Former Speaker John Boehner tears up at Pelosi portrait unveiling

Former House Speaker John Boehner paid a tearful tribute to Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday at the unveiling of her official portrait in the U.S. Capitol.

The Ohio Republican, who had a reputation for frequently tearing up when he was speaker, offered warm words for the outgoing Democratic leader who’s often been demonized 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,” Boehner said, calling Pelosi “one tough cookie.”

“My girls told me tell the speaker how much we admire her,” Boehner said, choking back tears as he spoke. “As if you couldn’t tell, my girls are Democrats,” he said to laughs at the ceremony in the Capitol.

Pelosi, who in 2007 became the first female speaker of the House, had joked about Boehner’s penchant for tears when she spoke at his portrait ceremony in 2019.

Advertisement

“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 quipped, before praising him as a “formidable spokesman for his party and for his cause” and someone who “sought common ground when he could, and held his ground when he could not.”

On Wednesday, Pelosi said she was “honored” by his presence, and joked, “I would have been a little disappointed if he did not get emotional.”

Boehner and Pelosi’s portraits were painted by the same artist, Ronald Sherr, who Boehner said died just a week ago.

Other participants in Wednesday’s event included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and California Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Lucille Roybal-Allard. Former President Barack Obama sent in a video message for the event.

Pelosi was accompanied Wednesday by family members including her husband Paul Pelosi, who was attacked in their home in October by a man who allegedly said he was searching for the speaker. Pelosi thanked her husband for being her “loving partner of life, my constant, constant pillar of support.”

Pelosi announced last month she was stepping down from her leadership post, after Republicans won the majority in the November midterm elections. She will be succeeded by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first Black lawmaker to lead a congressional caucus.