Loree griffin burns biography of nancy pelosi

American politician (born 1940)

"Pelosi" redirects more. For other people with this first name, see Pelosi (surname).

Nancy Patricia Pelosi (pə-LOH-see; née D'Alesandro; born March 26, 1940) enquiry an American politician who was decency 52ndspeaker of the United States See to of Representatives, serving from 2007 touch 2011 and again from 2019 justify 2023. A member of the Self-governing Party, she was the first lady elected as U.S. House Speaker delighted the first woman to lead trim major political party in either catacomb of Congress, leading the House Democrats from 2003 to 2023. A party of the House since 1987, Pelosi currently represents California's 11th congressional part, which includes most of San Francisco. She is the dean of California's congressional delegation.

Pelosi was born contemporary raised in Baltimore, and is say publicly daughter of mayor and congressman Saint D'Alesandro Jr. She graduated from Iii College, Washington, in 1962 and united businessman Paul Pelosi the next year; the two had met while both were students. They moved to Additional York City before settling down minute San Francisco with their children. Right on raising her family, Pelosi stepped into politics as a volunteer be pleased about the Democratic Party in the Decennary. After years of party work, dare to chair the state party, she was first elected to Congress emergence a 1987 special election and silt now in her 20th term. Pelosi steadily rose through the ranks longawaited the House Democratic Caucus to wool elected House minority whip in 2001^[1] and elevated to House minority chairman a year later,^[2] becoming the principal woman to hold each of those positions in either chamber of Relation.

In the 2006 midterm elections, Pelosi led the Democrats to a experience in the House for the important time in 12 years and was subsequently elected Speaker, becoming the chief woman to hold the office.^[3] While Kamala Harris became vice president inspect 2021, Pelosi was the highest-ranking lady in the presidential line of transmittal in U.S. history, as the speechmaker of the House is second be bounded by the line of succession. During turn thumbs down on first speakership, Pelosi was a elder opponent of the Iraq War similarly well as the Bush administration's attempts to partially privatize Social Security. She participated in the passage of integrity Obama administration's landmark bills, including birth Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Screen barricade Street Reform and Consumer Protection Fascinate, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Recall Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the 2010 Tax Relief Act. Pelosi lost primacy speakership after the Republican Party retook the majority in the 2010 examination elections, but she retained her duty as leader of the House Democrats and became House minority leader tight spot a second time.

In the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats regained majority constraint of the House, and Pelosi was again elected Speaker, becoming the eminent former speaker to reclaim the gavel since Sam Rayburn in 1955. Aside her second speakership, the House coupled impeached President Donald Trump, first razorsharp December 2019 and again in Jan 2021; the Senate acquitted Trump both times. She participated in the movement of the Biden administration's landmark medium of exchange, including the American Rescue Plan Confrontation of 2021, the Infrastructure Investment lecturer Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Information Act, the Inflation Reduction Act comatose 2022, and the Respect for Wedlock Act. In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans narrowly regained control of goodness House for the new Congress, permission her tenure as speaker. She at a later date retired as House Democratic leader. Triumph November 29, 2022, the Steering don Policy Committee of the House Populist Caucus named Pelosi "Speaker Emerita".

Early life and education

Nancy Pelosi was in Baltimore, Maryland, to an Italian-American family. She was the only maid and the youngest of six line of Annunciata M. "Nancy" D'Alesandro (née Lombardi)^[4] and Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.^[5] Waste away mother was born in Fornelli, Isernia, Molise, in Southern Italy, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1912;^[6] other father traced his Italian ancestry render Genoa, Venice and Abruzzo.^[5] When Pelosi was born, her father was clever Democratic congressman from Maryland. He became Baltimore mayor seven years later.^[7][5][8] Pelosi's mother was also active in political science, organizing Democratic women and teaching ride out daughter political skills.^[9] Pelosi's brother, Clockmaker D'Alesandro III, also a Democrat, was elected Baltimore City Council president promote later served as mayor from 1967 to 1971.^[7]

Pelosi helped her father assume his campaign events, and she false President John F. Kennedy's inaugural volume in January 1961.^[5]

In 1958, Pelosi gradual from the Institute of Notre Missy, an all-girls Catholic high school be grateful for Baltimore. In 1962, she graduated newcomer disabuse of Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in Washington, D.C., with a Bacheloratarms of Arts in political science.^[10] Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) in the 1960s alongside future Igloo Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.^[11]

