Pelosi to Step Down as House Democratic Leader 美民主黨失眾院 裴洛西將卸民主黨領袖職位

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in a floor speech on Nov. 17 that she will remain in Congress but not seek reelection to her congressional leadership role, ending a two-decade streak.

With the Democrats losing control of the House, all eyes are on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's next move. Pelosi has announced that she will not seek another term as the top Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House: “Now we must move boldly into the future. I will not seek re-election to Democratic Leadership in the next Congress. For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I so deeply respect.”

The House Republican conference voted for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to be its leader, which puts McCarthy in line to be the next Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful figures in American politics and second in line of succession for the presidency after the vice president. Pelosi, who is now 82 years old, said she never thought that someday she would go from homemaker to House Speaker. She said she would continue to serve as a member of the House after her term is up in January, 2023 when the new session of Congress begins. Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987. 

Looking back, Pelosi has made plenty bold moves, including making a surprise visit to Kyiv in May to show support towards Ukraine and visiting Taiwan in August. In 2020, as former president Donald Trump finished his State of the Union address, Pelosi ripped up the copy of his speech that she was given. She is against white supremacist and called for the removal of Confederate statues. In October, her husband Paul Pelosi was attacked with a hammer at the couple's home by a male assailant. Pelosi said the violent attack on her husband does impact her decision on whether to remain in Congress. 

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House: “For my dear husband Paul, who has been my beloved partner in life and my pillar of support. Thank you.”

Nancy Pelosi is the first and only woman elected as House Speaker. Her father Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro Jr. was the mayor of Baltimore and she eventually followed his footsteps into politics. Pelosi started working as a volunteer Democratic organizer few years after being married. Earning a reputation as a highly effective fund-raiser, she rose through the ranks and eventually rose to Democratic prominence in 2002.

美國聯邦眾議院議長裴洛西在走進國會前，同事、朋友以及支持者來電持續關切。因為民主黨以些微差距，失去對眾議院的控制權，裴洛西要不尋求連任民主黨領袖職位，要不退位讓賢。

美國聯邦眾議院議長裴洛西宣布：「現在我們必須大膽走向未來，我將不會在下屆國會中，尋求連任民主黨領袖職務。對我來說，現在已到了由新一代，來領導我深深敬重的民主黨黨團。」

共和黨資深眾議員麥卡錫在獲選為共和黨眾院領袖後，被認為很可能成為裴洛西的繼任者、美國政壇僅次於正副總統的第3號人物。今年82歲的裴洛西說，她從沒想過自己會有從家庭主婦變成眾議院議長的一天。她的議長任期到明（2023）年1月、新一屆國會上任，也將繼續留在眾院擔任議員、這個從1987年進入國會時就在做的工作。

今年俄烏戰事開打後，裴洛西快閃基輔表態力挺烏克蘭；8月亞洲行也來台訪問。在國會她曾手撕川普國情咨文、反對白人優越主義、呼籲拆除種族主義者雕像。上個月，丈夫保羅遭反對者闖入打傷，裴洛西承認這的確影響她未來的政治規劃。

美國聯邦眾議院議長裴洛西表示：「對於我親愛的丈夫保羅，始終是我摯愛的生活伴侶以及我的支柱，謝謝你。」

裴洛西是美國歷史上第1位女性眾議院議長。回顧自己的職業生涯，跟著擔任眾議院議員、巴爾的摩市長的父親，從小接觸政治、耳濡目染，結婚後隨著孩子長大，她走進社區參與民主黨活動，幫議員助選、募款，最後自己投入選舉、走上政治之路。