According to the polls and pundits, House Republicans are expected to emerge victorious in enough midterm elections across the country to take a majority position, leaving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) without a job if that power shift comes to fruition.
But that doesn’t seem to be an issue for the 82-year-old speaker, as she reportedly has a cushy gig already lined up — with the blessing of President Joe Biden himself — as the United States ambassador to Italy, according to Fox Business. The president has been slow to nominate ambassadors since taking office, but he reportedly saved the Italian job for Pelosi, at her request.
So, the good news is that Pelosi could be leaving the United States for a while. The bad news is that she’ll still be representing the United States.
Fox Business noted:
Biden is holding the spot for the speaker, sources say, which is one reason he has yet to fill the position since taking office. Speculation earlier this year that a Pelosi ally and former Wall Street executive wanted the job has shifted with the increasing likelihood that the GOP takes the majority.
So far, 101 Biden ambassador nominees have been confirmed by the Senate, but Biden has been slow to name ambassadors to several countries, including Italy.
About a quarter (27%) of the 194 ambassador positions are currently without a Senate-confirmed official.
The outlet indicated there was mixed reaction to the idea of Pelosi taking one of the top ambassadorships offered by the U.S. government, according to sources. The Senate would need to confirm her for the job. If the GOP should also take majority control of the upper chamber, that could be a real downer for Pelosi and her future living out her last days at Villa Taverna, the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Rome, situated in the city’s most exclusive area.
Related: Move Over, Hunter Biden: Pelosi Takes Her Investment Banker Son Along on Taxpayer-Funded Taiwan Trip
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy website notes:
The fifteenth century Villa Taverna, commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi, was first rented by the U.S. Embassy in 1933. The Villa and its historical gardens are filled with valuable art from antiquity through the Renaissance, to the nineteenth century. Among the important objects in the collection are a Baroque fountain, a 3rd century A.D. Roman sarcophagus, ancient Egyptian granite columns with white Luna marble capitals, and 300-year-old busts of Roman emperors.
According to Mansion Global, Villa Taverna is probably one of the United States government’s most valuable ambassador residences in the world, coming in at estimates of up to a staggering $1 billion.
Built in the 15th century for a cardinal, Villa Taverna sits on 7 acres in one of Rome’s most central and exclusive neighborhoods. The property includes a Roman sarcophagus dating to the 3rd century, ancient Egyptian granite columns, a swimming pool and a tennis court.
Who owns this spread? U.S. taxpayers, as Villa Taverna is the U.S. ambassador’s residence. What is it worth? Hard to say: a 2010 Office of the Inspector General’s report estimated the combined value of the residence and the embassy compound in Rome at anywhere from “$500 million to $1 billion.”
No wonder Nancy is keen to hop a flight to Rome after she’s booted out of the U.S. House. We all know by now that the Pelosis demand nothing less than the finest of luxury living. Hopefully, the estate also has an appropriately sized ice cream freezer.
The view from atop Villa Taverna, the American embassy in Rome. pic.twitter.com/ky5poFppYJ
— Mr. OQ (@PeaceMan62) July 23, 2022
Oh, and did we mention Villa Taverna is complete with lush, private gardens and — get this — a three-story wine cellar? Perfect. But don’t let Papa Pauli P. get into that cellar and hit the road in another drunk driving debacle, as the Italian district attorneys might not be as forgiving as Napa County DA Allison Haley.
We’d like to formally apologize to our Italian brothers and sisters ahead of this potential move. Mamma mia, it’s gonna be a rough couple of years over there.
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