The aftermath of recent turmoil over the House Speaker’s gavel resulted in at least one feel-good story this week. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was ordered to vacate her premium office space that she refused to surrender after leaving the Speaker’s role.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) no longer leads the House GOP delegation after Democrats joined several Republicans to force his ouster.
This move resulted in Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) taking the position temporarily, and he immediately set his sights on Pelosi’s resistance to leaving her hideaway office.
McHenry fired off an email to Pelosi that was revealed by Politico. “Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” it said. The interim Speaker noted that the room will be utilized for use by whomever assumes the position long term.
Accustomed to the trappings of power, Pelosi did not go quietly.
In a statement, she said, “WIth all 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.”
And fumigated. https://t.co/INyQ50caqW
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 4, 2023
The Capitol hideaway enjoyed by Pelosi is common in the Senate but a rarity in the House. Only a select few representatives are afforded the opportunity to conduct their business in these spacious offices.
Pelosi claimed the order broke “tradition.” She was away from the Capitol to attend the funeral of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
A spokesperson for her office said the staff of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) gathered her belongings from the prominent office and moved them elsewhere.
McCarthy’s tenure as the 55th Speaker of the House began in January but ended on a 216-210 vote on Tuesday. This came shortly after he orchestrated a last-minute deal with Democrats to keep the federal government running for 45 days.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) moved Monday night to force a vote on a motion to vacate the office of the Speaker. McCarthy became the first in his position to lose the gavel through a full House vote during a congressional term.
McHenry was at the top of the list presented to the clerk of the House by McCarthy in January. By the rules of the 118th Congress, he assumed the role of interim Speaker.
