House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on her way out of power. She won’t be leaving Congress. However, she will no longer be the Speaker of the House within a matter of days, due to Republicans taking back the House of Representatives last year.
In her departure from the House speakership, there’s been a lot of attention directed toward the history that Pelosi made as a woman in Congress. HBO Max even opted to stream a show, largely filmed by Pelosi’s daughter, about her journey throughout Congress.
As Pelosi plans to leave the House speakership role, she’s also left a parting gift for staffers in Congress, per the Daily Mail.
Pelosi’s Grand Finale
On Friday, the California Democrat announced that staffers for the House of Representatives will be eligible for a maximum salary of $212,000, rather than the previous $199,300.
Pelosi has previously raised the maximum salary for House staffers before. Though this may be her final time doing so, seeing as she’s exiting the speakership position within just a few days’ time.
From my family to yours, have a Happy, Healthy New Year! pic.twitter.com/EGL4Y9mdK6
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 1, 2023
In a letter, Pelosi also explained what motivated her to make this decision.
Per the outgoing House Speaker, the chamber’s staffers play a pivotal role in Congress’ ability to function. Therefore, it is imperative to bring in and incentivize the greatest talent that America has to offer.
A New Day for the House of Representatives
House Republicans are very much excited about the depature of Pelosi, along with the chamber flipping red.
Previously, during the 2022 midterms, Pelosi predicted Democrats would hold onto the House of Representatives. This is a prediction that now clearly turned out to be wrong.
Expected to succeed Pelosi as House Speaker is none other than current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The California Republican is rallying for the speakership position. While many Republicans in the House do support him, there are a few holdouts who could complicate things for McCarthy.
Happy new year! I'm excited for 2023. Accountability is coming. pic.twitter.com/bbm3oeud53
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 1, 2023
The minority of House Republicans who don’t want to see McCarthy as the next speaker argue that he hasn’t shown enough teeth and grit throughout his time in Congress.
Nevertheless, other Republicans have warned that party members who oppose McCarthy are ultimately hurting the GOP’s ability to unify as the next Congress commences.
Pelosi’s departure as House Speaker will create a vacancy for another Democrat to step up and lead the party’s minority in the House. It also comes as more lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been stressing the need for generational change in political leadership.
What do you think about the maximum raise for House staffers that Nancy Pelosi approved? Who do you believe will become the next House Speaker? You’re welcome to let us know your views in the comments area.
