
Pelosi said last week that the vicious attack on her elderly husband in the run-up to the November 8 midterm elections will have an effect on her choice. Pelosi is presently second in line to succeed President Joe Biden.
Paul Pelosi, who is 82 years old, was seriously injured and had to be hospitalized when an intruder struck him with a hammer inside their San Francisco home. It’s possible that the invader was looking for the speaker.
Pelosi announced that she would continue to represent her San Francisco district in the upcoming Congress and applauded Democrats’ better-than-expected showing in the midterm elections.
The American people rose up last week, raising their voices in support of freedom, the rule of law, and democracy itself, she added. “The people stepped up and thwarted the attack on democracy,”
Earlier this week, she said in a statement that “House Democrats will continue to play a prominent role in supporting President Biden’s program – with great leverage over a tiny Republican majority.”
Biden expressed his readiness to collaborate with House Republicans in order to “achieve outcomes for working people” and congratulated top House Republican Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy, who has his sights set on the speaker’s gavel, stated that “House Republicans are ready to deliver” because “Americans are ready for a new approach.”
By holding a press conference to announce plans to look into the “national security” implications of the president’s family business connections, House Republicans quickly gave the impression that they would use their newfound authority to make Biden’s life more challenging.
Republicans had anticipated for a “red wave” to sweep across America, giving them control of both chambers and, hence, an effective block over most of Biden’s legislative proposals, since inflation was increasing and Biden’s popularity ratings were plummeting.
Instead, Democratic voters showed up in large numbers, energized by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold abortion rights and leery of Trump-backed candidates who openly disapproved of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Republicans also suffered from having candidates whom moderate voters rejected as being too extreme.
With 50 seats plus Vice President Kamala Harris‘ tie-breaking vote, Biden’s party won an unbreakable majority in the upper chamber, and a Senate runoff in Georgia could yet see the Democrats increase their margin.
Having the 100-seat body in his corner will be a huge advantage for Biden as the Senate is in charge of overseeing the confirmation of federal judges and cabinet members.
McCarthy is in a strong position to become the next speaker after winning the Republican Party’s leadership poll on Tuesday by secret ballot.
However, the 57-year-road old’s may still be complicated by potential far-right defections when the 435 newly elected Democrats and Republicans in the House choose a new speaker in January.
