Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi
60th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Dennis Hastert
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office June 2, 1987
Preceded by	Sala Burton
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Paul Pelosi

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and has set several firsts for that position. She is the first woman, the first Californian and the first person of Italian descent to become Speaker, as well as being the first Democratic Party Speaker of the 21st Century. She is also the second person from west of the Rocky Mountains to hold the post, after Tom Foley (D-Washington). Before becoming Speaker, she was the House Minority Leader from 2002 to 2007, holding the post during the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses of the United States.

Since 1987, she has represented the 8th Congressional District of California, which consists of four-fifths of the City and County of San Francisco. The district was numbered as the 5th during Pelosi's first three terms in the House.

As Speaker of the House, Pelosi ranks second in the line of presidential succession, following Vice President Dick Cheney. She is the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Government; no woman has ever been as close in line to the U.S. presidency.

Early life and career

Pelosi was born to Italian-American parents in Baltimore, Maryland. The youngest of six children, she was involved with politics from an early age. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland and a Mayor of Baltimore. Her mother, Anunciata, was born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. in 1911. Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III, one of her five brothers, also served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971.

Pelosi graduated from Baltimore's Institute of Notre Dame high school and from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) alongside future House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. She met her future husband Paul Pelosi while at Trinity College, and when the couple married they moved to his hometown of San Francisco, where his brother Ron Pelosi was a member of the city's board of supervisors (San Francisco city and county council).

After her youngest child became a high school senior, Pelosi worked her way up in Democratic politics to become party chairwoman for Northern California, and joined forces with one of the leaders of the California Democratic Party, 5th District Congressman Phillip Burton.

Pelosi is an honorary board member of the National Organization of Italian American Women.

Family

Pelosi has five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, and Alexandra, and six grandchildren. Alexandra, a journalist, covered the Republican presidential campaigns in 2000 and made a film about the experience, Journeys with George. She also wrote a book on coverage of the 2004 campaigns.

The Pelosi family has a net worth of over US$25 million, primarily from Paul Pelosi's investments. In addition to their large portfolio of jointly owned San Francisco Bay Area real estate, he also has millions of dollars in stock from publicly traded companies such as Microsoft, Amazon.com and AT&T. In 2003, the Pelosi family sold their eight-acre (three hectare) Rutherford vineyard. Pelosi continues to be among the richest members of Congress.

Congressional career

Pelosi and House Minority Whip (now Majority Leader) Steny Hoyer meeting with President George W. Bush on November 9, 2006.

Phillip Burton died in 1983 and was succeeded by his wife, Sala. In late 1986, Sala became ill with cancer and decided not to run for reelection in 1988, and suggested that Pelosi run for the seat. Sala died on February 1, 1987, just a month after being sworn in for a second full term. Pelosi won a special election to succeed her, narrowly defeating San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, and took office on June 2, 1987.

Pelosi represents one of the safest Democratic districts in the country. Democrats have held the seat since 1949, and Republicans, who currently make up only 13 percent of registered voters in the district, have not made a serious bid for the seat since the early 1960s. Pelosi has kept this tradition going. Since her initial victory in 1987, she has been reelected 10 times, receiving at least 75% of the vote. She has never participated in candidates' debates.

In the House, she served on the Appropriations and Intelligence Committees, and was the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee for two years.

Democratic Party leadership

In 2001, Pelosi was elected the House Minority Whip, second-in-command to Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri. She was the first woman in U.S. history to reach that position. Since then, she has campaigned for candidates in 30 states and in 90 Congressional districts, making her a vital factor for the Democratic Party.

In 2002, after Gephardt resigned as minority leader to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election, Pelosi was elected to replace him, becoming the first woman to lead a minority and major party in the House.

Political action committee fined

In October of 2003, Pelosi's fund-raising committee was fined $21,000 for illegally accepting donations over federal limits. This followed criticism that she had previously used multiple PACs to illegally exceed the limits.

Impeachment of George W. Bush

After Bush's reelection in 2004, several leading House Democrats, including John Conyers of Michigan (then the ranking Democrat, and now the chairman, of the House Judiciary Committee) believed that Democrats should pursue impeachment proceedings against the president. They claimed Bush misled Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and violated the civil liberties of Americans by authorizing wiretaps without a warrant.

However, in May 2006, Pelosi told colleagues that while a Democratic House would conduct vigorous oversight of Bush administration policy, a specific impeachment investigation was "off the table." A week earlier, she told the Washington Post that while Democrats would not set out to impeach the president, "you never know where" investigations might lead.

Speaker of the House

Democratic nomination and election as Speaker

On November 16, 2006, Pelosi was unanimously chosen as the Democratic candidate for Speaker, effectively making her Speaker-elect. While the Speaker is elected by the full House membership, he or she almost always comes from the majority party.

Pelosi supported her longtime friend, John Murtha of Pennsylvania, who was named in 1980 as the "unindicted co-conspirator" in the Abscam scandal and who testified against two House colleagues, for the position of House Majority Leader, the second-ranking post in the House Democratic caucus. His competitor was House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who had been Pelosi's second-in-command since 2003. Pelosi and Hoyer had a somewhat frosty relationship dating back to 2001, when they ran against each other for minority whip. However, Hoyer was elected as House Majority Leader over Murtha by a margin of 149-86 within the caucus. Pelosi won the vote for Speaker of the House 233-202. With her victory, she became the first female Speaker of the House in American history.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and President Bush with Speaker Pelosi in March 2007

On January 3, Pelosi defeated Republican John Boehner of Ohio with 233 votes compared to his 202 votes in the election for Speaker of the House. She was sworn in by her longtime friend, John Dingell of Michigan. Dingell, as the longest-serving member of the House, presided over the election.

In her speech to Congress she stated:

"I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and look forward to working with you on behalf of the American people. In this House, we may belong to different parties, but we serve one country."

During her speech, she discussed the historical importance of being the first female to hold the Speaker's position:

"This is a historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren't just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today, we have broken the marble ceiling. For our daughters and our granddaughters, the sky is the limit, anything is possible for them."

She also spoke on Iraq as the major issue facing the 110th Congress while incorporating some Democratic Party beliefs:

"The election of 2006 was a call to change — not merely to change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country. Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end."

As Speaker, Pelosi is still the leader of the House Democrats. However, by tradition, she does not normally participate in debate (though she has the right to do so), and almost never votes on the floor.

The "Hundred Hours"

Main article: 100-Hour Plan

Prior to the U.S. 2006 midterm elections, Pelosi announced a plan for action: If elected, she and the newly-empowered Democratic caucus would push through most of its program during the first hundred hours of the 110th Congress' term. [4] Later she claimed this referred to business hours rather than clock time, and began on the Tuesday (January 9, 2007) after the swearing-in ceremony on January 4th.

The origin for the name "first hundred hours" is a play on words derived from former Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise for quick action on the part of government (to combat the Great Depression) during his "first hundred days" in office. Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker, had a similar 100-day agenda to implement the Contract with America.

Opposition to Iraq War troop surge of 2007

Main article: Iraq War troop surge of 2007

On January 5, 2007 reacting to suggestions from President Bush’s confidantes that he would increase troop levels in Iraq (which he announced in a speech a few days later) Pelosi joined with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to condemn the plan. They sent Bush a letter saying, “there is no purely military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain. Rather than deploy additional forces to Iraq, we believe the way forward is to begin the phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months, while shifting the principal mission of our forces there from combat to training, logistics, force protection and counter-terror.”

On February 15, 2007 it was reported that Pelosi said President Bush lacks the authority to invade Iran without specific approval from Congress, "I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran."

Failure to disclose role in family charity

Speaker Pelosi and two other prominent Democrats failed to disclose their positions as officers of family charities. This violated a law requiring members of Congress to disclose such positions. Brendan Daly, spokesman for Speaker Pelosi, called the failure to report the position she has held since 1992 "an oversight." A March 2004 finding by the Federal Election Committee ruled that Pelosi was charged with attempting to circumvent to legal limits on campaign giving.

