Pelosi Is ‘Not Even Thinking About’ Political Future ‘At This Moment’: Spokesman

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer outline their legislative efforts to lower fuel prices during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2022. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said reports that the California Democrat is preparing to retire from Congress after more than 30 years are inaccurate.

In a statement on Twitter on Monday, Drew Hammill, the speaker’s deputy chief of staff and spokesman, said the Democratic lawmaker has “not made a decision about her future.”

“As the Speaker just stated yesterday on national TV, she will make a decision once all the votes have been counted. She’s not even thinking about her future at this moment.”

Pelosi, 82, said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that she would not make any comments regarding whether or not she intends to run for her position again until after the 2022 midterm elections are over.

Hammill also noted that Pelosi has “no interest in becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Italy” and that “she intends to continue serving in Congress regardless of her decision about House Democratic leadership. She said that yesterday on the Sunday shows,” Hammill added.

Currently, the United States does not have a Senate-confirmed ambassador to Italy.

In September, Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, citing anonymous sources, reported that Pelosi would be interested in taking up the role of U.S. ambassador to Italy if Republicans succeeded in taking control of the House in the midterms.

Control of the House is still hanging by a thread. Republicans have won 217 of the 218 seats they need to reach a majority in the 435-member chamber, while Democrats have won 203 as of early Tuesday.

Paul Pelosi (L) and then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attend the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton in Washington, on April 28, 2018. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Paul Pelosi Attack Has Impacted Speaker’s Decision

Pelosi, who has been in Egypt for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change following the election, previously said she would honor a pledge made in 2018 that she would not seek reelection after her current term ends.

Earlier this month, the lawmaker said her decision regarding a potential retirement from Congress would be impacted by the recent attack on her husband Paul.

Paul Pelosi was attacked in the couple’s San Francisco home in the early morning hours on Oct. 28 by 42-year-old Canadian national David DePape, who allegedly broke into the property and demanded to see the House speaker.

Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., at the time. Her husband has since undergone surgery to repair a skull fracture and other injuries following the attack.

In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper earlier this month, Pelosi responded “yes” when asked if her decision to run will be “impacted by the attack in any way.”

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are set to begin voting Tuesday on their next candidate for House speaker. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced his candidacy for the role in a letter to Republicans on Nov. 9.

“While a number of races remain outstanding, I can confidently report that we will join that list, build on our significant gains from last cycle, and achieve our goal of taking back the House,” McCarthy wrote. “I am determined to ensure that this majority reaches its full potential. I will be a listener every bit as much as a Speaker, striving to build consensus from the bottom-up rather than commanding the agenda from the top-down. That means putting the right people in the right spots and harnessing the power of our entire conference.”