Politics & Power Quote by Nancy Pelosi

Grief is doing a lot of work here, and so is etiquette. Pelosi’s line reads like a condolence card slipped into a hardball institution: “sad,” “losses,” “great seniority and distinction.” In Congress, departure is rarely framed as defeat, and she’s using the soft-focus language of respect to sand down the sharper reality that elections and intra-party fights produce winners and losers. Calling outgoing colleagues “losses” dignifies them and, just as importantly, dignifies the chamber itself. It’s a way of saying: the institution is harmed when experience walks out the door, even if voters demanded the change.

The phrase “members of great seniority and distinction” isn’t just praise; it’s a quiet defense of hierarchy. Seniority is how Congress runs - through committee chairs, backroom knowledge, and relationships that outlast news cycles. By elevating senior members first, Pelosi signals allegiance to institutional memory and the power networks that make legislation possible.

Then she widens the umbrella: “and some very new members.” That pivot is strategic. It prevents the statement from sounding like an old-guard lament by acknowledging the disruption cuts both ways. Freshmen leaving suggests churn, volatility, maybe a political climate that burns through talent quickly.

The final clause - “who will no longer be serving with us” - is classic Pelosi: collective, disciplined, and slightly possessive. It frames Congress as a team and herself as its steward, turning an electoral fact into a moment of managed unity. Respect becomes a tool of leadership.