Nancy Pelosi steps down as leader of US House Democrats
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to hold the position, announced on Thursday that she will step down as the chamber's Democratic leader, as the party prepares to pass the torch to Representative Hakeem Jeffries.
The 82-year-old political veteran, who has served as speaker twice, affirmed that this would not be her exit from politics, as she intends to remain in Congress.
A California native, Pelosi will continue to represent San Francisco, as she has done for over three decades.
Pelosi made the announcement a day after Republicans secured a slim majority in the chamber following last week's midterm elections, where an expected conservative "red wave" failed to materialise and left the Senate under the Democrats' control.
In a statement, Democratic President Joe Biden called Pelosi "the most consequential speaker of the House of Representatives in our history."
Pelosi has played a central role in getting Biden's legislative agenda through Congress, as she did previously for Obama. She helped pass Obama's signature 2010 healthcare law as well as major expansions of infrastructure and climate spending under Biden.
She has also been a regular target of criticism from American conservatives, and has been under pressure from younger Democratic lawmakers to yield power.
As the outgoing speaker delivered her speech, she was enthusiastically applauded by her fellow party members.
Calling the House chamber "sacred ground," Pelosi recalled visiting the Capitol for the first time as a child when her father was sworn in as a House member.
She also recounted working with three American presidents - Republican George W. Bush and Democrats Barack Obama and Biden - but did not mention Republican President
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