Tag: Speaker of the House

SHE’S OUT! Pelosi to Step Down as Speaker of the House

by Breck Worsham, posted in media, news, politics

WASHINGTON —Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she will step down as Speaker of the House after Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans in the midterm elections.

Pelosi announced her decision Thursday during a speech on the House floor.

“Now we must move boldly into the future,” the California Democrat said. “The hour has come for a new generation.”

Pelosi’s resignation comes amid revelations that Marjorie Taylor Greene has secured a promise from House leadership to investigate Nancy Pelosi and the Department of Justice regarding the treatment of Jan. 6 defendants, according to a report from the The New York Times.

“For me the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” Pelosi said Thursday. “And I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

Pelosi has led the House Democrats since 2003, marking the longest leadership run in either party since the tenure of Sam Rayburn, a Texas Democrat, who died in office in 1961. At 82, Pelosi has been a member of Congress for 35 years.

“I have enjoyed working with three presidents, achieving historic investments in clean energy with President George Bush; transformative health care reform with President Barack Obama, and forging the future — from infrastructure to health care to climate action — with President Joe Biden,” Pelosi stated.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who is eyeing the speaker’s job after his party captured the majority, did not attend Pelosi’s resignation speech.

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‘FAKE NEWS’: White House says reports of Ryan’s stepping down are false

by Breck Worsham, posted in Uncategorized

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reports which surfaced Thursday claiming Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was stepping down after the 2018 mid-term are untrue, says White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders.

“The president did speak to the speaker not too long ago and made sure that the speaker knew very clearly — and in no uncertain terms — that if that news was true, he was very unhappy with it,” Sanders said during Thursday’s White House press briefing. “The speaker assured the president that those were not accurate reports and that they look forward to working together for a long time to come.”

Reports of Ryan’s departure also seemed to catch the Speaker himself by surprise when he was asked about it during a press conference on Thursday.

“No,” Ryan replied with a smirk when asked if the claims were true.

The denials from Ryan and the White House come after a report surfaced from Politico (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/14/paul-ryan-retire-speaker-ready-leave-washington-216103) which claimed Ryan told confidantes he planned on stepping down while “on top” if a proposed tax cut bill being pushed for by Republicans is passed.

“Despite several landmark legislative wins this year, and a better-than-expected relationship with President Donald Trump, Ryan has made it known to some of his closest confidants that this will be his final term as speaker,” the Politico report claimed. “He consults a small crew of family, friends and staff for career advice, and is always cautious not to telegraph his political maneuvers. But the expectation of his impending departure has escaped the hushed confines of Ryan’s inner circle and permeated the upper-most echelons of the GOP.”

“This is pure speculation. As the speaker himself said today, he’s not going anywhere any time soon,” spokeswoman AshLee Strong said in response to the Politico report .

Asked whether President Trump was caught off guard by reports of Ryan’s rumored departure, Sanders said that Trump and Ryan were both surprised “because I don’t think it was very accurate reporting.”

Calls for additional comment from Ryan’s spokesperson were not immediately returned.

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