(NewsGlobal.com)- As it became clearer that Democrats would lose control of the House following the midterm elections, President Joe Biden called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to provide his support.
Sources told Fox News that on the call, Biden told Pelosi that he hoped she would remain in Congress for the last two years of his first term in the White House. The president apparently told Pelosi on the call:
“I hope you stick. I know it’s family first, but I hope you stick.”
Rumors have been making their rounds for a while that Pelosi might step down from Congress altogether if Republicans were to take control of the House, which they ended up pulling off in the midterms.
At 82 years old, Pelosi has been at the helm of the Democratic Party in the House for more than 20 years, and was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the lower chamber.
The California Democrat just won re-election herself in the midterms, but there was still whispers that she would leave Washington completely with Republicans in charge.
On Thursday, Pelosi announced that she would be taking a half-step in that direction — remaining in the House for her 19th term but stepping down from Democratic leadership.
When the newest Congress reconvenes after the New Year, Pelosi will be in a role that’s a lot lower profile than the one she’s been used to in recent years.
In making the announcement Thursday, Pelosi said:
“Now we must move boldly into the future, grounded by the principles that have propelled us this far and open to fresh possibilities for the future. With great confidence in our caucus, 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.”
Spokespeople from Pelosi’s office said earlier in the week that she wouldn’t be making any announcements about her future until “all the votes have been counted.” Apparently, once it became clear that her party would not be in charge in the House, she wanted no part of serving in a minority role.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said earlier in the week:
“She’s not even thinking about her future at this moment.”
Yet, only days later, she was ready to make a full-blown announcement that she wouldn’t be seeking re-election for Democratic leadership in the House.
In addition to questions about her advancing age, many people have wondered what Pelosi would do career-wise after her husband, Paul, was brutally attacked at the couple’s California home recently.
Paul suffered numerous injuries and had to undergo emergency surgery after 42-year-old David DePape broke into the Pelosis’ home, looking for Nancy, and then struck Paul in the head with a hammer.
Court documents show that DePape had intentions of taking Nancy hostage, but she was not home at the time that he broke in. He said he was doing this because he was “sick of the insane f***ing level of lies coming out of Washington, D.C.”
