Former House Speaker John Boehner wept as he unveiled Nancy Pelosi’s official picture at the United States Capitol on Wednesday.
Boehner, R-Ohio, who was known for routinely crying up as speaker, offered kind words for Pelosi, D-Calif., the outgoing speaker, who has been widely vilified by GOP lawmakers.
“You’ve been incredibly effective as the leader of your caucus. The younger generation today has a saying: ‘Game recognizes game.’ The fact of the matter is no other speaker of the House in the modern era — Republican or Democrat — has wielded the gavel with such authority or with such consistent results,” said Boehner, calling Pelosi “one tough cookie.”
“My girls told me, ‘Tell the speaker how much we admire her,'” Boehner remarked, wiping away tears. “As if you couldn’t tell, my girls are Democrats,” he joked at the Capitol event.
Pelosi, who became the House’s first female speaker in 2007, made a joke about Boehner’s tendency to cry when she spoke at his portrait ceremony in 2019.
“I was just trying to think of occasions when I saw John crying. And then I was thinking of occasions when I didn’t see John crying,” she remarked before lauding him as a “formidable spokesman for his party and for his cause” who “sought common ground when he could and held his ground when he could not.”
Pelosi said she was “honored” by his appearance on Wednesday and joked, “I would have been a little disappointed if he did not get emotional.”
The paintings of Boehner and Pelosi were painted by the same artist, Ronald Sherr, who, according to Boehner, died barely a week ago.
Former President Barack Obama submitted a video message, as did Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Lucille Roybal-Allard, both D-Calif.
Pelosi was accompanied by family members on Wednesday, including her husband, Paul Pelosi, who was attacked in their house in October by a guy who officials say claimed to be looking for the speaker. Pelosi expressed gratitude to her spouse for being her “loving partner of life, my constant, constant pillar of support.”
Pelosi indicated last month that she will step aside as House Minority Leader after Republicans won the majority in the November midterm elections. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first Black politician to chair a legislative caucus, will succeed her.