Pelosi to step down from US House leadership, remain in Congress

WASHINGTON - US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold that influential post, said on Thursday she will step down as the Democratic leader in the chamber, a day after Republicans secured a narrow majority following the midterm polls.

Mrs Pelosi, an 82-year-old liberal from California, has served two stints as Speaker. She plans to stay in Congress to provide guidance to her successor.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York may seek to take her place as the top Democrat in the House. If successful, he would be the first black lawmaker to lead a major party’s caucus in Congress.

Mrs Pelosi received cheers from her fellow Democrats as she took her place in the House to make the announcement and throughout her remarks. She called the House chamber “sacred ground” and the “heart of American democracy”. She recalled visiting the Capitol for the first time as a child when her father was sworn in as a House member. She said the chamber represented “the people’s house” and had done “the people’s work”.

“American democracy is majestic but it is fragile. Many of us here have witnessed our fragility firsthand, tragically in this chamber. And so democracy must be forever defended from forces that wish it harm,” Mrs Pelosi said, alluding to the Jan 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by former president Donald Trump’s supporters.

“We the people – one country, one destiny,” Mrs Pelosi added.

She also noted the increase in the number of women serving in the House since she first joined it 35 years ago.

Republicans narrowly won

control of the House after last week’s congressional elections, giving them a slim majority in the chamber that will let them impede Democratic President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. Democrats retained control of the Senate.

Mrs Pelosi has played a central role in getting Mr Biden’s legislative agenda through Congress, as she did for president Barack Obama. She helped pass Mr Obama’s signature 2010 healthcare law as well as major expansions of infrastructure and climate spending under Mr Biden. She also presided over the House when it twice impeached Mr Trump and has been a regular target of criticism from US conservatives.

Mrs Pelosi, who has held her San Francisco-based seat since 1987, has been under pressure in the past few years from younger House Democrats to yield power. She was the highest-ranking and most powerful elected woman in US history until Ms Kamala Harris became Vice-President in January 2021.

The House Speaker is second in the line of succession to the presidency.

Mrs Pelosi in recent days had said

the Oct 28 assault on her husband Paul

by a politically motivated hammer-wielding intruder in their San Francisco home, as well as other factors, would impact her decision on whether to keep her leadership role.

House Democrats are set to vote on their leaders on Nov 30.

On Wednesday, House Republicans

offered initial support for Mr Kevin McCarthy

to serve as Speaker when the next Congress is sworn in on Jan 3.

Mr McCarthy, also from California, is House Republican leader and will face election by the entire House at the start of the new year. It was not yet clear if he will win enough backing of fellow Republicans to win the speakership.

Meanwhile, Mr Jeffries, 52, would herald a new generation of leadership for the Democrats. Mrs Pelosi’s decision also may have a bearing on whether outgoing House Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer, 83, and Democratic whip James Clyburn, 82, will seek top Democratic positions in the new Congress.

Mr Clyburn said he planned to stay in leadership but did not know what position he would fill. “It’s up to the caucus,” he told reporters.

Mr Biden turns 80 on Sunday. The ageing leadership of the Democratic Party has raised questions about its next generation even as Americans are living longer.

Mrs Pelosi was first elected to the House in a special election and steadily moved up the ranks.

She first served as Speaker from 2007 to 2011 as Democrats rode opposition to the Iraq War to control of the House. She became Speaker again in 2019 when Democrats rode a wave of opposition to Mr Trump to win control of the House and was re-elected as Speaker in November 2021.

Republican control of the House gives the party not only the ability to rein in Mr Biden’s agenda but to launch potentially politically damaging probes of his administration and family. REUTERS