Why is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi retiring from US Congress?

“It’s an historical infinitesimal for the Congress. It’s an historical infinitesimal for the women of America. It is simply a infinitesimal for which we person waited implicit 200 years,” said United States Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi successful January 2007, upon becoming the talker of the US House of Representatives.

“For our daughters and our granddaughters, contiguous we person breached the marble ceiling,” she added, addressing an applauding assemblage astatine the House successful Washington, DC.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Why is the US authorities shutting down? What volition it mean?
• list 2 of 3Nancy Pelosi, archetypal pistillate US House speaker, to discontinue from Congress
• list 3 of 3Fact checking Nancy Pelosi statements implicit the years

Pelosi, 85, who has served arsenic the Democratic typical for California’s 11th Congressional District since 1987, made past erstwhile she was elected arsenic the 52nd talker of the House of Representatives – arsenic the first-ever pistillate – and served from 2007 to 2011. She aboriginal served again from 2019 to 2023.

On Thursday this week, she announced her status from Congress arsenic of January adjacent year.

Paying tribute to her location metropolis of San Francisco, she announced her determination successful a video message, telling and citizens of the city: “It was the religion that you had placed successful maine and the latitude that you person fixed maine that enabled maine to shatter the marble ceiling and beryllium the archetypal pistillate talker of the House, whose dependable would surely beryllium heard.

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

“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 and 1 of the astir almighty women successful US politics, Pelosi was re-elected arsenic talker of the House successful 2019 and served until 2023.

At the extremity of her 2nd tenure, she stepped down from House enactment for the Democratic Party but retained the honorary rubric of talker emerita of the House.

Here’s what we know:

Who is Nancy Pelosi?

Nancy Patricia Pelosi was calved connected March 26, 1940, successful Baltimore, Maryland, and is the lone girl and youngest of six siblings.

She comes from a household with governmental lineage. Her father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr, was a congressman who served arsenic politician of Baltimore for 12 years. Her older brother, Thomas D’Alesandro III, besides served arsenic politician of Baltimore.

After graduating with a bachelor’s grade successful governmental subject from Trinity College successful Washington, DC successful the 1960s, Pelosi started an internship with the Maryland legislator astatine the time, Daniel Brewster.

In 1963, she joined Paul Pelosi, an American businessman and San Francisco native, and the mates moved to the metropolis six years later, with their six children.

In the 1980s, Pelosi began moving with the Democratic National Committee successful the authorities of California. Starting arsenic a fundraiser, she progressed to go the seat of some the California Democratic Party betwixt 1981 and 1983 and the big committee for the 1984 Democratic National Convention successful San Francisco.

Former US President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to US Representative and erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) during a ceremonial astatine the White House successful Washington, DC, connected May 3, 2024 [File: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]

How agelong has Pelosi been successful Congress?

In 1987, Pelosi was elected to Congress arsenic a Democratic typical – a spot she campaigned for, promising enactment against AIDS, which was severely affecting people, particularly from the LGBTQ+ community, successful her metropolis of San Francisco.

A nationalist instrumentality addressing the epidemic emerged successful the 1990s successful the signifier of the Ryan White Care Act, and Pelosi, who was successful Congress astatine the time, celebrated the moment. That instrumentality provided the largest backing programme for radical with AIDS.

As a congresswoman for astir 40 years, Pelosi has climbed done the ranks and, successful 2001, became the archetypal pistillate to clasp the station of the House number whip for the Democratic Party. In this post, it was her work to beforehand the policies of her party.

In 2002, she became the House number person and, successful 2007, she was elected talker of the House erstwhile Republican George W Bush was successful power.

“In this House, we whitethorn beryllium antithetic parties, but we service 1 country,” she told the House portion accepting the station successful January 2007.

What does the House Speaker do?

According to the US Congress website, the Speaker of the House is elected either astatine the commencement of a Congress, which lasts for 2 years, oregon if determination is simply a vacancy owed to decease oregon resignation.

The predetermination takes spot by “roll telephone vote, during which Members authorities aloud the sanction of their preferred candidate. If nary campaigner receives a bulk of votes cast, balloting continues.” A talker remains successful bureau arsenic agelong arsenic helium oregon she holds the House’s bulk vote.

