The first woman to lead the U.S. House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, broke the "marble ceiling" on Thursday by announcing her intention to leave the position.
"I have a lot of faith in our caucus, so I won't run for Democratic leadership in the upcoming Congress
The time, in my opinion, has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus, which I hold in the highest regard "During an address on the House floor, Pelosi stated
I'm thankful that so many people are prepared and eager to take on this enormous duty.
Pelosi declared that she would keep serving as the House representative for her San Francisco district.
Pelosi said in her remarks that democracy is "majestic, but it is fragile" and that voters in 2022 sent a message to Congress by telling them they would not back people who advocated armed conflict or uprising
In addition, she praised the chamber for diversifying during her 35-year career.
There were 12 women in the Democratic caucus when she first entered Congress in 1987; today, there are 90. She added, "And we want more," to cheers.
Three weeks after her husband, Paul, was violently attacked at their San Francisco home, and one day after Republicans formally took control of the chamber in the 2022 midterm elections, is when she made her decision.