Nancy Pelosi Steps Down As House Democratic Leader: ‘The Hour’s Come For A New Generation To Lead’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would measurement down arsenic the person of the Democratic enactment successful a code connected the level of the House of Representatives connected Thursday, November 17. Pelosi, who’s been a congresswoman since 1987, announced that she would not beryllium the House Minority Leader successful the adjacent Congress. “I volition not question reelection to Democratic enactment successful the adjacent Congress. For maine the hour’s travel for a caller procreation to pb the Democratic caucus,” she said.

BREAKING: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "I volition not question reelection to Democratic enactment successful the adjacent Congress. For maine the hour's travel for a caller procreation to pb the Democratic caucus."

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— ABC News (@ABC) November 17, 2022

After announcing that she’d measurement down, Pelosi thanked galore people, including her chap members of Congress. “Standing present today, I’m endlessly grateful for each of life’s blessings. For my Democratic colleagues whose courageousness and committedness with the enactment of your families person made galore of these accomplishments possible, successful fact, could not person been done without you,” she said.

Pelosi besides thanked her children and her husband Paul Pelosi, who she called a “pillar of support.” She besides thanked her colleagues for their support, aft helium was the unfortunate of a location invasion attack. “Thank you. We’re each grateful for each the prayers and good wishes arsenic helium continues his recovery. Thank you truthful much,” she said to extended applause.

Earlier successful her speech, Pelosi spoke astir however important the relation that lawmakers clasp is for the future. “Babies calved contiguous volition unrecorded into the adjacent century, and our decisions volition find their aboriginal for generations to come. While we volition person our disagreements connected policy, we indispensable stay afloat committed to our shared cardinal mission: to clasp beardown to our astir treasured Democratic ideals to cherish the spark of divinity successful each and each 1 of america and to ever enactment our state first,” she said.

Before announcing that she would measurement down, the House Speaker reflected connected however overmuch the House has changed since she archetypal took office. “It’s been my large pridefulness successful my 35 years successful the House, I person seen this assemblage turn much reflective of our large nation, our beauteous nation,” she said. “When I came to the Congress successful 1987, determination were 12 Democratic women. Now, determination are implicit 90, and we privation more. The caller members of our Democratic Caucus volition beryllium astir 75 percent women, radical of color, and LGBTQ, and we person brought much voices to the decision-making table.”

Pelosi reflected connected the changes to Congress successful her speech. (JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

In summation to showing however blessed she is with the changes, Pelosi shared aboriginal memories of seeing the Capitol arsenic a kid and reflected connected the accomplishments she helped with nether Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. 

A fig of antithetic Democrats are successful the premix to instrumentality implicit arsenic the caput of the House Democratic Caucus. It was reported that California Representative Adam Schiff was successful talks to question election according to The Washington Post. Other candidates being considered included Reps. Steny H. Moyer (MD), James E. Clyburn (SC), and Hakeem Jeffries (NY).