The talker of the House symbolises “the powerfulness and authorization of the House” and is tasked with maintaining decorum successful the House, allowing members to speak, overseeing debates, and undertaking non-legislative tasks similar controlling the Hall of the House.

The Speaker is besides liable for “defending the bulk party’s legislative agenda” and besides has a relation of serving arsenic a subordinate of the House.

But the talker cannot statement oregon ballot connected topics discussed successful the House oregon beryllium connected immoderate lasting committee successful the House. These committees grip circumstantial issues similar overseeing authorities departments oregon analysing assorted fiscal issues.

What policies has Pelosi championed?

As a congresswoman and talker of the House doubly during her tenure, Pelosi has pursued left-of-centre policies and has been instrumental successful passing respective important laws and policies.

Climate

When she archetypal took the gavel successful 2007 arsenic talker of the House, she focused connected clime policies and acceptable up the Select Committee connected Energy Independence and Global Warming, which held galore hearings.

In 2015, she supported erstwhile US President Barack Obama successful joining the Paris Climate Agreement.

In 2017, President Donald Trump ceased US participation, but erstwhile President Joe Biden came to powerfulness successful 2021, clime was erstwhile again connected the agenda.

As talker of the House, Pelosi oversaw the transition of the Inflation Reduction Act successful 2022, which besides included policies to code clime change.

Women’s rights

As the archetypal pistillate to clasp the presumption of talker of the House successful the US, Pelosi has been seen arsenic instrumental successful advancing women’s rights.

When Obama came to powerfulness successful 2008, with Pelosi arsenic speaker, she ensured that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which addressed adjacent wages for men and women, was passed.

She besides supported women’s reproductive rights, contempt being a Catholic, and fought for Roe v Wade – a US instrumentality which established that women had a law close to an termination – erstwhile it was overturned during President Donald Trump’s archetypal term.

Healthcare

During President Obama’s tenure, Pelosi was instrumental successful ensuring his Affordable Care Act became a instrumentality successful 2010.

The instrumentality lists guidelines to guarantee national subsidies to guarantee each idiosyncratic successful the US has entree to aesculapian attraction and services.

The instrumentality was initially unpopular successful the House, but Pelosi held hearings and spoke to Democrats and Republicans to guarantee the creaseless transition of the bill.

Between 2021 and 2023, Pelosi was besides capable to assistance Democrats walk large bills to propel Biden’s agenda, which included a immense COVID-19 alleviation package.

Foreign policy

As a Congress subordinate successful 2003, she opposed the US’s warfare successful Iraq. She has besides voiced beardown absorption to Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

However, erstwhile it comes to Israel’s warfare successful Gaza, Pelosi is simply a staunch protagonist of Israel and has defended the US stance towards the war.

In 2024, however, she called connected Biden to halt the transportation of arms to Israel.

Pelosi has besides been hawkish towards China and triggered a contention erstwhile she visited Taiwan successful 2022.

What is her relation now?

She presently serves arsenic the Representative for California’s 11th Congressional District, which includes San Francisco, from wherever she focuses connected employment rights.

After her 2nd tenure arsenic Speaker of the House ended successful November 2023, Pelosi announced she would measurement down from the House’s enactment to marque mode for young members to instrumentality up the role.

The extremity of her tenure made headlines, and interviews with her focusing connected her fare – which progressive having “her regular blistery dog” – besides caught the media’s attention. Pelosi has often told reporters that she enjoys a blistery canine with mustard for luncheon each day, plentifulness of Ghirardelli chocolates, and a meal that mostly includes crystal cream.

After stepping down arsenic speaker, Pelosi retained the rubric of Speaker Emerita of the House.

She is besides renowned arsenic a superb fundraiser for governmental campaigns. “I had to rise similar a cardinal dollars a time – well, astatine slightest 5 days a week,” she erstwhile told reporters.

Why is she retiring now?

Pelosi has not fixed the precise crushed for her determination to discontinue now. But, according to US media reports, it was wide expected aft adjacent to 38 years of service.

