US: Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat and the US House of Representatives’ ground-breaking first female speaker, announced on Thursday that she will step aside as party leader when the Republicans take over the house in January.
In an emotional statement on the House floor, 82-year-old Pelosi declared, “I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus.”
In last week’s midterm elections, Republicans narrowly won a majority in the House while Democrats kept control of the Senate.
With Pelosi’s resignation as party leader, a new era in Washington will come to an end.
She was elected to Congress in 1987 and took office as speaker in 2007 for the first time.
During her second term in the position, she presided over both Donald Trump impeachments and was renowned for maintaining a tight grip on party ranks.
Pelosi, who is currently second in line to succeed President Joe Biden, declared last week that the violent attack on her ageing husband in the lead-up to the November 8 midterm elections will have an impact on her decision.
The 82-year-old Paul Pelosi was seriously hurt and sent to the hospital after an attacker entered into their San Francisco home and struck him with a hammer. The perpetrator may have been searching for the speaker.
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Pelosi will continue to serve her San Francisco seat in the next Congress
Pelosi complimented Democrats’ better-than-expected showing in the midterm election and said that she would continue to serve her San Francisco seat in the next Congress.
She said, “Last week, the American people spoke and their voices were raised in defense of liberty, of the rule of law and of democracy itself. he people stood in the breach and repelled the assault on democracy.”
She said in a statement earlier in the week, “House Democrats will continue to play a leading role in supporting President Biden’s agenda — with strong leverage over a scant Republican majority.”
Biden congratulated McCarthy, the leader of the House Republicans, and stated that he was “ready to work with House Republicans to produce results for working families.”
McCarthy, who has his sights set on the speaker’s gavel, stated that “Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver.”
By holding a press conference to announce plans to look into the “national security” implications of the president’s family business connections, House Republicans quickly gave the impression that they would use their newfound authority to make Biden’s life more challenging.
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Threat of speaker vote
Republicans had anticipated for a “red wave” to sweep across America, giving them control of both chambers and, hence, an effective block over most of Biden’s legislative proposals, since inflation was increasing and Biden’s popularity ratings were plummeting.
Instead, Democratic voters showed up in large numbers, energised by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold abortion rights and leery of candidates backed by Trump who openly disapproved of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Republicans also suffered from having candidates whom moderate voters rejected as being too extreme.
With 50 seats and Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote, Biden’s party won an insurmountable majority in the upper chamber. However, a Senate runoff in Georgia still has a chance to increase the Democrats’ margin of victory.
Having the 100-seat body in his corner will be a huge advantage for Biden as the Senate is in charge of overseeing the confirmation of federal judges and cabinet members.
McCarthy is in a strong position to become the next speaker after winning the Republican Party’s leadership poll on Tuesday by secret ballot.
However, when the 435 newly elected House members — Democrats and Republicans — choose their new speaker in January, potential far-right defections could still make the 57-year-road old’s more difficult.
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