Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi
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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 House and is the first woman to hold that position. She is also the first Californian and the first person of Italian descent to become Speaker. She is also the second person from west of the Rocky Mountains to hold the post, after fellow Democrat Tom Foley of 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. She is the first Democratic Speaker of the 21st Century.

Since 1987, she has represented the 8th Congressional District of California, which includes 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.

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 closer in line to the U.S. presidency.

Early life and career

Pelosi was born Nancy D'Alesandro 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. 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 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. Nevertheless, Pelosi's politics are more conservative than many San Francisco voters, which has led to some conflicts with her constituents.

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 major party in the House. At the time, Democratic Rep. Harold Ford of Tennessee indicated that Pelosi is too liberal and tends to engage in "obstructionist opposition." [6] He also described her as "a throwback" and described her legislative style as one of "destructive opposition. We need leadership that is constructive, and not destructive and obstructive ... I don't think Nancy Pelosi's kind of politics is what's needed right now." [7]

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.

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, for the position of House Majority Leader, the second-ranking post in the House Democratic caucus, over House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who had been her 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. Murtha, the "unindicted co-conspirator" in the Abscam bribery scandal, lost despite receiving vigorous support from Pelosi. 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.

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Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi and the children of House members after she was elected Speaker on that historic day.

Nancy Pelosi defeated Rep. John Boehner with 233 votes compared to his 202 votes in the election for Speaker of the House. 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. [8] This refers 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."

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 Congressional leaders in the poll, and the only one with a net-approval rating.[9]

Political platform and voting record

Pelosi is generally 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 wing American Conservative Union, which is tied for the second-lowest rating from them in the California delegation. [10] During the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, Republicans frequently used the prospect of a "San Francisco liberal" becoming Speaker as a tool to win votes, especially in the South.

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.[11]

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 against flag-burning, and against a Congressional resolution supporting the display of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms.

Education

Pelosi voted for the No Child Left Behind Act in May of 2001, 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 which would allow for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Health care

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."Later, in March of 2003, after weapons inspectors were allowed into Iraq by Saddam Hussein, and then Iraq began destroying all of its long range missiles in cooperation with the UN mandate, turned over the names of its scientists involved in WMD programs, and cooperated with UN inspectors to turn over evidence and destroy any possible chemical or biological munitions, suddenly and despite this George Bush carried out an invasion, after the invasion indeed no WMDs have yet to be found, no nuclear weapons capability or even near capability was present, yet pesticides, herbicides, industrial chemicals, and old but inactive chemical shells (useless) from the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988 were found. 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, Israel, Iran

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 US deals with that nation or nations on other issues."

During the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah 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."

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 US 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

• 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	80%
Mike DeNunzio (R)	10%
Krissy Keefer (G)	8%
Philip Z. Berg (L)	1.5%

• 2004 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	83%
Jennifer Depalma (R)	12%
Leilani Dowell (PF)	3.5%
Terry Baum (G) (write-in)	2%

• 2002 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	80%
G. Michael Geman (R)	13%
Jay Pond (G)	6%
Ira Spivack (L)	2%

• 2000 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	85%
Adam Sparks (R)	12%
Erik Bauman (L)	3%
David Smithstein (NL)	1.2%

• 1998 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	86%
David Martz (R)	12%
David Smithstein (NL)	2%

• 1996 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	84%
Justin Raimondo (R)	12%
David Smithstein (NL)	3%

• 1994 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	82%
Elsa C. Cheung (R)	18%

• 1992 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 8th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	82%
Marc Wolin (R)	11%
James R. Elwood (L)	3%
Cesar G. Cadabes (PF)	3%

• 1990 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 5th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D) (inc.)	77%
Alan Nichols (R)	23%

• 1988 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - California 5th District

Name	Percent
Nancy Pelosi (D)	76%
Bruce Michael O'Neill (R)	19%
Sam Grove (L)	2%
Theodore "Ted" Zuur (PF)	2%

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

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

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