Tipsheet

Why Republicans Are Evicting Top House Dems From Their Capitol Hideaway Offices

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  October 04, 2023 11:35 AM

With the ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as House Speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) is the placeholder. Serving as speaker pro tempore until a new one is selected next week, McHenry’s first act as steward of the gavel was to kick Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) out of her Capitol hideaway office. Ms. Pelosi has until Wednesday to pack her stuff and vacate the premises. McHenry plans on using her office (via Politico): 


As one of his first acts as the acting speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry ordered former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vacate her Capitol hideaway office by Wednesday, according to an email sent to her office viewed by POLITICO. 

“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” wrote a top aide on the Republican-controlled House Administration Committee. The room was being reassigned by the acting speaker “for speaker office use,” the email said. 

[…] 

Only a select few House lawmakers get hideaway offices in the Capitol, compared to their commonplace presence in the Senate. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ staff helped Pelosi’s office make the move, according to a spokesperson for the former speaker. Here's an image from outside the office at around 8 p.m. as staff were spotted packing up… 

The former speaker blasted the eviction in a statement as “a sharp departure from tradition,” adding that she had given former Speaker Dennis Hastert “a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished” during her tenure. 

Pelosi was not in DC when all hell broke loose on Tuesday. She was in California for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s memorial arrangements. She wasn't the only person served with an eviction notice. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was also asked to vacate his hideaway office. House Republicans are getting what revenge they can get for Democrats working with Matt Gaetz. In the meantime, Republicans must sprint to find someone for speaker who can get 218 votes unless they want to own this political disaster in the House.