National public opinion

A February 5, 2007 Rasmussen Reports poll showed Pelosi with a 49% approval rating and a 40% disapproval rating. This made her the most popular of all House Congressional leaders in the poll, and the only one with a net-positive approval rating.[5] A later but undated Rasmussen poll gave the speaker a 47% approval rating and 43% disapproval.[6] An April 2–4, 2007, Associated Press poll showed public opinion evenly divided on the job approval of Speaker Pelosi. [7] An April 12–15, 2007, Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Speaker Pelosi with a 53% approval, 35% disapproval rating. [8]

Nancy Pelosi (right) with Vice President Dick Cheney behind President George W. Bush, making history as the first woman to sit behind the podium at a State of the Union Address.

Political platform and voting record

Pelosi is regarded as a liberal, in part because she represents most of San Francisco, well known for its tradition of left-leaning politics. Indeed, she has a lifetime rating of 3 from the right-leaning American Conservative Union, which is tied for the second-lowest rating from them in the California delegation. [9] During the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, Republicans frequently used the prospect of a "San Francisco liberal" or "Bay Area liberal" becoming Speaker as a tool to win votes, especially in the South. She was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, but left in 2003 after being elected Minority Leader. She felt that it would be inappropriate for her to be a member of any caucuses.

However, among Pelosi's Democratic colleagues, she is considered to be far less liberal than portrayed. Her longtime friend, Jim McDermott of Washington, told Newsweek that he and other left-leaning Democratic congressmen sometimes wish that "she would tilt a little more our way from time to time." During the 2006 campaign, corporate consultants suggested that the Democrats portray themselves as a party that governed for all. As Speaker, Pelosi has tried to focus more on economic than social issues.[10]

In San Francisco, Pelosi is sometimes seen as being a moderate or even a conservative (by San Francisco standards) rather than a liberal, which has led to some conflicts with her constituents.

Abortion

Pelosi unequivocally supports abortion rights. She voted against the 2000 Partial Birth Abortion Act, and in 2003 she voted twice against related legislation. She voted in favor of the 1998 Abortion Funding Amendment, which allowed the use of district funds to promote abortion related activities. She has also voted in favor of using federal funds to perform abortions in overseas military facilities, against parental notification when a minor is transported across state lines for an abortion, and in favor of providing funding for organizations working overseas that perform abortions or promote abortion-related activities.

Budget and taxes

Pelosi has been an advocate for a balanced budget, though she voted against the 1995 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment, which was passed by the House by a 300-132 vote, but in the Senate fell two votes short of the 2/3 supermajority required (with 65 out of 100 Senators voting in favor).

Civil liberties

Pelosi has voted for protection of civil liberties and First Amendment rights. She voted against a Constitutional amendment banning flag-burning, and the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006, which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. She also voted against a Congressional resolution supporting the display of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms.

Gay rights

Pelosi has consistently voted for legislation that attempts to guarantee equality for homosexuals. In 1999 Pelosi voted against banning adoption by homosexuals within the District of Columbia. In 2004 she voted against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, which would amend the constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Gun control

Pelosi is strongly pro-gun control. In particular, she believes that gun manufacturers should be held responsible for the (mis)use of guns. The NRA has given her an F rating, indicating a strongly anti-gun stance.

Education

Pelosi voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, which instituted testing to track students' progress and authorized an increase in overall education spending.

Environment and energy

Pelosi has supported the development of new technologies to reduce U.S. dependence upon foreign oil and ameliorate the adverse environmental effects of burning fossil fuels. Pelosi has widely supported conservation programs and energy research appropriations. Pelosi has also voted to remove an amendment that would allow for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Health care

Speaker Pelosi has voted to increase Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

Immigration

Pelosi has been a supporter of rights for immigrants in the U.S, including those who enter illegally. She voted against the Secure Fence Act of 2006.

