Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a figure who has long been at the forefront of the Democratic Party’s agenda, has once again decided to remain in the political limelight. Pelosi has announced her intention to run for a 20th term as a member of the House of Representatives.
Pelosi announced her candidacy for California’s 11th Congressional District, which includes San Francisco, a liberal stronghold, on X. Her tweet read, “Now more than ever, our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery. Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL,” Pelosi stated. “That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote.”
Pelosi expressed support for the progress Democrats are making under President Biden’s administration. She has commended Biden’s leadership and referred to him as a great president. Pelosi has also stated that she believes Biden is doing an “excellent job.” It is unclear whether San Francisco is benefiting from the current president. Nancy Pelosi fails to explain why the city’s “values” have been suffering or why it needs any “recovery” in her tweet. It is difficult to see how there could be any recovery during the presidency of someone who is doing an excellent job.
Of course, the above is typically Pelosi, whose policies have often seemed out of touch with the broader concerns of middle America. Her career has been marked by unwavering support for organized labor, stringent gun control measures, and other progressive policies that have frequently put her at odds with conservative Republicans. Furthermore, Pelosi’s leadership style, marked by contentious battles with Republicans on issues ranging from healthcare reform to immigration policies, has often been a point of contention.
Her decision to run again, especially at the age of 83, brings to the fore questions about the future of Congress and the direction of the Democratic Party. The cognitive decline and advanced age of some members of Congress is becoming an issue, especially when one considers that Pelosi is older than Joe Biden.
Biden holds the record of being the oldest president in the United States. His age has led to some concerns about his health. He has made the mistake of calling Kamala Harris, the Vice President, President Harris on one occasion. Additionally, he has stumbled and fallen multiple times from Air Force One. There have also been reports that Biden also dozed off during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister. He also called out for a Congresswoman whom he had ‘forgotten’ had died in a tragic car crash back in August, and then there was his claim that his son Beau had died in Iraq rather than of cancer in the States some years later. All of this demonstrates his mental decline.
Then there is Dianne Feinstein and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, both of whom have taken long medical absences. Feinstein, who is 90, is the oldest woman in Congress. It has been reported that her aide was advising her on what to vote on. McConnell, who is 81, recently spaced out at a speech. Many people have called for Feinstein and McConnell to step down due to health issues.
It should be noted that the current Senate is the oldest Senate in U.S. history. Nikki Haley, a presidential contender, said in an interview with CBS News’s Margaret Brennan that McConnell should “know when to walk away.” She then took it a step further — renewing her calls for term limits.
While Pelosi seems to have all her marbles for now, there comes a time when the “old guard” should relinquish the torch. Haley perhaps summed it up best: “What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away.”