AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised departing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “an unshakable advocate for working families” and a “true partner and friend to AFSCME members.”
Following the midterm elections, when Republicans narrowly gained control of the House of Representatives, Pelosi announced Thursday that she will relinquish her leadership post after two decades. She is the first woman to serve as speaker in U.S. history. Pelosi will continue to serve in Congress. To learn more about Pelosi, go here.
Saunders released this statement honoring the speaker and outlining AFSCME’s long relationship with Pelosi:
“AFSCME first endorsed Nancy Pelosi in 1987 during her first campaign for Congress. In the 35 years since, there have been few endorsements of which our union could be prouder. Speaker Pelosi has been a fierce, trailblazing leader as the first woman Speaker of the House, an unshakable advocate for working families and, above all, a true partner and friend to AFSCME members.
“Thanks to her tenacity in Congress, we have been able to make historic strides forward and repel some of the most dangerous attacks on workers' freedoms. As speaker, she helped facilitate the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which expanded health care coverage to over 35 million people across the nation. And when the Trump administration attempted to repeal the ACA, Nancy was there to help stop it. Early in her career, she also led the fight to protect Social Security, saving essential benefits and ensuring retirees could live with dignity.
“Speaker Pelosi has proven to be more than a defender; she’s also a builder. With the Biden White House behind her, she led Congress to pass some of the most transformational, pro-worker pieces of legislation we have seen in decades. The American Rescue Plan, the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act will lower costs for working people, strengthen public services and set us on a path towards a full recovery from the economic impacts of the pandemic.
“Through all the ups and downs of the past few decades, Speaker Pelosi has always been someone working families could count on. AFSCME and working people everywhere are thankful for her leadership, and we cannot be more grateful to continue to have her as a partner and friend in the House of Representatives.”