Pelosi’s Retirement Leaves Huge Stilettos to Fill

Nancy Pelosi will leave Washington after nearly four decades in Congress as one of the most powerful politicians in American history. She also will leave some very big stilettos to fill.

Pelosi is the first — and so far, the only — woman to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. She shepherded through both the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, securing signature legislative achievements for Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. She oversaw both impeachments of President Donald Trump during his first term, and earned a legion of new fans by consistently refusing to be bullied by him. As Pelosi is fond of saying: “You take a punch, but you have to be willing to throw a punch. For the children.”