Interim House Speaker Patrick McHenry wasted little time making a splash on Tuesday, evicting former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from her office and warning it would be “re-keyed” the following day.
McHenry (R-NC) assumed the role of speaker pro tempore when California Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a historic first for the House.
He is an ally of McCarthy’s but clearly disagreed with Pelosi being allowed to use a hideaway office as was permitted under his friend’s extremely short stint.
It must have been weighing on McHenry’s mind as he fired off an email to Pelosi within hours of assuming his new role.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” an aide wrote to her, according to Politico.
UPDATE: Picture Tonight Outside of former Speaker Pelosi’s Office.. Her staff is actually moving her out of the Speakers Office she refused to vacate as Demanded by the Temporary Speaker..
I can’t stop laughing.. #NoSquatters https://t.co/5iXFxaWjX5 pic.twitter.com/ODIF4R9r7Y
— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) October 4, 2023
Pelosi Livid After Being Booted From Office
Just about the only thing that would make this move funnier is if speaker pro tempore McHenry offered Pelosi’s office space to a relative of Richard “Bigo” Barnett.
Pelosi, however, didn’t find the move very amusing at all.
“This eviction is a sharp departure from tradition,” Pelosi said.
That’s music to our ears. Club rules where we all just pretend to be good pals should have been abandoned long ago. Democrats don’t deserve concessions of any kind, even ones this trivial.
And fumigated. https://t.co/INyQ50caqW
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 4, 2023
“With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, 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 taunted.
Pelosi noted she was “unable to retrieve my belongings” due to being in California to mourn the loss of Senator Dianne Feinstein.
It was later reported Pelosi was able to clear out the office with some help from the staff of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Why did Nancy Pelosi still occupy the Speaker’s hideaway office?!
Why didn’t McCarthy boot her 9 months ago?!
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 4, 2023
McHenry Praised For His Actions
Pelosi, the poor dear, now has to deal with using her actual office in the Cannon House office building.
As for McHenry, conservatives on the X social media platform were loving his first move as the temporary Speaker.
“McHenry making a strong play to keep the Speakership,” quipped one right-leaning humorist.
McHenry making a strong play to keep the Speakership https://t.co/H6XOOwrdPK
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) October 4, 2023
“Already a legend,” another wrote.
Already a legend. https://t.co/5vgFNiJchl
— JWF (@JammieWF) October 4, 2023
Others openly questioned why McCarthy had allowed Pelosi to keep the office in the first place.
Interim Speaker Patrick McHenry ordered Pelosi to vacate her office immediately after McCarthy was ousted.
Why didn’t this happen 8 months ago? Was McCarthy working for Pelosi the entire time? pic.twitter.com/NJNpXuGr2W
— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) October 4, 2023
It’s a valid question.
Pelosi claims using the hideaway office is customary and that she “gave former Speaker [Dennis] Hastert a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished.”
Fox News describes the hideaways as “a luxury only afforded to a select few House members.”
Considering the damage she did to the country during the Trump administration, Pelosi should never have been given any luxuries. While it might be a relatively petty move, McHenry’s move to oust her from the office is a chance at a symbolic fresh start and a reminder of McCarthy’s failures.
McHenry though, defended his ally prior to the vote removing him as Speaker.
“Why will we give up a conservative working majority for better outcomes and hand the keys over to the Democrats?” he asked. “Why would we do that?”
Would love to know what “better outcomes” he was seeing. President Joe Biden has yet to be impeached. Ukraine still owns the Treasury. And the economy is still in shambles.
People just don’t have the patience any longer.
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