Pelosi: House Dems are ‘Greatest Collection of Intellect, Integrity and Imagination’

Either outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, or she is drunk again…

In her final letter to Congress as speaker, Pelosi declared that House Democrats are the “greatest collection of intellect, integrity and imagination assembled.”

“Dear Democratic Colleague,” she began, “Today, I write to you my last Dear Colleague as Speaker of the House to express my appreciation for the high honor bestowed upon me by House Democrats.  I am humbled by the faith placed in me to serve as Speaker.”
Pelosi continued, “One final thought that I wanted to leave with you is my belief that the House Democratic Caucus is the greatest collection of intellect, integrity and imagination assembled for the good of the American people.”
She wrote, “During the 117th Congress, President Biden and Congressional Democrats have put forth a shining vision of justice for all.  Together, we have worked tirelessly to infuse this value into our legislative efforts.  We can all take immense pride in our achievements toward that goal, which is making a real difference in the lives of the American people.”
“In the 118th Congress, I am confident that the new House Democratic Leadership – led by Hakeem, Katherine and Pete – will do even better, remaining always faithful to our shared mission to safeguard our treasured Democracy For The People,” Pelosi concluded. “With gratitude for your kind wishes to Paul, we send you and your loved ones our warmest personal wishes for a Healthy, Happy New Year!”
“Democrats” and “shining vision of justice” are not synonymous, and frankly I would have never expected to hear them described as being intellectual or having integrity.
Pelosi also announced on December 30th, in a press release, that there will be a major pay raise for Congress.

She said, “It is my privilege as Speaker to announce that the House will raise the maximum annual rate of pay for staff to $212,100.  This increase in the Speaker’s Pay Order is consistent with the recent raise in the Executive Branch Level II and Senior Executive Branch maximum annual salary rate.”

As Speaker, it has been a key priority for me to bring the brightest minds and a diversity of backgrounds here to Capitol Hill — at every level of public service.  That is why we have:

    • raised the maximum annual pay twice: ensuring parity among employees of the House, employees of the Senate and employees of the Executive Branch;
    • set a first-ever minimum annual pay for staff at $45,000: a fairer, more competitive salary that has helped open the doors of public service to those who may not have been able to afford to do so before;
    • delivered a 21 percent increase in the MRA in the FY22 omnibus: ensuring every office has the resources to fairly compensate staff;
    • and established the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion: helping make the House more inclusive, open and representative of the full range of voices and values of our communities.

This work must continue into the 118th Congress and beyond, as we carry on our dutiful stewardship of this historic institution.

Thankfully Democrats’ slim majority in the House has come to an end after Republicans flipped a handful of seats, and therefore a Republican majority will be sworn in this week.

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