Following an evening of upheaval on the Capitol Hill political stage, Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has taken action to assert his authority. McHenry showed that he’s not afraid to “drain the swamp” when he ousted former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from her cozy corner office, fondly known as her “hideaway,” on Tuesday night.
This bold move came shortly after McHenry filled the seat recently vacated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Fox News corroborated the story, affirming McHenry was indeed the force behind the eviction directive.
Pelosi’s office received the breaking news via an email sourced and reviewed by NBC News and Politico. The email contents highlighted that the Speaker Pro Tempore would reassign H-132 for speaker office use, and Pelosi and her staff were ordered to vacate the space and informed the room would be re-keyed.
Pelosi publicly bemoaned this stark shift in the House’s friendly dynamics, stating: “With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol.”
Pelosi then sought to draw parallels to her tenure. She mentioned she had allowed previous Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), a controversial figure, to maintain his opulent office suite when she assumed the speakership in 2007. Pelosi, who hails from California, where she was attending the funeral services of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), emphasized that office space was never her personal concern; however, it seemed to matter significantly to the new leadership.
Pelosi was unavailable to supervise the removal of her possessions due to being in California, which she dubbed as a “sharp departure from tradition.” An evocative image released by Politico’s Nicholas Wu depicts a staffer hauling a television out of the office late Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Pelosi isn’t left without a workspace. She still possesses her standard Congressional office in the Longworth House office building, from where she can continue with her duties.
In this though-provoking chain of events, McHenry’s assertive move is a strong reminder of the Republican vigor under the MAGA movement. Stripping Pelosi of the hideaway office hitherto awarded to former speakers symbolizes the fresh wind of change blowing through the Capitol Hill corridors, reinforcing the Republicans’ commitment to take ownership of the future legislative objectives of the United States.
