Politico | Nancy Pelosi suggests she’ll serve her last term as speaker

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle on politico.com on November 18, 2020.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi easily secured her caucus’ nomination to lead the House of Representatives on Wednesday and later seemed to reaffirm that this would be her last term as speaker, a jolting revelation after nearly two decades in power.

If, in fact, this will be Pelosi’s last two years as speaker – once again, under a Democratic president – it would be a fitting denouement for a woman who became the first female House speaker in history in 2007 and then reclaimed the top post in 2018 after being discounted by critics, consolidating the power of the speakership this Congress in a way not seen in decades.

For months, Pelosi has dodged reporters’ questions about whether she will stand by an agreement she made two years ago with Democratic rebels to serve only four more years in power. Pelosi finally answered the question – albeit in an opaque manner – during a news conference after her caucus’ leadership elections Wednesday, suggesting that she would abide by those limits.

“When that conversation took place, there was a move to put limits on the leadership and the chairs of committees. … What I said then is whether it passes or not, I will abide by those limits that are there,” Pelosi told reporters.

“I don’t want to undermine any leverage I may have, but I made the statement.”