House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) had a curious choice for one of his very first orders of business: He booted Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from the hideaway office she has in the Capitol.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” a top aide on the Republican-controlled House Administration Committee wrote to Pelosi, according to Politico.
The hideaways are traditionally used by members of the Senate, but a handful of House members also have them. McCarthy had allowed Pelosi to have a hideaway due to her status as a former House speaker, NBC News reported.
Pelosi noted that she extended a similar courtesy to her predecessor, and she called the move “a sharp departure from tradition.”
“Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Pelosi is in California for the funeral of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who was a longtime friend, and said she was unable to move her belongings right now. Politico said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sent his staff members to help with the move.
Critics slammed McHenry for the “petty” move against Pelosi: