Muktadesh Desk: A landmark chapter in the history of US politics is coming to an end. California Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who has led the US Congress for more than four decades, has announced her retirement.
In a video message released on Thursday (November 6), the 85-year-old Pelosi said that she will not run for re-election after her term ends in January 2027. This information was reported in a BBC report.
Pelosi said, “We have made history, we have made progress. We must move forward on this path of protecting democracy and continue to fight to protect American ideals.”
Addressing the people of San Francisco, she also said, “My beloved city, San Francisco—you know your strength, that is your greatest asset.”
Nancy Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987. She quickly rose to the top of the Democratic Party and in 2007 became the first woman in US history to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. She served in that position until 2011, before returning to the Speakership in 2019 and serving until 2023.
According to the U.S. Constitution, the Speakership is the only constitutionally designated position in Congress and is second in line to the presidency after the Vice President.
Pelosi has played a key role in the policymaking of several U.S. presidents during her career. She played a key role in passing Barack Obama’s health care reform law and led the passage of infrastructure, climate change, and same-sex marriage protections under Joe Biden.
She was one of the Republicans’ leading critics under Donald Trump. The most talked about moment was the scene of her tearing up Trump’s speech while he was in her hand during the 2020 State of the Union address.
Pelosi has twice led impeachment proceedings against Trump—the first in 2019 over the Ukraine scandal, and the second in 2021 for inciting the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump both times.
After Pelosi’s retirement was announced, Trump told reporters, “I’m glad she’s retiring. She was a bad woman, and her retirement is a huge benefit to the country.”
