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In 2011, Democrats lost the House, and Pelosi became minority leader. Dianne Feinstein had seniority in their chamber. Boxer and fellow California Democratic Sen. When Pelosi became speaker in 2007, powerful committee chair posts were held by Californians including then-Reps.

The state’s clout in Washington has tended to rise and fall in recent history. Pelosi has frequently kept the dam out of federal spending bills. He’s also expected to push for the growth of the Shasta Dam, a long-simmering point of contention between the two parties. McCarthy would be expected to advance new California water legislation with an emphasis on storage and water reallocation from Northern to Central and Southern California, according to the person. He hopes to bring to the House floor the Save Our Sequoias Act, a bill designed to preserve the trees but opposed by environmental groups concerned it would bypass environmental laws, according to a person familiar with McCarthy’s policy agenda. As speaker, he would have opportunities to advance those positions in spending bills. The Bakersfield Republican has come out strongly against high-speed rail and has pushed for climate policies that involve loosening environmental protections that Democrats favor. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) credit Pelosi with helping reverse the dreaded “Anywhere But California” or “ABC” attitude in Washington among lawmakers from the rest of the country. “I don’t really know the shape of the world until we talk with her office,” Kelly said, adding he would miss that connection when it is gone. The group’s leader, Brian Kelly, met with several California lawmakers, but he wasn’t confident about the rail’s prospects for funding until he met with Pelosi’s office. “She’s doing it in a way that really provides real results for California, because she’s in the rooms where it matters, and she’s making final decisions and shaping final packages,” O’Leary said.ĭuring negotiations on last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, the state’s high-speed rail authority wanted to ensure it would be eligible for a share of the federal spending. Gavin Newsom in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Congress was enacting additional federal aid for states. She understands “how California’s needs are different and need to be addressed,” said Ann O’Leary, who was chief of staff to Gov. “It will put extra pressure on every member of Congress and our senators to step up much more than they have.”įor most of the last 15 years, any federal legislation that helped or hurt California generally had to run through Pelosi’s office, according to lawmakers and aides. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat who was elected to Congress five years before Pelosi. Pelosi’s retirement will be “a blow to the country and a blow to California,” said former California Sen. But his leadership would still mark a dramatic turn for California’s place in Washington. The Biden administration could prevent McCarthy from advancing some of his top priorities for the state. His Republican Party’s policies - in California and nationwide - are often diametrically opposed to those supported by the state’s liberal leadership and most of its residents. More alarming to those who have become accustomed to California Democrats’ outsize influence is that Pelosi might be handing the speaker’s gavel to a fellow Californian, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. The prospect of Pelosi’s departure has some Californians pondering what kind of power vacuum she will leave, and what it will mean for the state’s influence in Washington. At 82, she is running for reelection in her San Francisco district, but some think she might retire after the midterm. She said in November 2020 that this would be her last term as speaker, though she has since distanced herself from that timeline.