“I accidental to my colleagues successful the House each of the time, nary substance what rubric they had bestowed upon maine – speaker, leader, whip – determination has been nary greater honour for maine than to basal connected the House level and say, ‘I talk for the radical of San Francisco,'” she said successful her video connection announcing her status connected Thursday.

How did Trump respond to quality of her resignation?

President Trump, who has clashed with Pelosi connected galore occasions, called her an “evil woman” pursuing the news.

“I deliberation she did the state a large work by retiring. I deliberation she was a tremendous liability for the country,” helium told reporters.

Pelosi and Trump are often referred to arsenic adversaries by governmental commentators and US media outlets, owed to their disagreements implicit policy.

In 2019, during Trump’s archetypal term, Pelosi, Democrat Chuck Schumer – who is presently number person of the Senate – and Trump got into a heated statement implicit gathering a partition on the US borderline with Mexico. Trump threatened to unopen down the authorities during the squabble, which was broadcast connected tv channels astir the world.

That aforesaid year, Trump and Pelosi discussed the warfare successful Syria, but their disagreements were made nationalist by Trump himself, who tweeted a representation of Pelosi pointing a digit astatine him.

“Nervous Nancy’s unhinged meltdown!” helium said.

Nervous Nancy's unhinged meltdown! pic.twitter.com/RDeUI7sfe7

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2019

In 2020, their rocky narration erstwhile again made headlines erstwhile Pelosi tore up a transcript of Trump’s State of the Union speech, calling it a “lie”. Trump said her actions were amerciable since it was a authorities document, but, successful fact, it was her ain transcript of the code – not the authoritative document.

Trump supporters who stormed into the Capitol connected January 6, 2021, to protestation the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination results that Biden won, barged into Pelosi’s bureau looking for her but couldn’t find her.

In 2022, an assailant broke into Pelosi’s location successful San Francisco and assaulted her hubby with a hammer, fracturing his skull. The erstwhile House talker was not astatine the location during the attack. Prosecutors judge the enactment was politically motivated.

In January 2023, Trump mocked her husband’s onslaught portion addressing a California Republican enactment normal arsenic helium prepared to basal for the statesmanlike contention for a 2nd time.

“We’ll basal up to brainsick Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco – how’s her hubby doing, anybody know?” Trump said.

“And she’s against gathering a partition astatine our border, adjacent though she has a partition astir her location – which evidently didn’t bash a precise bully job,” helium added.

How person others reacted?

Many American politicians paid tribute to Pelosi connected societal media platforms this week.

Former Representative Democrat Gabby Giffords (Democrat-Arizona), who was changeable successful the caput successful 2011 by a gunman who besides killed six others during a constituent lawsuit successful Tucson successful 2011, said successful a property statement:  “As the archetypal pistillate Speaker of the House, she inspired maine and and astatine my bedside pursuing the shooting that turned my beingness upside-down, she uplifted me.”

Former President Obama said connected X: “For astir 4 decades, Nancy Pelosi has served the American radical and worked to marque our state better. No 1 was much skilled astatine bringing radical unneurotic and getting authorities passed – and I volition ever beryllium grateful for her enactment of the Affordable Care Act.”

Former President Biden called Pelosi “the champion Speaker of the House successful American history” and said it was the crushed wherefore helium awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US’s highest honour, successful 2024.

“When I was President, we worked unneurotic to turn our economy, make millions of jobs, and marque historical investments successful our nation’s future. She has devoted overmuch of her beingness to this country, and America volition ever beryllium grateful,” helium said connected X.

Right-wing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene besides lauded Pelosi’s leadership. “She had an unthinkable career. I served nether her speakership successful my archetypal word of Congress. And I’m precise impressed astatine her quality to get things done. I privation we could get things done for our party,” she told CNN.

Which net controversies has Pelosi been portion of?

According to the Poynter Institute’s PolitiFact, portion Pelosi has been lauded for her governmental achievements, she has besides been mocked.

Some posts connected the net said she was removed from the House for being drunk galore times. This is untrue.

A fewer different posts said she associated with Mexican cause lord El Chapo successful 2016, erstwhile successful world she was astatine a gathering to sermon US-Mexico commercialized and information successful the Pacific with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Representative Henry Cuellar from Texas, who net users mistakenly identified arsenic El Chapo.