Pelosi to step down as Democratic leader in US lower house

Washington, Nov 17 (EFE).- Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she will not seek re-election as leader of the Democrats in the United States House of Representatives at the start of the new Congress in January.

“My friends, no matter what title you all have bestowed upon me, speaker, leader, whip, there is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and speak for the people of San Francisco,” the 82-year-old California lawmaker said in a speech to the House.

“This I will continue to do as a member of the House, speaking for the people of San Francisco, serving the great state of California and defending our Constitution. And with great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” she said. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus.”

Pelosi, who made history in 2007 when she became the first female speaker of the House, addressed her future the day after the latest results from the Nov. 8 election in which she won a 19th term confirmed that Republicans will control the House in 2023.

While all of the Democratic members attended the speech, only a handful of Republican legislators were in the chamber.

The outgoing speaker recalled her first visit to the Capitol as a child with her father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., who represented Maryland in the House before going on to become mayor of Baltimore.

“When I first came to the floor at 6 years old, never would I have thought that someday I would go from homemaker to House Speaker,” Pelosi said.

Her first stint as speaker ended with the Republican victory in the 2010 mid-term elections, but she regained the post when the Democrats won a majority of seats in 2018.

In comments ahead of the Nov. 8 elections, Pelosi said that the brutal attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi, by an intruder at their San Francisco home would have a bearing on her future plans regardless of the outcome of the voting.

“For my dear husband Paul, who has been my beloved partner in life and my pillar of support, thank you. We’re all grateful for all the prayers and well-wishes as he continues his recovery. Thank you so much,” she said Thursday on the House floor.

Pelosi is likely to be succeeded as speaker by another Californian, Kevin McCarthy, who was re-elected Thursday as leader of the Republicans in the House.

Hakeem Jeffries, who represents a district in New York, is widely expected to be chosen as the new House Democratic leader.

Earlier Thursday, Kentucky Republican James Comer, who is set to become chair of the House Oversight Committee in January, told a press conference that the panel will seek to determine how much Democratic President Joe Biden knew about the activities of his son, Hunter Biden.

Under Pelosi’s leadership, the House impeached Republican then-President Donald Trump in December 2019 over his ostensible attempt to leverage military aid to get the government in Kiev to investigate business dealings in Ukraine involving Hunter during the time that the elder Biden was serving as vice president under Barack Obama.

Joe Biden insisted during the 2020 campaign that he knew nothing about his son’s business ventures.

But Comer said Thursday that the Biden family “flourished and became millionaires by simply offering access to the family.”

“Was Joe Biden directly involved with Hunter Biden’s business deals, and is he compromised? That’s our investigation,” Comer said.

EFE

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