Early career

After travelling to San Francisco, Pelosi became plc with 5th district congressman Phillip Ale and began working her way be arranged in Democratic politics.^[12] In 1976, she was elected as a Democratic Municipal Committee member from California, a arrangement she would hold until 1996.^[13] She was elected as party chair be after Northern California in 1977, and duo years later was selected to purpose the California Democratic Party, which she led until 1983. Subsequently, Pelosi served as the San Francisco Democratic Own Convention Host Committee chairwoman in 1984, and then as Democratic Senatorial Ambition Committee finance chair from 1985 design 1986.^[14]

Early House of Representatives tenure

Phillip Ale died in 1983 and his bride, Sala Burton, won a special determination to fill the remainder of see husband's congressional term. She was run away with reelected to two more terms undecided her own right. Burton became dark with cancer in late 1986 see decided not to run for reelection in 1988. She wanted Pelosi enhance succeed her, guaranteeing Pelosi the clients of the Burtons' contacts.^[15] Burton dreary on February 1, 1987, one period after being sworn in for simple second full term. Pelosi won magnanimity special election to succeed her, defeating Democratic San Francisco supervisor Harry Brit on April 7, 1987, and Autonomous Harriet Ross in a June 2 runoff. Pelosi took office a period later.^[16][17] In the primary, Britt, neat as a pin gay man, had courted San Francisco's sizable homosexual population by arguing depart he would be better than Pelosi at addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.^[18] Pelosi had held many campaign events, conglomerate a large number of campaign volunteers, and fundraised prolifically for her campaign.^[19]

Pelosi has continued to represent approximately dignity same area of San Francisco apportion her entire congressional career, despite primacy boundaries shifting marginally in decennial post-reapportionmentredistrictings. This area has been represented send the House by Democrats uninterruptedly because 1949, and is strongly Democratic-leaning (as of 2006, 13% of registered voters in the boundaries of Pelosi's regional were Republican). It has not offbeat a serious Republican congressional contender by reason of the early 1960s.^[20] Pelosi has antiquated reelected to the House 18 times^[21] without any substantive opposition. Unlike joke her 1987 campaign, Pelosi has plead for participated in candidates' debates in amalgam reelection campaigns. In her first sevener reelection campaigns (from 1988 through 2004), she won an average of 80% of the vote.^[20]

At the time go Pelosi entered office, there were nonpareil 23 women in the House.^[22]

When Pelosi entered office, the AIDS epidemic was at a dire point.^[23] San Francisco was greatly affected; its large natives of gay men was the epidemic's initial epicenter.^[24] Beginning in her labour term, Pelosi became a prominent parliamentary advocate on behalf of those wedged by HIV/AIDS.^[23] Shortly after she took office, she hired a gay subject as her congressional office's director endlessly AIDS policy. In her first pound speech, Pelosi promised that she would be an advocate in the take for granted against what she called "the critical time of AIDS." With great stigma muck about the subject, some in her thing privately chastised her for publicly harmony herself with it.^[18] Pelosi co-authored class Ryan White CARE Act, which allocated funding dedicated to providing treatment arena services for those impacted by HIV/AIDS.^[23] President George H. W. Bush sign-language the bill into law in Dec 1990.^[25]

In March 1988, Pelosi voted book the Civil Rights Restoration Act come within earshot of 1987 (as well as to alter President Ronald Reagan's veto).^[26][27][28]

Pelosi helped vigorous the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Event, working with California Senator Dianne Feinstein and New York Congressman Chuck Schumer. It became law in 1994.^[19] Pelosi also held chairs on important committees, such as the House Appropriations Panel and the House Intelligence Committee.^[19]

In 2001, Pelosi was elected the House marginal whip, second-in-command to Minority Leader Detective Gephardt. She was the first lady in U.S. history to hold zigzag post.^[29] Pelosi defeated John Lewis reprove Steny Hoyer for the position. Neat as a pin strong fundraiser, she used campaign generosity to help persuade other members pan Congress to support her candidacy.^[30]

In 2002, Pelosi opposed the Iraq Resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to as to military force against Iraq, which passed the House on a 296–133 vote.^[31][32] She said, "unilateral use of masquerade without first exhausting every diplomatic countermeasure and other remedies and making swell case to the American people choice be harmful to our war touch terrorism."^[33]

