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Heartfelt messages poured in for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday after she announced her plans to retire, bringing an end to her historic nearly 40-year career in Congress. Seen as one of the most powerful women in U.S. politics, Pelosi was the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House. The 85-year-old Democrat announced her decision in a video posted on social media on Thursday, noting that she plans to serve her final year in Congress. “I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi said in the video. Messages of gratitude and praise from Democrats and some Republicans quickly circulated on social media, with many highlighting her accomplishments as Speaker of the House during the Obama administration and President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Here’s what lawmakers and politicians are saying about Pelosi’s retirement: Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Pelosi will be “recorded as the greatest Speaker in American history.” “California will not see another champion that is as committed, as capable, and as filled with the progressive spirit as Nancy Pelosi. Not for a very long time. And I look forward to seeing what she will accomplish in her remaining time in the Congress and in the future,” Schiff wrote on social media platform X. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) wrote on X that Pelosi is a “giant in congressional history, and our nation is better for her leadership.” “Nancy Pelosi didn’t just make history — she wrote it.As the first woman to wield the Speaker’s gavel, she led the House through generational crises with skill and grit. I was lucky to have a front-row seat to watch the most powerful woman in American history at work for the people," Stanton wrote on X. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) called Pelosi a “major figure in American history.” “She’s more than a barrier breaker, she is one of our most brilliant and accomplished leaders, who repeatedly overcame steep odds to deliver results that changed people’s lives for the better,” he said on X. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said Pelosi was the “most accomplished Speaker of our generation,” adding that many young girls like her “knew that we could be a leader because of her.” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) also praised Pelosi despite their partisan differences.
