Issued November 17, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC – SEIU President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement following Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she was stepping down as the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives:
“Capitol Hill has never seen a Speaker of the House like Nancy Pelosi, and the House of Representatives has forever changed under her iconic leadership as the first woman to hold this powerful role. Her courage, tenacity, intellect and poise know no bounds, and she is an inspiration to women and girls everywhere. Whether it’s raising wages, expanding access to quality, affordable child care, or fighting for racial and immigrant justice, she has been a steadfast friend of workers and their unions. Few leaders could have lasted through the trials she saw in her tenure as Speaker, from a president who incited personal threats against her to the January 6th insurrection and the deplorable attack on her husband. Still, she never lost her focus on doing what’s best for the next generation.
When others gave up, Nancy dug in, uniting her party through tough legislative battles and forging a path to win legislation that will create a more just and inclusive economy. Thanks to her leadership, all Americans have guaranteed access to health care through the passage of the Affordable Care Act. She helped deliver critical pandemic relief benefits to keep families afloat and historic legislation to invest in our infrastructure, address climate change, and reduce health care costs, creating hundreds of thousands of good, union jobs in the process.
Nancy Pelosi modeled the way that elected leaders should respond to the demands of working people, passing through the House a $15 minimum wage, a major investment in care workers, and changes to labor law to help workers more easily join together in unions this past session.
She will be deeply missed as she steps back to pass the mantle of leadership to others in her party. “
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