The New York Times reports:
It has been 15 years since Nancy Pelosi made history as the first woman to be elected speaker of the House. On Wednesday, that history was placed on display on the walls of the Capitol, when Ms. Pelosi’s official portrait was unveiled and set to be hung in the Speaker’s Lobby, adorned until now only with gilt-framed oil portraits of the white men who preceded Ms. Pelosi in the post.
The ceremony honoring Ms. Pelosi’s likeness and legacy brought together former rivals, would-be successors, colleagues going back decades, cabinet officials and television anchors. It even featured a virtual cameo by former President Barack Obama, who made a video tribute in which he pronounced her “one of the most accomplished legislators in American history.”
The Washington Post reports:
Figures including former House speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) joined Pelosi in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall to celebrate her portrait and speakership.
An emotional Boehner recalled the many times he and Pelosi worked together in Congress, despite being on opposite sides of the aisle. “Madam Speaker, you and I have disagreed publicly on many things over the years, but we were never disagreeable to each other,” Boehner said.
In her remarks, Pelosi thanked Boehner, who was teary at times, and noted that she would have been “a little disappointed if he did not get emotional.”
Pelosi’s portrait was unveiled Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, a traditional honor bestowed on a tradition-breaking leader who was not just the first woman to hold the gavel but among the most consequential House speakers in American history https://t.co/CHGzUWV8KW
— Lisa Mascaro (@LisaMascaro) December 15, 2022
Former Speaker John Boehner, giving remarks in Capitol at Pelosi portrait unveiling, weeps as he says: “You have been unfailingly gracious to me” and as he said: “My girls told me how much we admire her.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 14, 2022
“Game recognizes game.”
Former Republican Speaker John Boehner honors Speaker Pelosi at the reveal of her portrait in the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/qA2uYAF00a pic.twitter.com/jeXNfZw6bj
— ABC News (@ABC) December 14, 2022
Here it is. Nancy Pelosi’s portrait. A leader. A trailblazer. An icon. One of the most effective Speakers in our nation’s history. Absolutely stunning. pic.twitter.com/klW6ODf57D
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) December 14, 2022