Nancy Pelosi Makes History (Again) As House Speaker In New US Congress

On the campaign trail last autumn, she told The Associated Press: “None of us is indispensable.”

“But I do know that I’m very good at what I do,” she added.

“The floor of this House must be America’s Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions,” she says.

The 78-year-old plans to push for the lowering health care costs, investing in green infrastructure and “restoring integrity” to government as political priorities.

“We must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it — because the middle class is the backbone of democracy,” she says.

But Pelosi is viewed as a polarising figure – vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and a caricature of big government.

Throughout her campaign trail, a small group of unhappy Democrats had been threatening to vote against the 78-year-old unless she agreed to take less of an active role in politics. The group wants the party’s ageing leaders to step aside for a new generation.

The Democrats regained control of the lower house in midterm elections in November, in which voters delivered a mixed verdict on Trump’s presidency, with Republicans consolidating their grip on the Senate and keeping some key state governorships, but losing the house. 

In an interview that aired on Thursday’s NBC’s Today Show, Pelosi said Democrats will give Donald Trump “nothing for the wall,”, his controversial plan for the Mexican border, as a government debate surrounding his demand for money to build the wall wall grinds on, shutting down the government. 

“No, no. Nothing for the wall. We’re talking about border security,” she said.

“There is no amount of persuasion he can do to say to us, ‘We want you to do something that is not effective, that costs billions of dollars.’ That sends the wrong message about who we are as a country.”