House Minority Leader John Boehner, right, hands the gavel
to newly elected Speak of the House Nancy Pelosi in the
House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
On January 4, 2007, John Boehner handed the speaker of the
House gavel over to Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic Representative
from California. With the passing of the gavel, she became the
first woman to hold the Speaker of the House position, as well
as the only woman to get that close the presidency. After the
Vice President, she was now second in line via the presidential
order of succession. Pelosi became Speaker again in 2018.
Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of President Donald Trumps
State of the Union speech in 2020.