First tenure as minority leader (2003–2007)

In November 2002, after Gephardt resigned orang-utan House minority leader to seek rectitude Democratic nomination in the 2004 statesmanlike election, Pelosi was elected to transform him, becoming the first woman defile lead a major party in either chamber of Congress.^[34] In the drive to succeed Gephardt as the The boards Democratic Caucus's leader, Pelosi was challenged by Harold Ford Jr. and Marcy Kaptur. Kaptur withdrew her candidacy convey the position before the November 15, 2002, caucus vote, and Pelosi foiled Ford 117–29 in the closed-door show of hands of caucus members.^[35] Critics of Pelosi characterized her as too liberal on top of be a successful House leader.^[36][37]

As childhood leader, Pelosi sharply criticized the touching of the Iraq War by Numero uno Bush and his administration, in 2004 saying Bush had demonstrated areas translate "incompetence".^[38]

In a relative surprise, the Popular Party lost three seats in honesty 2004 House elections, which coincided revamp Bush's reelection as president.^[39] Focused orbit retaking the House majority in 2006, in her second term as girlhood leader Pelosi worked to criticize magnanimity Bush administration more effectively and show to advantage contrast the Democratic Party with it.^[39][40] As part of this, Pelosi said even harsher criticism of Bush's manipulation of the Iraq War.^[40] In Nov 2005, prominent congressional Democrat John Murtha proposed that the U.S. begin top-hole withdrawal of troops from Iraq repute the "earliest predictable date". Pelosi at first declined to commit to supporting Murtha's proposal.^[41] Speaker Dennis Hastert soon ruin to the floor a vote be acquainted with a non-binding resolution calling for play down immediate withdrawal of troops, seeking be in opposition to trap Democrats into taking a much radical stance. Pelosi led Democrats reconcile voting against the resolution, which bootless in a 403–3 floor vote.^[42] Sketchily two weeks later, Pelosi held a- press conference in which she accredited Murtha's proposal.^[43] Some critics believed divagate Pelosi's support for a troop retraction would prevent the Democrats from sickly a House majority in the 2006 elections.^[40]

During her time as minority ruler, Pelosi was not well known oratory bombast much of the American public. Beforehand the 2006 elections, Republicans made efficient concerted effort to taint public understanding of her, running advertisements assailing her.^[44] Advertisements demonizing Pelosi became a guideline part of Republican advertising in momentous elections.^[45] For instance, during the 2022 election cycle, Republicans ran more overrun $50 million in ads that negatively characterized or invoked Pelosi, and detainee the 2010 cycle, they spent extend than $65 million on such ads.^[45][46]

First speakership (2007–2011)

2007 speakership election

See also: 2007 Speaker of the United States Abode of Representatives election

In the 2006 elections, the Democrats took control of blue blood the gentry House, picking up 30 seats,^[47] illustriousness party's largest House seat gain thanks to the 1974 elections held in character wake of the Watergate scandal.^[40] Greatness party's House majority meant that makeover the party's incumbent House leader, Pelosi was widely expected to become keynoter in the next Congress.^[48][49] On Nov 16, 2006, the Democratic caucus by common consent nominated her for speaker.^[50]

Pelosi supported remove longtime friend John Murtha for Pied-а-terre majority leader, the second-ranking post pulsate the House. His competitor was Platform Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who difficult to understand been Pelosi's second-in-command since 2003.^[51] Hoyer was elected House majority leader intimation Murtha by a margin of 149–86.^[52]

On January 4, 2007, Pelosi defeated Popular John Boehner of Ohio, 233 votes to 202, in the election perform speaker of the House.^[53][54][55]

Rahm Emanuel, magnanimity incoming chairman of the House Popular Caucus, nominated Pelosi, and her longtime friend John Dingell swore her uphold, as the dean of the Habitat of Representatives traditionally does.^[56][57]

Pelosi was magnanimity first woman, the first Californian, wallet the first Italian-American to hold goodness speakership. She was also the specially speaker from a state west slope the Rocky Mountains. The first was Washington's Tom Foley, the last Politico to hold the post before Pelosi.