Lobbyist guidelines and ethics issues

Pelosi introduced the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act to Congress.

Minimum wage

As Speaker of the House, she also spearheaded the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 as part of the 100-Hour Plan. The Act raises the minimum wage in the United States and its territories, but does not amend the Fair Labor Standards Act concerning American Samoa—its minimum wage would continue to be set by a committee appointed by the U.S. Department of Labor if enacted without changes. One Republican congressman who voted against the bill accused Pelosi of unethically benefiting Del Monte Foods (headquartered in her district) by the exclusion of the territory, where Del Monte's StarKist Tuna brand is a major employer.

Pelosi co-sponsored legislation that omitted American Samoa from a raise in the minimum wage as early as 1999, prior to Del Monte's acquisition of StarKist Tuna in 2002. As of the 2002, 2004, and 2006 election cycles, Del Monte has not contributed to Democratic candidates.

Military draft

In regards to Representative Charles Rangel's (D-NY) plan to introduce legislation that would reinstate the draft, Pelosi stated that she did not support such legislation.

Foreign policy views and record

Nancy Pelosi during the 2006 Chinese new year celebrations in San Francisco

The Second Gulf War

In 1998, Pelosi stated that Saddam Hussein "has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology." in supporting the military air strike President Clinton carried out then "to degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors." After 2001, Pelosi has generally supported spending for national defense in areas of the War on Terrorism. Pelosi voted for the USA Patriot Act, but has since opposed the extension of provisions that she believes would further curtail individual liberties.

In 2002, Pelosi opposed the Iraq Resolution authorizing President Bush to use military force against Iraq, while stating that Iraq, like "other countries of concern", had WMD. In explaining her opposition to the resolution, Pelosi noted that Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet had told Congress that the likelihood of Iraq's Saddam Hussein launching an attack on the U.S. using weapons of mass destruction was low. "This is about the Constitution," Pelosi said. "It is about this Congress asserting its right to declare war when we are fully aware what the challenges are to us. It is about respecting the United Nations and a multilateral approach, which is safer for our troops."

Middle East conflict

Pelosi reaffirms that "America and Israel share an unbreakable bond: in peace and war; and in prosperity and in hardship." Pelosi emphasized that "a strong relationship between the United States and Israel has long been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. America's commitment to the safety and security of the State of Israel is unwavering,...[h]owever, the war in Iraq has made both America and Israel less safe." Pelosi's voting record shows consistent support for Israel. Prior to 2006 elections in the Palestinian Authority, she voted for a Congressional initiative disapproving of participation in the elections by Hamas and other organizations defined as terrorist by the legislation. She agrees with the current U.S. stance in support of land-for-peace. She has applauded Israeli "hopeful signs" of offering land, while criticizing Palestinian "threats" of not demonstrating peace in turn. She states, "If the Palestinians agree to coordinate with Israel on the evacuation, establish the rule of law, and demonstrate a capacity to govern, the world may be convinced that finally there is a real partner for peace."

Pelosi supports the Syria Accountability Act and Iran Freedom and Support Act. In a speech at the AIPAC 2005 annual conference, Pelosi said that "for too long, leaders from both parties haven't done enough" to put pressure on Russia and China who are providing Iran with technological information on nuclear issues and missiles. "If evidence of participation by other nations in Iran's nuclear program is discovered, I will insist that the Administration use, rather than ignore, the evidence in determining how the U.S. deals with that nation or nations on other issues."

During the 2006 Lebanon War, Pelosi voted in favor of Resolution 921 on the count that "the seizure of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah terrorists was an unprovoked attack and Israel has the right, and indeed the obligation, to respond." She argues organizations and political bodies in the Mideast like Hamas and Hezbollah "have a greater interest in maintaining a state of hostility with Israel than in improving the lives of the people they claim to represent." Pelosi asserts that civilians on both sides of the border "have been put at risk by the aggression of Hamas and Hezbollah" in part for their use of "civilians as shields by concealing weapons in civilian areas."

