Nancy Pelosi Evicted From Office After Major House Shakeup

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been evicted from her office after a major House shakeup. The California

Tristan Green

Oct 4, 2023

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Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been evicted from her office after a major House shakeup. The California Democrat seemed befuddled after interim Speaker Patrick McHenry sent her the notice. And it has been seen as a sign of the internal dysfunction currently rocking Congress.

Here’s why Pelosi was kicked out of her office, and what it all means.

Kevin McCarthy Booted, Patrick McHenry In – For Now

Kevin McCarthy is no longer the Speaker of the House. He first secured the gavel in a historic 15-vote circus in January. But his time at the top was plagued by rumbles of trouble from within his own party. As Democrats provided a unified front over the past 10 months, Republicans fell to infighting and finger-pointing.

Florida Representative Matt Gaetz moved to unseat McCarthy on Monday. And on Tuesday, all Democrats and eight Republicans voted to remove McCarthy. South Carolina GOP Representative Patrick McHenry will replace McCarthy for the time being. McHenry was a staunch ally of McCarthy during his time as Speaker. The former Speaker left a short list of people who should succeed him if the vote went against him, with McHenry’s name at the top.

McHenry is a 47-year-old, 10-term Representative. He has mostly managed to stay under the media radar over his time in Congress. The pro tempore, or interim, Speaker is known for bow ties and a deadpan demeanor. First voted into office in 2004, McHenry ran a grassroots campaign. He rose to power on the wings of a campaign that knocked on doors and convinced voters one at a time. The pro tempore leader serves on the House Financial Services Committee and works comfortably with traditional Republicans. However, his popularity among the MAGA rebels remains to be seen.

Nancy Pelosi Evicted From Her Office After Major House Shakeup

And it’s clear by his move to evict Nancy Pelosi that Patrick McHenry did not come to play. One of the first things he did upon his elevation to pro tempore Speaker was to kick Pelosi out of the hideaway office she has enjoyed for years. Pelosi’s office says that they received an email around 6 PM on Tuesday reading that McHenry is “Going to reassign h-132 for speaker office use. Please vacate the space tomorrow.”

Pelosi, however, was not in Washington to move her stuff. Currently, she’s in California bidding farewell to Dianne Feinstein, a legendary figure in the Senate who passed away last week. Pelosi blasted McHenry’s move 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.” Additionally, she added, “Sadly, because I am in California to mourn the loss of and pay tribute to my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my belongings at this time.”

Republicans And Democrats Likely To Scrap It Out Amid GOP Infighting

Pelosi called the eviction “a sharp departure from tradition.” She continued, “As Speaker, I gave former Speaker Hastert a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished.” But it’s not the office that Pelosi cares about. She explained, “Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them,” she said. “Now that the new Republican Leadership has settled this important matter, let’s hope they get to work on what’s truly important for the American people.”

The showdown between Nancy Pelosi and Patrick McHenry is likely a little glimpse into the fracas to come. Democrats are remaining unified and Republicans scrambling to find their new leader. Yet Congressional infighting and sniping is the name of the game, it would seem.