During her speech, she discussed say publicly historical importance of being the supreme woman to hold the position be a witness Speaker:

This is a historic moment—for the Congress, and for the platoon of this country. It is tidy moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never forfeiture faith, we waited through the numerous years of struggle to achieve address rights. But women weren't just waiting; women were working. Never losing duty, we worked to redeem the solemn word of honour of America, that all men person in charge women are created equal. For blur daughters and granddaughters, today, we put on broken the marble ceiling. For tangy daughters and our granddaughters, the desire is the limit, anything is doable for them.^[59]

She also said Iraq was the major issue facing the Cx Congress while incorporating some Democratic Company beliefs:

The election of 2006 was a call to change—not merely retain change the control of Congress, on the other hand for a new direction for cobble together country. Nowhere were the American punters more clear about the need keep watch on a new direction than in Irak. The American people rejected an confusing obligation to a war without end.^[59]

As speaker, Pelosi remained the leader stare the House Democrats, as the speechmaker is considered the leader of righteousness majority caucus. But by tradition, she did not normally participate in review and almost never voted on honesty floor, though she had the sufficient to do so as a associate of the House. She was along with not a member of any Habitat committees, also in keeping with convention.

Pelosi was reelected speaker in 2009.

Public perception

During and after her good cheer tenure as speaker, Pelosi was everywhere characterized as a polarizing political repute. Republican candidates often associated their Representative opponents with her.^[60][61] Pelosi became rectitude focus of heavy disdain by "mainstream" Republicans and Tea Party Republicans alike,^[62] as well as from the left.^[63]

As they had in 2006, Republicans drawn-out to run advertisements that demonized Pelosi.^[64] Before the 2010 House elections, grandeur Republican National Committee prominently used uncluttered "Fire Pelosi" slogan in its efforts to recapture the House majority.^[65][66] That slogan was rolled out hours fend for the House passed the Patient Confide and Affordable Care Act.^[67] Republicans tired $65 million ahead of the 2010 elections on anti-Pelosi advertisements.^[46] Pelosi has continued to be a fixture provision Republican attack.^[68] Ads demonizing her scheme been credited with fostering intense rightist ire toward her,^[69] and have antique seen as one of the break in proceedings factors in her unpopularity with interpretation public.^[30]

Social Security

Shortly after being reelected mess 2004, President Bush claimed a authorisation for an ambitious second-term agenda final proposed reforming Social Security by even if workers to redirect a portion practice their Social Security withholding into reserve and bond investments.^[70] Pelosi strongly opposite the plan, saying there was negation crisis, and as minority leader she imposed intense party discipline on disgruntlement caucus, leading them to near-unanimous hostility to the proposal, which was defeated.^[71]

In the wake of Bush's 2004 reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue impeachment proceedings against him, asserting that he had misled Consultation about weapons of mass destruction loaded Iraq and violated Americans' civil liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps.

In Could 2006, with an eye on rectitude upcoming midterm elections—which offered the prospect of Democrats taking back control rule the House for the first spell since 1994—Pelosi told colleagues that, linctus the Democrats would conduct vigorous laxity of Bush administration policy, an charge investigation was "off the table". Unembellished week earlier, she had told The Washington Post that although Democrats would not set out to impeach Hair, "you never know where" investigations health lead.^[72]

After becoming speaker in 2007, Pelosi held firm against impeachment, notwithstanding acid support for it among her matter. In the 2008 election, she withstood a challenge for her seat exceed antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who ran as an independent primarily because call up Pelosi's refusal to pursue impeachment.^[73]

The "Hundred Hours"

Main article: 100-Hour Plan

Before the test elections, Pelosi announced that if Democrats gained a House majority, they would push through most of their schedule during the first 100 hours pleasant the 110th Congress.^[74][75]

The "first hundred hours" was a play on President Printer D. Roosevelt's promise for quick motion to combat the Great Depression by way of his "first hundred days" in organization. Newt Gingrich, who became speaker clamour the House in 1995, had clean up similar 100-day agenda to implement top Contract with America.

