Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not run again for a new term in Congress (bicameral legislative body of the American government), putting an end to 40 years of career in this body.
In a video shared this Thursday, Pelosi, 85 years old, declared that she will step aside in January 2027, when her current term comes to an end.
Nancy Pelosi, one of the most influential Democrats in American political history, was the first woman to serve as president of the House of Representativess (“lower” house of Congress) and led the Democratic chamber from 2003 to 2023.
“We made history, we made progress”, he emphasizes in his message: “We have always been pioneers, and we must continue to be so, participating fully in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”
As a farewell to the city (and county) that repeatedly re-elected her as representative, she adds: “My message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, recognize your power.”
Pelosi received her first vote of confidence in 1987, at the age of 47, when she was elected to Congress. She quickly climbed the hierarchical mountain of the Democratic party and, in 2007, was chosen to be president of the House of Representatives. In the same year, she earned a place in history by becoming the first woman in the country to hold the position. The Democrat remained in office until 2011, but returned to the presidency in 2019, a position she maintained until the beginning of 2023.
The presidency of the House of Representatives is the only position in Congress explicitly defined in the U.S. Constitution. and third in line of federal power, behind only the President of the United States and his vice-president. As such, Pelosi was instrumental in paving the way for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known popularly as “Obamacare“) of President Barack Obama, in addition to helping President Joe Biden pass laws on infrastructure and climate change, through a highly divided Chamber.
Pelosi also became one of the staunchest opponents of current President Donald Trumpduring his first term. The political divergence became very public when, live, Pelosi ripped up State of the Union address of Trump behind your back (annual report presented by the American President to Congress). Nancy Pelosi, initially hesitant, ended up being part of the Trump’s impeachment process in 2019.
The Democrat states that she decided when Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine and an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The objective would be to influence Ukraine to announce an investigation into Joe Biden, and promote a conspiracy theory according to which Ukraine — and not Russia — was behind the interference in the 2016 presidential elections. For Pelosi, this sequence of decisions was a abuse of power that could not be ignored.
Despite intense Republican attacks – this party sees her as the embodiment of West Coast liberal elitism – Pelosi continued to hold a strong influence on the Democratic leadership for two decades. In 2023 he stepped away from the presidency of the Chamber of Representatives, but continued to be a figure with power behind the scenes. This Tuesday, the constitutional amendment California Proposition 50 was approved in this state, an amendment promoted by Pelosi – aims to temporarily redraw electoral districts, potentially giving five more seats to Democrats in the United States parliament.