Copyright The Daily Beast
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would not seek another term, ending what had been a monumental run for one of the most influential members of Congress in U.S. history. Speculation about Pelosi’s future plans has been swirling for months as some Democrats have criticized the party for not doing enough to make way for young blood. Pelosi is 85 years old. Pelosi released her decision in a video posted on social media on Thursday in which she paid homage to San Francisco. “I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I’ve always honored the song of Saint Francis ‘Lord make me an instrument of thy peace,’ the anthem of our city,” Pelosi said. “That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress.” In the nearly six-minute video, the former speaker reflected on some of the most monumental moments in her ceiling-shattering career. The former speaker is in her 20th term representing a district in San Francisco. She took up the gavel as the first woman elected speaker of the House in January 2007 after having served in House Democratic leadership since she became the first woman elected second in command to the House minority leader as Democratic Whip in 2001. Her rise to the most powerful position in the House was celebrated by then-Republican President George W. Bush, who noted he was the first to ever address a “madame speaker” during a State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Pelosi ruled the House with a tight fist during her tenure as speaker. She was known for only holding votes she knew would pass and for working the phones around the clock to keep her caucus in check. She was the persistent force behind the passage of the Affordable Care Act in early 2010, giving Democrats one of their greatest legislative achievements in the modern era as they had been pushing for a national health care program since FDR’s New Deal. When Democrats retook the House in 2018, Pelosi returned as speaker, where she proved to be a formidable opponent during President Donald Trump’s first term. The then-speaker went toe-to-toe with Trump at the White House on camera and refused to cave to his immigration demands during the 35-day government shutdown at the end of 2018. In 2020, she went viral for ripping up his speech after his State of the Union address. She led the House through the first part of President Joe Biden’s term to pass the American Rescue Plan Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the bipartisan infrastructure deal with razor-thin margins. However, in November 2022, after nearly 20 years in congressional leadership, Pelosi announced she would not seek to return to leadership the following year and would instead help usher in a new generation of Democratic congressional leaders. Since then, she has been referred to as speaker emerita. There had been speculation that she would not seek re-election on numerous occasions, but Pelosi pushed back. She indicated that she would not announce any decision until after the California ballot initiative, Prop 50, on Tuesday. Throughout much of her illustrious career as one of the biggest power-brokers in Washington, Pelosi invoked the phrase “for the children,” which she wielded as a mantra while whipping for and passing some of the biggest pieces of legislation. Pelosi was first elected to represent her California district in 1987 and rose through the party ranks. Before mounting a bid for Congress, the mother of five had long served in Democratic politics, including as the chair of the California Democratic Party, and was a heavyweight fundraiser for the national Democratic Party.