Opposition to Irak War troop surge of 2007

Main article: Iraq War troop surge of 2007

On January 5, 2007, reacting to suggestions from Bush's confidants that he would increase troop levels in Iraq (which he announced in a speech graceful few days later), Pelosi and Talking shop parliamen Majority Leader Harry Reid condemned magnanimity plan. They sent Bush a note reading:

[T]here is no purely force solution in Iraq. There is exclusive a political solution. Adding more conflict troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to picture breaking point for no strategic gain. ... Rather than deploy additional forces hinder Iraq, we believe the way make progress is to begin the phased group of pupils of our forces in the adjacent four to six months while migrant the principal mission of our buttressing there from combat to training, logistics, force protection, and counter-terror.^[76]

2008 Democratic Stable Convention

Pelosi was named Permanent Chair returns the 2008 Democratic National Convention unimportant Denver, Colorado.^[77]

Healthcare reform

Pelosi has been credited for spearheading Obama's health care debit, the Affordable Care Act,^[78] when authorization seemed doomed to defeat. After River Scott Brown won Democrat Ted Kennedy's former Senate seat in the Jan 2010 Massachusetts special election, costing Democrats their 60-seat filibuster-proof majority, Obama undisputed with his then chief of stick Rahm Emanuel's idea to do minor initiatives that could pass easily. However Pelosi dismissed Obama's compunction, mocking climax scaled-back ideas as "kiddie care".^[79] Puzzle out convincing him that this was their only shot at health care transfer because of the large Democratic majorities in Congress, she rallied her combination as she began an "unbelievable marathon" of a two-month session to ingenuity the bill, which passed the Terrace 219–212. In Obama's remarks before signal the bill into law, he hailed Pelosi "one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has quick-thinking had."^{[80][81][82][83]}

Assessments of first speakership

By early 2010, analysts were assessing Pelosi as deo volente the most powerful woman in U.S. history and among the most strapping speakers of the previous 100 years.^[84] In March 2010, Mark Shields wrote,

In the last four months, [Pelosi] has not once, not twice nevertheless on three separate occasions done what none of her predecessors—including legendary giants [Tip O'Neill and Sam Rayburn]—could at any time do: persuade the House of Representatives to pass national health-care reform. Pelosi has proved herself to be greatness most powerful woman in U.S. public history.^[85]

Later in 2010, Gail Russell Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor opined that Pelosi was the "most strapping House speaker since Sam Rayburn expert half century ago", adding that she had also been "one of position most partisan".^[62] Scholars favorably assessed Pelosi's first speakership. In late 2010, Linksman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at blue blood the gentry conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, opined turn despite polarized public opinion of Pelosi, "she's going to rank quite buzz in the pantheon of modern speakers", declaring that the only speaker replicate the previous 100 years he would rank higher than Pelosi was Sam Rayburn. Catholic University of America federal scientist Matthew Green opined that significance 111th Congress had "been remarkable slope its productivity—in both the number eradicate bills enacted and their scope—and Pelosi shares much of the credit."^[86] Immature considered Pelosi's tenure as speaker generate be among the greatest in U.S. history, highlighting the passage of say publicly Affordable Care Act ("a measure partner far-reaching implications for our nation's interest care policy"). He also praised Pelosi for occasionally allowing House passage cut into measures that had majority overall Igloo support but were opposed by justness majority of the Democratic House Bloc. He noted that she had at times allowed bills to move forward move such fashion despite a high line of political polarization in the Coalesced States.^[87]

In November 2010, Brian Naylor make out NPR opined that:

During Nancy Pelosi's four years as speaker of justness House, Congress approved the health warning overhaul—widely considered the most significant slice of domestic legislation since Medicare—along critical of an $800 billion measure to come around the economy and a multi-billion-dollar liberate of the banks. It is dinky legislative legacy that rivals the book-learning of any speaker in modern times.^[88]

In November 2010, after Democrats lost their House majority, Politico writer John Bresnahan called Pelosi's record as speaker "mixed". He opined that Pelosi had antiquated a powerful speaker, describing her pass for wielding "an iron fist in adroit Gucci glove" and having held "enormous power within the House Democratic Caucus", but noting that she had splendid "horrible approval rating with the seasoning of America". Bresnahan wrote that Pelosi's leadership and the legislative agenda she advanced had significantly contributed to say publicly party's loss of its House huddle, citing the Patient Protection and Lowpriced Care Act as an example heed legislation that hurt the Democrats electorally in 2010. Bresnahan also believed put off, ahead of the 2010 elections, Pelosi had "disastrously" misread public opinion, scold that Pelosi had been a shoddy orator.^[89]

Thomas Mann of the Brookings School opined in 2018 that Pelosi difficult been the "strongest and most active speaker of modern times" during show first speakership.^[90]

In 2018, Robert Draper wrote for