Nancy Pelosi: ‘As Speaker of the House, I Have Awesome Power’

Reporter: “Speaker of the House twice.  This is a major transition moment–to now move into a different role in the House your family has long been connected to. 

“Could you offer us some thoughts about how you will approach your new role in the House in the new year, both on policy and on your role with the Democratic Party?  How do you see 2023 for Congresswoman Pelosi?”

Speaker Pelosi: “Well, we could have a whole seminar on that, but we won’t because we’re waiting to hear from the Senate. 

“Here’s the thing.  As Speaker of the House, I have awesome power. 

“As a – now transitioning to a different role, I expect to have strong influence, but not on my Members, just in terms of encouraging more women, for example, to run, to talk about civics and how we have to – it used to be a requirement when I was little, a hundred years ago, but now it’s an elective and most people are not familiar.  So I’ll have to see what that path is. 

“But the Speaker of the House is a very big job, and just wrapping it up will take time, with the Library of Congress for the papers, with the Historian of the Capitol – of the Congress – in terms of interviews and the rest of that.

“And in just – I think that probably the most overwhelming thing I’ll be doing forever is saying thank you.  Thank you to my Members.  Thank you to the intellectual resources that have helped us with policy.  Thank you for those who have helped us politically to attain our Majorities and our strength in the Congress. 

“I think my life will be about accountability to the record, the history, and thank you to those who made all of that possible. 

“You mentioned John F. Kennedy.  I’ll close with this.  You’ve heard me say it many times.  I’ll say it now again, because it identified with what President Biden has been doing. 

“When I was in school, I went to President Kennedy’s Inauguration on the East Front, freezing cold, freezing cold.  The whole world, every child in America knows that, in that speech, he said to the citizens of America: ‘Ask not what our country can do for you, but what you can do for our country.’  You’ve said it.  I see you all mouthing it. 

“The very next sentence is what struck me, the very next sentence. 

“‘To the citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind.’

“That’s what President Kennedy said.  Not condescension, not doing something for, but working together. 

“And I’ve said this to President Biden, and I said it at the Saint Patrick’s Day lunch, because that’s a, you know, Kennedy connection there.  I said to President Biden, ‘You have fulfilled in so many ways what President Kennedy was signaling, working together with all of the countries to come together to support Ukraine, not by dictating what we think is the way to go, but to listening, working together, so that everybody felt committed to a plan for the freedom of mankind.’ 

“And that’s how I tie being there as my father’s daughter at the Inauguration to what happened this week and what our responsibilities are later. 

“But I – my goal and my wish is that the Members, our new Leadership in the House, based on the foundation that we have laid or forming their own approach, will do even better than the significant legislative successes that I have had as Speaker of the House. 

“Thank you all.  Happy holidays.  Merry Christmas.  Happy Kwanzaa.  Happy Hanukkah.  Whatever you celebrate, enjoy your families.”