One day after Republicans were projected to retake the House majority, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not seek another term as House Democratic leader, a role she has held for nearly two decades.
“With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection as Democratic leader of our caucus in the next Congress,” Pelosi said, noting she will still remain in her House seat and continue "speaking for the people of San Francisco."
"The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I greatly respect, and I'm grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility," she added.
What You Need To Know
- One day after Republicans were projected to retake the House majority, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not seek another term as House Democratic leader, a role she has held for nearly two decades
- Pelosi will remain a member of the House and represent the people of San Francisco, but said that "the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus"
- President Biden spoke with Pelosi on Thursday morning "and congratulated her on her historic tenure as Speaker of the House," the White House said in a statement
- Pelosi's decision comes after the party was able to halt an expected Republican wave in the House and Senate, but also in the aftermath of a brutal attack on her husband, Paul, late last month in their San Francisco home
"A new day is dawning on the horizon," Pelosi said as she concluded her remarks.
Pelosi received a standing ovation as she entered the House chamber on Thursday and gaveled the chamber into session – and received similar accolades multiple times throughout her speech.
"My colleagues, I stand before you as Speaker of the House, as a wife, a mother, a grandmother a devout Catholic, a proud Democrat, and a patriotic American citizen of the greatest Republic in the history of the world," Pelosi said.
She recalled the first time she saw the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, when she was six years old and her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., was being sworn in for his fifth term in Congress.
"I saw a stunning white building with a magnificent dome," she said. "I believed then as I believe today, this is the most beautiful building in the world because of what it represents. The Capitol is a temple of our democracy, of our Constitution, of our highest ideals."
She later added: "When I first came to the floor at six years old, I never would have thought I’d go from homemaker to House Speaker."
"In this room, our colleagues across history have abolished slavery, granted women the right to vote, established Social Security and Medicare, offered a hand to the weak, care to the sick, education to the young, and hope to the many," Pelosi said.
Pelosi's decision comes after the party was able to halt an expected Republican wave in the House and Senate, but also in the aftermath of a brutal attack on her husband, Paul, late last month in their San Francisco home.
"For my dear husband Paul, who has been my beloved partner in life and my pillar of support, thank you," Pelosi said of her husband. We're all grateful for all the prayers and well wishes as he continues his recovery. Thank you so much."
The venerable House Speaker cheered the results of last week's midterms, saying that Americans chose to defend democracy itself.
"Last week the American people spoke and their voices were raised in defense of liberty, of the rule of law and of democracy itself," Pelosi said. "With these elections that people stood in the breach and repel the assault on democracy, they resoundingly rejected violence and insurrection, and in doing so, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
"And now we owe to the American people our very best to deliver on their faith to forever reach for the more perfect union, the glorious horizon that our founders promised," she added.
Pelosi will leave behind a long legacy of historic firsts and legislative accomplishments that will echo for generations to come.
First elected to Congress in 1987 after years volunteering and fundraising for California Democrats, Pelosi rose the ranks in the caucus until ultimately becoming the leader of the House Democrats in 2003, the first woman to hold the role in U.S. history.
In 2006 — the final midterm election of then-President George W. Bush’s tenure in office — Democrats were swept into power in both chambers of Congress, picking up 30 seats in the house and 5 seats in the U.S. Senate. Pelosi was unanimously chosen by her party as Speaker of the House, marking the first time in U.S. history a woman held the office that is third in the line of presidential succession.
During the first two years of her first speakership, Pelosi was an outspoken opponent of the Iraq War, and blocked President Bush’s proposal to partially privatize Social Security, but also refused calls from within her own party to launch an impeachment into Bush.
After President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, Pelosi spearheaded a number of his key legislative proposals, helping to carry the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank financial regulation reform bill, the 2009 stimulus bill and the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy across the finish line.
Pelosi also became a key target for Republican campaigns as they hoped to retake the House in 2010 — and remained a foil for GOP campaigns acrossthe country throughout her political career, painting Democrats nationwide as allies to her “liberal, out-of-touch agenda,” as an ad for a Montana political candidate from 2017 described.
Or, as Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly described it in a 2017 interview with POLITICO, “using [Pelosi] as the boogeyman.”