In a February 15, 2007 interview, Pelosi noted that Bush consistently said he supports a diplomatic resolution to differences with Iran "and I take him at his word." At the same time, she said, "I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran."

2007 trip to Israel and Syria

Pelosi was one of seven American lawmakers to participate in a 2007 Mideast tour — with Keith Ellison (D-MN), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA]), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and David Hobson (R-OH) — that included stops in Israel, Syria[11], the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Three Republican congressmen — Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt — met with with Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier. Pelosi had the opportunity to address the Israeli Knesset where she expressed concern "that the new (Hamas-Fatah) Palestinian government, some of the people in the government, continue to remain committed to the destruction of Israel." An Israeli spokeswoman said Pelosi would convey "that Israel is willing to talk if they (Syria) would openly take steps to stop supporting terrorism" in order to be "a partner for negotiations." The delegation talked "extensively" with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about a relaunched 2002 Saudi peace plan with Israel, which Olmert welcomed as a "new way of thinking, the willingness to recognize Israel as an established fact and to debate the conditions of the future solution," but expressed reservations over the plan and invited Arab leaders to discuss them. The delegation met with the families of the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers during the visit and Pelosi said she planned to raise the issue when she met with Assad.

At a press conference after her meeting with Assad, Pelosi said that she had conveyed a message from Olmert to Syrian President Assad saying that Olmert was ready to negotiate for peace. Olmert's office later clarified what he had actually told Pelosi, saying that "although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the axis of evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East." Washington disapproves of Syria's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah, and says Syria is fueling Iraq's violence by allowing Sunni insurgents to operate from its territory and is destabilizing Lebanon's government. Syrian government officials have been implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in Beirut, and the U.S. subsequently withdrew its ambassador. But Pelosi insisted that "the road to Damascus is a road to peace."

Later, in Saudi Arabia, Pelosi met with King Abdullah. Pelosi visited the Shura Council, the kingdom's unelected advisory council, and raised the issue of Saudi Arabia's lack of female politicians with Saudi government officials.

Cuba

Pelosi voted in favor of keeping the travel restrictions on American citizens to Cuba, until the president has certified that Cuba has released all political prisoners, and extradited all individuals sought by the U.S. on charges of air piracy, drug trafficking and murder.

North Korea

Pelosi strongly condemns North Korea's missile launches. "North Korea is moving outside the circle of acceptable behavior and is threatening the region, the United States, and the world," she says. "We must use every possible tool to stop North Korea’s unacceptable, provocative actions including six party, multilateral, and bilateral diplomatic negotiations."

Electoral history

Nancy Pelosi has enjoyed overwhelming support in her political career, collecting 76 and 77 percent of the vote in California's 5th District for the 1988 and 1990 Race for U.S. House of Representatives. In 1992, Pelosi stood for California's 8th District, further improving her standings to over 80 percent — a figure she has yet to drop beneath as she continues to stand in the 8th District.

See also

• United States House elections, 2006

External links

• Speaker of the House official site
• U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi official site
• United States Congress. "Nancy Pelosi (id: P000197)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Federal Election Commission — Nancy Pelosi campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Nancy Pelosi issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Nancy Pelosi campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Nancy Pelosi profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Nancy Pelosi profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Nancy Pelosi voting record
• The American Ireland Fund Peace Award recipient

Articles

• YouTube — NancyPelosi Channel
• The New York Times — Nancy Pelosi News news stories and commentary
• Trinity Graduates Win Re-election: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi '62 Poised to Become Speaker, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius '70 Wins Second Term (from Trinity Washington University, November 8, 2006)
• Rolling With Pelosi (from Newsweek, October 23, 2006)
• Pelosi mines 'California gold' for Dems nationwide: Personal skills, wide network of wealthy donors help party's House leader gather millions (from sfgate.com, April 3, 2006)
• Pelosi rides high, The Economist, Feb 22, 2007
• Ms. magazine This Is What a Speaker Looks Like Winter 2007 cover story

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