Act Daily News
—
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s official portrait was unveiled in a ceremony Wednesday on the US Capitol, with speeches from outdated allies and political sparring-mates who reminisced on her historic tenure.
The portray, which depicts Pelosi standing earlier than the speaker’s chair within the House chamber and holding a gavel, will dangle within the Speaker’s Lobby simply off the House ground.
“This program was wonderful to me. It was like seeing the story of my political life revealed in front of me, not in terms of believing all the accolades, but in identifying with the persons who were presenting,” Pelosi stated, thanking fellow California Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Lucille Roybal-Allard, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, and former Republican House Speaker John Boehner.
Boehner, who handed off the gavel to Pelosi in 2007 when she grew to become the primary and solely feminine speaker, praised her as “one tough cookie.”
“You know the younger generation today has a saying, game recognizes game,” Boehner stated. “And the fact of the matter is, no other speaker of the House in modern era – Republican or Democrat – has wielded the gavel with such authority or such consistent results.”
“You’ve been a fierce warrior for your party, but when the stakes were highest, you were willing to put the interest of the nation first and take the heat for it. Now that’s leadership. Leaders lead, Madame Speaker, and you Madame Speaker, have led,” he stated. “And I’m here to say thank you for that.”
Pelosi and Boehner, who’ve lengthy maintained a pleasant rapport regardless of disagreeing on coverage, embraced following his remarks.
“I would have been a little disappointed if he hadn’t gotten emotional,” Pelosi stated of Boehner, who served as each her predecessor and her successor, and who teared up at instances throughout his remarks. “He gave me the gavel. I gave him the gavel. I was present at his unveiling and he’s here today.”
Former President Barack Obama recorded a message thanking Pelosi and saying that “she will go down as one of the most accomplished legislators in the country.”
“Just last week, she helped keep marriage equality, the law of the land and even after insurrectionists literally broke into her office. She never stopped defending democracy here at home and around the world,” he stated within the tribute. “While you won’t be in leadership anymore, I’ll still feel better knowing that your portrait will be looking down from these walls, fighting everyone who sees it to keep up the fight.”
Pelosi, who was designated “Speaker Emerita” in a unanimous vote by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee final month, introduced in mid-November that she can be stepping down as speaker after main House Democrats for twenty years.
The announcement got here simply weeks after her husband, Paul, was violently attacked within the couple’s San Francisco residence. He was current, carrying a fedora and a glove that he has donned since struggling accidents within the assault, together with the couple’s youngsters on the unveiling.
Pelosi has thrown her help behind a brand new group of Democratic leaders, headed up by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries from New York, who who will develop into the primary Black individual to steer both main celebration in both chamber of Congress when he assumes the position subsequent yr.
Jeffries, 52, will signify a generational change from the present triumvirate of House Democratic leaders, who’re three many years older than him.