'Madam Speaker': A look back at some of Nancy Pelosi's most notable moments

Two decades, four presidents, and an unmatched legacy in Washington

Nancy Pelosi.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

After nearly two decades at the helm of the House Democratic caucus, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) announced on Thursday that she would be stepping down from her role, paving the way for a new generation of Democratic leaders to ascend in her wake.

Pelosi, who has served in Congress since 1987, not only presided over some of the most consequential moments in modern legislative history, but ensured a legacy as a groundbreaking lawmaker herself, becoming Congress' first-ever female speaker in 2007. Among Democrats, she's viewed as a master tactician and hard-nosed realist who is often left at uncomfortable odds with her party's younger, more radical left flank. For Republicans, Pelosi's tenure in Washington has become an object of intense derision, with many seeing her as emblematic of liberal hypocrisy and excess.

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.