After Democrats lost the House in the 2010 midterms, Pelosi remained on as leader of the House Democrats, guiding the party through the rise of the Tea Party Republicans and, later, through the first two years of Donald Trump's presidency. As minority leader, she broke the record for the longest "magic minute" speech by a party leader, delivering a more than eight-hour speech about DREAMers to protest a budget deal that would not address DACA recipients, who were at risk of deportation under Trump.
After the 2018 midterms, which saw the Democrats net a 41-seat gain in the House, Pelosi was once again tapped to serve as House Speaker, the first person to reclaim the gavel in more than 60 years.
As speaker once again, Pelosi led her caucus through two impeachments of President Trump – the first in 2019 over allegations that Trump unlawfully solicited foreign interference in the 2020 election, and the second in 2021 following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In both cases, Trump was acquitted by the Senate.
And much like she did with his former boss, Pelosi spent the last two years spearheading legislation brought by President Joe Biden, including the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the CHIPS and Science Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and a Democrats-only climate change, health care and tax reform bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act – the whole time managing a razor-thin majority in the House, with very little room for error or defections.
"I have enjoyed working with three presidents," Pelosi said, naming former Presidents Bush and Obama, and President Biden – notably skipping over former President Donald Trump, with whom she frequently sparred.
After her speech, Pelosi spent the next several minutes being embraced and thanked by members of her caucus and other admirers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
President Biden spoke with Pelosi on Thursday morning "and congratulated her on her historic tenure as Speaker of the House," the White House said in a statement.
In a lengthy statement, Biden called her "the most consequential Speaker of the House of Representatives in our history."
"There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world," she said. "In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation."
"Because of Nancy Pelosi, the lives of millions and millions of Americans are better, even in districts represented by Republicans who voted against her bills and too often vilify her," Biden wrote after celebrating her achievements under his presidency and the Obama administration. "That’s Nancy – always working for the dignity of all of the people."
"And, as a fierce defender of democracy through our laws, history will also note her fierceness and resolve to protect our democracy from the violent, deadly insurrection of Jan. 6," Biden continued. "It’s a threat of political violence and intimidation that continues and she and her family know all too well, but that will never stop her from serving our nation."
"She might be stepping down from her leadership role in the House Democratic Caucus, but she will never waiver in protecting our sacred democracy," Biden concluded. "Nancy Pelosi is first, last, and always for the people. Jill and I count Nancy, Paul, and their family among our dearest friends. As a nation, we owe her a deep debt of gratitude for her service, her patriotism, and above all, her absolute dignity."
Now the question comes of who will heed Pelosi's call and lead House Democrats into the future.
Following Pelosi's example, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced shortly after the speaker's remarks that he will not seek a leadership role next Congress, backing New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to lead the caucus.
"Now is the time for a new generation of leaders, and I am proud to offer my strong endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries for Democratic Leader, a role in which he will make history for the institution of the House and for our country," Hoyer wrote. "He is a skilled and capable leader who will help us win back the Majority in 2024 as we strive to continue delivering on our promises to the American people. I look forward to serving as a resource to him, to the rest of our Democratic leadership team, and to our entire Caucus in whatever capacity I can best be of assistance as we move forward together to address the nation’s challenges."
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., who said earlier this week that he plans to stay in leadership, said "it has been a great privilege and high honor" to serve with Pelosi.
"As a historic leader, she has met the challenges of guiding this body through the best and worst of times," Clyburn wrote. "Her steady hand, principled policies, and unmatched ability to build consensus among the most diverse caucus the country has ever known are hallmarks of her storied career."
Clyburn also offered his endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries, as well as Reps. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., to lead the caucus: "Speaker Pelosi has left an indelible mark on Congress and the country, and I look forward to her continued service and doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic Leaders which I hope to be Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar.."
Jeffries wrote in a statement of his own that the country owes Pelosi "a tremendous debt of gratitude for her faithful service."
"The Speaker often reminds us that our diversity is our strength," Jeffries wrote. "I know we will draw on that wisdom often as we come together as a Caucus to begin a new chapter, reflecting the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the people we represent. May we undertake that journey with the solemnity, prayerfulness and tenacity that Speaker Pelosi has brought to each and every day of her tenure."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.