The Unforgettable Moments When Nancy Pelosi Made History
The Unforgettable Moments When Nancy Pelosi Made History
A look back at some big legislation -- and why it wouldn't have happened without her
Nancy Pelosi announced last week that she was stepping down as leader of the House Democrats. And in may ways that announcement was not surprising.
The Democrats will be in the minority come January. Even if they were to win back the majority in 2024, it’s unlikely they’d be part of a governing trifecta — that is, with control of both the White House and Senate, too, making big legislation possible. Among other things, the Senate map for 2024 is very unfavorable to Democrats.
Of course, Pelosi has managed a party in the minority before, and with great success. She’s as responsible as any other Democratic leader for the defense of Social Security against Republican efforts to privatize it during the Bush presidency.
But as Pelosi herself said in her floor speech on Thursday, it’s time for a younger generation of Democrats to take the helm. A succession plan is in place, with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries hoping to take over as leader. It’s not a done deal (nothing ever is in Congress) but at this point Democrats seem relatively united and on path to a smooth transition.
Whoever takes over will, obviously, have some pretty big shoes to fill. If you’ve followed the news of Pelosi’s announcement, then you have probably heard some of the testimonials and tributes, many of them referring to her as the most consequential Speaker of modern times.
Is she? I don’t consider myself enough of a historian to render a definitive judgment. But I did follow her career pretty closely, especially when it came to her biggest legislative efforts. And while those have gotten plenty of credit, albeit somewhat belatedly, I still don’t think people get just how much she achieved — or just how difficult it was at the time.
So I decided to write about it. My latest article offers a look at Pelosi’s career, focusing on those historic reforms, why they were so difficult to pass and how she ultimately did it:
The article draws heavily on my past reporting, especially the material that went into The Ten Year War, my history of the Affordable Care Act. It includes some of my favorite Pelosi anecdotes, including the time she won over a dissenting member of Congress by — literally — blocking his path to the door.
What lawmaker? And over what issue? You’ll have to follow the link to find out. :)
Thanks for reading!
LINKS
“How Nancy Pelosi Shaped History”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nancy-pelosi-democratic-leader-history_n_63779eb0e4b062ba9ec6c77c
The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage