A Note About Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's Retirement Announcement.

Nancy Pelosi’s announcement marks the end of an extraordinary era in American history, and for me, the end of a chapter defined by mentorship, courage, and grace under pressure.

When I first came to Congress, she was already a legend — the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, a master strategist, and the moral center of our caucus. But beyond the headlines and history books, what has always struck me most about Speaker Pelosi is her steadiness. In the most chaotic moments, from government shutdowns to impeachments, from attacks on democracy to battles for health care and climate action, she never lost her composure or her faith in the institution she loved. She reminded us that power is not about noise or volume, but about results.

She also changed the way I think about leadership. Watching her lead through crises taught me that conviction and compassion aren’t opposites, they’re partners. That progress is never easy or inevitable. And that true public service means putting people before politics, even when the cameras are off and the votes are hard.

Nancy Pelosi shattered ceilings, but she also built bridges — between generations, between movements, between ideals and outcomes. Her impact is visible not only in landmark laws but in the next generation of Congressional members, like me, who learned from her example that politics at its best is an act of faith — in country, in democracy, and in one another.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for your friendship, your wisdom, and your unshakable belief that we can always do better, and we must. Your legacy will echo for generations to come.