House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was immortalized at the Capitol on Wednesday, during a ceremony in Statuary Hall where her official portrait was unveiled. She also became the first female in U.S. history to receive such an honor.
Pelosi’s tenure as Speaker was celebrated alongside her husband Paul and other current and former members of Congress.
The quests also included former House Speaker John Boehner, who applauded Pelosi as ‘one tough cookie.’
‘The younger generation today has the saying: Game recognizes game,’ Boehner said during the ceremony. ‘And 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. Let me just say, You’re one tough cookie.’
The Republican also included a personal note that his two daughters looked up to Pelosi.
‘My girls told me, tell the speaker how much we admire her,’ Boehner said.
Former President Barack Obama also provided a videotaped message in which he said Pelosi ‘inspired a generation of women to run, win and lead because they’ve seen her, what someone like her — and someone like them — can do.’
The former president also recounted how the two worked together during his time in office, including on the Affordable Care Act.
‘The only thing she wasn’t willing to do was give up. And like always, she got it done,’ Obama praised.
Pelosi’s portrait was painted by the late Ronald Sherr in 2014, following her first tenure as speaker from 2007 to 2011.
It was not unveiled at the time, and she later regained the gavel in 2019.
The portrait will hang in the Speaker’s Lobby, alongside the portraits of past speakers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.