Nancy Pelosi, first female US House speaker, to retire from Congress

Powerful Democrat Pelosi, 85, says she volition not tally for re-election, but she volition decorativeness the last twelvemonth of her term.

Nancy Pelosi, the archetypal pistillate House talker successful the United States, has announced that she volition not question re-election, retiring from Congress astatine the extremity of her word successful aboriginal 2027.

Pelosi, who has been serving successful Congress since 1987, paid tribute to her location metropolis of San Francisco successful a video connection connected Thursday arsenic she announced her decision.

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“I privation you, my chap San Franciscans, to beryllium the archetypal to cognize I volition not beryllium seeking re-election to Congress,” Pelosi, 85, said.

“With a grateful heart, I look guardant to my last twelvemonth of work arsenic your arrogant representative.”

Seen arsenic 1 of the astir almighty figures successful the modern Democratic Party, Pelosi served stints arsenic House Speaker, from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023.

At the extremity of her 2nd tenure, she stepped down from the House enactment of the Democratic Party, paving the mode for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to go number person and imaginable talker if Democrats regain power of the chamber.

As legislative leader, Pelosi pursued left-of-centre policies. Among her astir notable achievements was shepherding erstwhile President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which became instrumentality successful 2010, done the House.

Pelosi opposed the Iraq warfare successful 2003, but has been a staunch protagonist of Israel.