WASHINGTON — As one of his first moves as the acting leader of the House, Rep. Patrick McHenry ousted Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi from her honorary office at the Capitol while she was away in California to pay tribute to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Politico, which was first to report the news, cited an email that told Pelosi on Tuesday her Capitol hideaway office was being reassigned by the acting speaker "for speaker office use."
Pelosi called the eviction “a sharp departure from tradition." But she added: “Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them. Now that the new Republican Leadership has settled this important matter, let’s hope they get to work on what’s truly important for the American people.”
According to Punchbowl News, House Republican leadership also kicked former Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer out of his hideaway office in the Capitol. Most lawmakers have offices in the buildings surrounding the Capitol, though a few have "hideaway offices" typically reserved for members of House leadership.
GOP sources told Punchbowl News the moves are in retaliation for Democrats voting with Republican Matt Gaetz, and a handful of others, to oust McCarthy and more retribution could be coming.
Pelosi didn't participate in the vote to kick out McCarthy, because she was in California ahead of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's funeral.
According to House rules, Patrick McHenry was picked from a list former speaker Kevin McCarthy was required to keep and will serve essentially as the acting speaker — known as speaker pro tempore — until the chamber figures out who will be the next leader.
Known for his deadpan jokes, McHenry can also have a fiery side.
While on the dais Tuesday, he read carefully from a paper saying it would be “prudent” to recess the House so that party caucuses and conferences could meet “to discuss the path forward.”
McHenry then slammed the gavel down very hard — and the footage went viral on social media.