2020 was a challenging year for all of us, and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is no exception. Leading the Democrat-controlled House, Nancy Pelosi shouldered a massive responsibility in a year full of chaos. She was the one who initiated the first impeachment process of President Donald Trump in the first place, but she faced criticism from both sides of the aisle. Many progressives argue that she should not be considered as a superhero for doing the right thing. More, others accused Pelosi of being too reluctant to initiate the impeachment process in the first place. But, when all is said and done, she succeeded. House of Representatives officially impeached President Trump. Twice. 

2020 started very well for Pelosi. Ripping Trump’s state of the union speech in front of the entire country, her message was loud and clear: the House would try everything to prevent the agenda of the Trump administration. Some called this a “show-off,” but many appreciated how brave she was. 

The problem with Pelosi, however, was that people could not identify her political position. For liberals, Pelosi was the leader of the so-called Democratic establishment, preventing progressive candidates from replacing more moderate incumbents. For Republicans, she was a much-despised San Francisco liberal. Indeed, her voting records provide no clear answer to this contradiction. 

Previously an antiwar Democrat, Pelosi backed Obama’s war efforts in Libya and urged Obama to take military action against Assad. In Libya, she explicitly denied Obama even needed to get congressional authorization for the war, advocating for the kind of imperial presidency she had opposed under Bush. Indeed, when asked if the public should be informed when the government assassinates a US citizen via drone, Pelosi said, “it depends on the situation,” and that “people just want to be protected.”

After reclaiming her position as House Speaker in 2019, after a gain of 40 seats over Republicans in the 2018 midterms, the largest win in over 40 years, Pelosi faced the true test. Though she effectively resisted House and Senate Republicans, becoming the fearless woman warrior figure for all, the way she handles the chaos within the Democratic Party terribly affects her credibility as the leader of the party.  

In particular, the general election of 2020 was a total disappointment for the House Democrats and Pelosi. Despite Biden’s historic victory against the most corrupt president in the country’s history, Nancy Pelosi failed to protect the overwhelming majority of House Democrats, leaving the election with only a slight majority in the House. "I'm certainly concerned by the slimming of the majority. I indicated to the administration very early on that I wanted them to be very careful in terms of the members that they appointed from Congress," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D, MD-5) told reporters. Progressives protected their seats, and “The Squad” welcomed new progressives who have replaced moderate Democrats. A narrow majority means that Pelosi will face greater challenges trying to unite party progressives. It won’t be easy, at all. 

In fact, progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14) has already stated that the Democratic Party needs new leadership, in a snub to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. AOC was not the only one who called for a change in the Democratic leadership. Many Democrats, especially the supporters of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, want to see a real change in the Democratic agenda. 

In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s nomination over Bernie Sanders was vehemently criticized by the left, causing hundreds of thousands to vote for Trump or not vote at all. In recent years, there have been rumors about the establishment favoring moderate Democrats in the presidential primaries, most recently when candidates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Biden last year. Democratic leadership did not want Warren and Bernie to win Super Tuesday, so they united moderate candidates under Biden. 

All of this left us nothing but a rock-solid reason to consider Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer as an obstacle against the more progressive Democratic Party. For young people, Pelosi represents the dying breed of Democratic leaders. It was ironic that the Democratic Party called for change within the leadership of the country while nominating fossilized politicians like Pelosi, Biden, and Schumer to rule the country.   

It is time for a drastic change in the Democratic leadership. Democratic Party needs younger, more progressive, and brighter leaders in Congress. It is clear that by bringing in new blood, there would be new ideas that might change how Washington operates. A Democratic leader launching dirty attacks on freshmen members of Congress shouldn't be the image of the Democrats. There should not be Democratic leadership undermining progressive values. The idea of providing free healthcare for all should not be demonized. The fight against climate change shouldn’t be called radical. What should be condemned are the politicians who abuse the power of their office in favor of their political benefits. Above all, an 80-year-old politician shouldn't lead a party supposedly embracing progressive values.