Nancy Pelosi’s Taxpayer-Funded Retirement

After eight years as speaker of the House, 12 years as Democrat House minority leader, and more than 35 years as a member of Congress, 83-year-old Nancy Pelosi might have been expected to slide into a comfortable retirement with her now-famous husband after Republicans took back the gavel last fall. But instead, Pelosi sent shockwaves through the political media when she announced last week that she intends to run for a 20th term in the U.S. Congress.

Pelosi’s post-speakership was already unusual in the fact that she remained in Congress at all. Since World War II, every other speaker except Republican Joseph William Martin (1947-1949, 1953-1955) either retired from Congress immediately after stepping down as leader of their party or died while still holding the speakership.

By opting to resign her post within House Democrat leadership, Pelosi has given up most of her official power within the Democrat caucus (although she undoubtedly still wields enormous influence behind the scenes). As the first female speaker of the House and someone who led Democrats’ charge to the far left, Pelosi has already cemented her status as a progressive icon.

All of this raises an obvious question— why, given her old age, significant wealth, and her more than three decades in Congress—is Pelosi so averse to leaving Washington? Why would she risk making her final public image that of a career politician far past her prime desperately clinging to the trappings of power?

“Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery,” Pelosi wrote on X (Twitter) as explanation for her decision to run again. “Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection—and respectfully ask for your vote.”

That “official” explanation – filled with plenty of liberal buzz words but lacking any real substance – leaves ample reason to speculate that Pelosi has other motivations.

One possible explanation is Pelosi’s alleged desire to leverage her former speakership into a cushy ambassadorship within the Biden administration. As Fox Business reported last fall, Pelosi at one point hoped Biden would tap her as his ambassador to Italy. “Biden is holding the spot for the Speaker, sources say, which is one reason he has yet to fill the position since taking office,” reported Fox’s Maria Bartiromo last September.

Though the Italy ambassadorship has since been filled by Biden, several plush ambassador posts remain vacant. Given Pelosi’s well-established enjoyment of the finer things in life—from her $20,000 refrigerator stocked with boutique ice cream, to her personal vineyard in Napa Valley, to her ethically questionable use of large Air Force jets for her many cross-country flights, to her frequent trips to exotic beaches—it is possible that Pelosi is holding out hope that she will land a cozy ambassadorship as an extension of her taxpayer-funded post-speakership.

Another—and perhaps more likely—possibility is that Pelosi wants to continue to enjoy her status as Speaker Emerita, which has equipped her with massive fundraising prowess and continued stature as one of the Democrat Party’s most prominent national leaders, with few actual responsibilities.

In the words of the Associated Press, even in the months since Republicans won back the House, Pelosi “is among the party’s most prolific fundraisers for the House and key political strategists”—even as they also acknowledged it is “rare” for former party leaders to continue serving in Congress.

But regardless of Pelosi’s precise reasoning for once again seeking reelection, one thing remains clear: she is enjoying what appears to be a taxpayer-funded retirement made even nicer by sustained fanfare from the Democrat Party machine and the progressive activist class.

In the not-so-distant past, representing one’s community in Congress was considered an honor that required genuine love of country and an authentic spirit of sacrifice. Despite the rise of career politicians like Pelosi, America’s Founders never intended for the United States to be run by a permanent ruling class of out-of-touch partisans who serve for decades in Congress—especially those with a rap sheet of extremism as severe as Pelosi’s.

Our nation’s Founders would have abhorred the idea of a figure like Pelosi refusing to depart Washington after nearly four decades of service—particularly as she spends most of her time in the capital attending cocktail parties and lavish fundraising events.

The American people deserve better than a former speaker of the House living off of their tax dollars to advance a radical agenda out of step with both the will of voters and the American way of life.

Aaron Flanigan is the pen name of a writer in Washington, D.C.