North Carolina Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry, who has one week to give to this position, notified Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi that she must move out of her hideaway office by the close of business Wednesday so he can take it over in his duties as Speaker pro tem, Politico reports. Pelosi is currently in California for the funeral of her friend and colleague, ground-breaking Senator Dianne Feinstein, who died last week.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” an aide to McHenry wrote to Pelosi’s office. “Sadly, because I am in California to mourn the loss of and pay tribute to my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my belongings at this time,” Pelosi said when reached by Politico, who did not mention if they heard her laugh when McCarthy’s name was mentioned.
Hideaway offices are a limited number of private rooms or suites scattered around the Capitol and unlisted on public maps, identified only by a number on the door, where Senators and senior members of the House have personal office space outside of staffers and the public. As a former Speaker, Pelosi had been granted the privilege of having the personal space.