On Sunday, Fox Business reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could resign after Congress’s final approval of President Joe Biden’s spending plan, the Build Back Better act.
“This exclusive: Sources tell Sunday Morning Futures there is speculation swirling in Washington that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may step down after getting the massive spending package through,” Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo reported.
She continued, “So, all those Democrat members who had their arms twisted to vote on the multitrillion-dollar package and put their own reelection [sic] in jeopardy may be fuming to learn that the speaker may be planning a cut-and-run.”
Not everyone is convinced, however, and Pelosi has been the subject of many such rumors lately, they say.
In 2020, a viral Facebook post claimed, without evidence, “PELOSI says if TRUMP wins, she will resign!! Our Father, Who Art in Heaven.”
Reuters found no record of Pelosi saying that, and Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff denied this rumor in August 2020.
Sure enough, Pelosi is still serving as House speaker.
However, Pelosi still seems unlikely to remain in party leadership for much longer.
In 2018, she released a statement pledging to serve only four more years. She wrote:
For some time, there have been a number of conversations to advance a proposal to institute term limits for senior leadership positions in our Caucus.
This proposal, which was developed by Members who care about the institution of the House of Representatives, would provide that Members in senior leadership positions can serve 3 terms with an additional term with two-thirds support of the Caucus…
I am comfortable with the proposal and it is my intention to abide by it whether it passes or not.
In November 2020, Pelosi gave a press conference after the Democrats’ leadership elections, and she vowed to abide by that statement.
“When that conversation took place, there was a move to put limits on the leadership and the chairs of committees,” she said. “What I said then is whether it passes or not, I will abide by those limits that are there.”
In other words, Pelosi may resign from party leadership in 2023, a full 20 years after first becoming House minority leader.
However, it remains unclear who will replace the 81-year-old Pelosi.
The speaker’s longtime deputies — Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina — are also in their 80s.
The 58-year-old Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts has recently ascended to the role of assistant speaker, after her tenure as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. However, Clark has recently tarnished her reputation by allegedly violating the STOCK Act.
In 2020, Politico mentioned Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York as a possible successor to Pelosi. Jeffries has chaired the caucus for two terms. Plus, he designed the iPhone app that lets Congressmembers cast their secret votes for party leadership.
Flashback: Nancy Pelosi to resign
The Horn editorial team