A nation that’s seen its share of firsts of late — first Black president, first woman heading a major-party presidential ticket, first lying demagogue businessman president, first female vice-president — might be forgiven for forgetting that it was Nancy Pelosi who in 2007 became the first woman to serve as House speaker. After that four-year stint, which was followed by eight years of Republican control, Pelosi returned for another four years atop the 435-member legislative body.
With Republicans retaking control, she now steps aside as the House’s top Democrat. New York’s Hakeem Jeffries looks likely to take the tiller. If he does, the Democratic leader in both chambers would be Brooklynites: Chuck Schumer from Park Slope, Jeffries from two neighborhoods over in Crown Heights.
Before diving too deep into post-Pelosi speculation, America ought to pause and absorb the accomplishments notched on her watch.
We call the Affordable Care Act Obamacare, but that hugely important legislation required exhaustive political maneuvering in the House. “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” Pelosi said at one point — meaning that Congress had to deliver a real law for people to see it didn’t create death panels or kill jobs. She was right.
In the wake of the 2008 crisis, she wrangled imperfect but necessary financial reforms to stabilize the financial sector and an economic stimulus bill that put the nation on the road to recovery.
In her second tour, Pelosi served as a critical check on Trump. Then she set up the vital Jan. 6 Committee after Republican leaders boycotted. Under Biden, she has shepherded to passage the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act and more.
Through it all, she managed to hold together a party where mainstream and moderate Dems pull at one side of the page, a new generation of progressives at the other. Speaking of pages, we could’ve done without the ugly theatrics of ripping Trump’s State of the Union in 2020. But as a steely, savvy legislator, Pelosi led.
