House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that she will step down as leader of the House Democrats, a position she has held since 2003, but remain in Congress when Republicans take control of the House next January. Democrats were effusive in their praise for Pelosi, but most current House Republicans were not. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did not attend her leadership retirement speech, telling reporters later that he "had meetings" and wished he "could have been there."
Other recent Republican congressional leaders did congratulate Pelosi on her long and historic tenure as House speaker.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who succeeded Pelosi after Republicans captured the House in 2010, tweeted his congratulations.
And former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who served after Boehner from 2015 until 2019, when Pelosi began her second turn leading the House, welcomed her (back) to the exclusive former speaker's club.
"The thing about Pelosi is that, despite massive policy differences, most Republicans privately marvel about just how effective she is," Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman, a long time Washington political reporter, tweeted Thursday. "They know that she is almost always able to get done what she sets out to do. Why? Unlike the other speakers and leaders I've covered in the House, Pelosi inspires incredibly intense loyalty but also fear."
"Republicans never really feared Boehner and Ryan the way they feared Pelosi," Sherman added. "It's been quite something to watch over the years. She, by far, has the strongest grip on her caucus of any other leaders I've covered."
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to ChicagoSpeed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoffSpeed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
