House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a directive on Friday that will allow House members to pay their staff a salary higher than that of many lawmakers in the nation’s capital.

“As you know, our hard-working, patriotic Congressional staffers are integral to the functioning of the House of Representatives: ensuring this institution can effectively carry out our legislative and constituent responsibilities,” Pelosi said. “To that end, we must do all we can to retain and recruit the best talent in our nation — and to build a Congressional workforce that reflects the communities we are honored to serve.”

Representatives and senators make an annual salary of $174,000, while those in leadership positions can make tens of thousands of dollars more per year.

“It is my privilege as Speaker to announce that the House will raise the maximum annual rate of pay for staff to $212,100,” Pelosi continued. “This increase in the Speaker’s Pay Order is consistent with the recent raise in the Executive Branch Level II and Senior Executive Branch maximum annual salary rate.”

Pelosi, 82, announced last month that she would not seek re-election as the top Democrat in the House, but will remain in Congress.

Pelosi, who emerged as a Democratic leader during the George W. Bush administration, made the announcement from the House floor in a speech that touched on democracy, diversity, and elections, and that was met with regular rounds of applause by Democrats. She maintained that she would continue to represent the people of San Francisco.

“For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” said Pelosi.

Pelosi also briefly talked about her husband Paul, who was hospitalized after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home and attacked him with a hammer. The suspect, David DePape, has pleaded not guilty, and friends say he has a history of drug abuse, mental illness, and believing conspiracy theories.

Pelosi’s announcement comes after a better-than-expected performance for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections. Though pre-election polling and punditry suggested that a “red wave” would sweep Republicans into power in both houses of Congress, Democrats were able to prevail in several high-profile Senate contests to keep control of that chamber, and Republicans have won only a slim majority in the House — but enough to oust Pelosi from her role as the speaker.

Eric Quintanar contributed to this report.

The 28-year-old man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last month is a former school security guard who studied psychology and was pursuing a graduate degree in criminology.

It had been more than a month since Kaylee GonCalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, were murdered in their home on November 13.

A SWAT team made the arrest some 2,400 miles from the crime scene in the Pocono Mountains in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Heavy.com reported that the suspect, who The Daily Wire is not naming in keeping with a policy to deprive mass killers of the notoriety they often crave, “once worked in part-time security for the Pleasant Valley School District in Pennsylvania.”

“These murders have shaken our community, and no arrest will ever bring back these young students,” Moscow Police Chief James Fry said at a press conference on Friday. “However, we do believe justice will be found through the criminal process.”

Fry was followed by Bill Thompson, the Latah County prosecutor, who said the suspect has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in addition to a count of felony burglary with intent to commit a murder. Because the suspect is in the process of being extradited from Pennsylvania to Idaho, the probable cause affidavit charging the suspect will not be released until he has appeared in an Idaho court, which may take some time.

“This is not the end of the investigation, this is a new beginning,” Thompson said, asking the public to continue sending information about the suspect and the crime.

When asked what piece of evidence or lead led to the suspect’s arrest, Fry said he could not answer at this time, as the information is part of the investigation and cannot be released until the suspect has appeared in an Idaho court. The police chief also stood behind the decision to keep information relating to the investigation out of the public eye.

Fry did say that police have not located the weapon, but had located a Hyundai Elantra they had been seeking in connection to the crime.

Ashe Schow contributed to this report.