Bye bye!
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, was literally evicted from her private Capitol office by the newly appointed Speaker pro-tempore, Patrick McHenry, a Republican hailing from North Carolina. It is worth noting that McHenry is a staunch ally of the now-ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican from California, who was removed from his position the previous Tuesday.
According to Fox, McHenry’s immediate order to vacate the premises marked one of his initial actions as the highest-ranking House legislator. Pelosi received notification of her eviction via email, an event initially disclosed by Politico. The email explained that her former hideaway in the Capitol was being reassigned for use as a speaker’s office and urged her to vacate the space quickly, with plans to change the locks.
Pelosi promptly evacuated her hideaway, enlisting the assistance of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ staff, according to a spokesperson for the former Speaker. It’s important to note that Capitol hideaways are a privilege reserved for a select few House members.
In response to the eviction, Pelosi expressed her sentiments in a statement: “With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol.” She went on to mention that she was in California at the time, mourning the loss of her friend Dianne Feinstein, and therefore unable to retrieve her belongings.
Pelosi underscored the departure from tradition, emphasizing her own past allocation of more extensive office space to former Speaker Dennis Hastert. She stated, “Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them.” Pelosi concluded by urging the new Republican leadership to focus on vital matters concerning the American people.
Pelosi’s eviction followed McCarthy’s removal via a motion to vacate his seat. Notably, eight House Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, aligned with the entirety of House Democrats in voting to oust McCarthy from the speakership. Pelosi did not participate in the vote, as she was in California accompanying Senator Feinstein’s remains for burial.