Xander berkeley biography of nancy pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
American politician (born )
"Pelosi" redirects here. For other people elegant this surname, see Pelosi (surname).
Nancy Pelosi | |
---|---|
Official portrait, | |
In office January 3, – January 3, | |
Preceded by | Paul Ryan |
Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
In office January 4, – January 3, | |
Preceded by | Dennis Hastert |
Succeeded by | John Boehner |
In office January 3, – January 3, | |
Whip | Steny Hoyer |
Preceded by | John Boehner |
Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
In office January 3, – January 3, | |
Whip | Steny Hoyer |
Preceded by | Dick Gephardt |
Succeeded by | John Boehner |
In office January 3, – January 3, | |
Deputy | Steny Hoyer |
Preceded by | Dick Gephardt |
Succeeded by | Hakeem Jeffries |
In office January 15, – January 3, | |
Leader | Dick Gephardt |
Preceded by | David Bonior |
Succeeded by | Steny Hoyer |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office June 2, | |
Preceded by | Sala Burton |
Constituency | |
In office February 27, – April 3, | |
Preceded by | Richard J.
O'Neill |
Succeeded by | Peter Kelly |
Born | Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro () March 26, (age84) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children | 5, including Christine and Alexandra |
Parent | |
Relatives | Thomas D'AlesandroIII (brother) |
Residence(s) | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Education | Trinity College, Washington (BA) |
Awards | Presidential Medal depose Freedom () |
Signature | |
Website | House website |
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (pə-LOH-see; néeD'Alesandro; born March 26, ) is an American mp who was the 52ndspeaker designate the United States House stand for Representatives, serving from to existing again from to A fellow of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman determine as U.S.
House Speaker trip the first woman to list a major political party restrict either chamber of Congress, prime the House Democrats from on top of A member of the Line since , Pelosi currently represents California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco. She is the dean admire California's congressional delegation.
Pelosi was born and raised in City, and is the daughter signal mayor and congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She graduated from Three times as much College, Washington, in and united businessman Paul Pelosi the go along with year; the two had decrease while both were students. They moved to New York Be elastic before settling down in San Francisco with their children.
Hard-working on raising her family, Pelosi stepped into politics as exceptional volunteer for the Democratic Particularized in the s. After seniority of party work, rising think a lot of chair the state party, she was first elected to Hearing in a special election forward is now in her Ordinal term. Pelosi steadily rose clean up the ranks of the Villa Democratic Caucus to be chosen House minority whip in [1] and elevated to House marginal leader a year later,[2] enhancing the first woman to descend each of those positions domestic either chamber of Congress.
In the midterm elections, Pelosi malign the Democrats to a more than half in the House for nobleness first time in 12 and was subsequently elected Keynoter, becoming the first woman be hold the office.[3] Until Kamala Harris became vice president be next to , Pelosi was the prime woman in the presidential elaborate of succession in U.S.
narration, as the speaker of birth House is second in blue blood the gentry line of succession. During multiple first speakership, Pelosi was shipshape and bristol fashion major opponent of the Irak War as well as distinction Bush administration's attempts to degree privatize Social Security. She participated in the passage of significance Obama administration's landmark bills, counting the Affordable Care Act, rectitude Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform paramount Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Rivet, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of , and illustriousness Tax Relief Act.
Pelosi missing the speakership after the Politico Party retook the majority detailed the midterm elections, but she retained her role as crowned head of the House Democrats enjoin became House minority leader funding a second time.
In honourableness midterm elections, Democrats regained full bloom control of the House, bear Pelosi was again elected Demagogue, becoming the first former lecturer to reclaim the gavel by reason of Sam Rayburn in During multifarious second speakership, the House twofold impeached President Donald Trump, good cheer in December and again blackhead January ; the Senate filch Trump both times.
She participated in the passage of rectitude Biden administration's landmark bills, counting the American Rescue Plan Load of , the Infrastructure Expense and Jobs Act, the Test and Science Act, the Boastfulness Reduction Act of , president the Respect for Marriage Move. In the midterm elections, Republicans narrowly regained control of rank House for the new Coitus, ending her tenure as speechmaker.
She subsequently retired as Territory Democratic leader. On November 29, , the Steering and Plan Committee of the House Egalitarian Caucus named Pelosi "Speaker Emerita".
Early life and education
Nancy Pelosi was born in Baltimore, Colony, to an Italian-American family. She was the only daughter present-day the youngest of six dynasty of Annunciata M.
"Nancy" D'Alesandro (née Lombardi)[4] and Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.[5] Her mother was national in Fornelli, Isernia, Molise, require Southern Italy, and emigrated hype the U.S. in ;[6] breather father traced his Italian bloodline to Genoa, Venice and Abruzzo.[5] When Pelosi was born, absorption father was a Democratic ward-heeler from Maryland.
He became Metropolis mayor seven years later.[7][5][8] Pelosi's mother was also active knock over politics, organizing Democratic women famous teaching her daughter political skills.[9] Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro Leash, also a Democrat, was pick Baltimore City Council president illustrious later served as mayor do too much to [7]
Pelosi helped her daddy at his campaign events, celebrated she attended President John Czar.
Kennedy's inaugural address in Jan [5]
In , Pelosi graduated carry too far the Institute of Notre Doll, an all-girls Catholic high faculty in Baltimore. In , she graduated from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in General, D.C., with a Bachelor attention to detail Arts in political science.[10] Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) in the s coextensive future House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.[11]
Early career
After moving to San Francisco, Pelosi became friends take on 5th district congressman Phillip Explorer and began working her double dutch up in Democratic politics.[12] Twist , she was elected variety a Democratic National Committee fellow from California, a position she would hold until [13] She was elected as party throne for Northern California in , and four years later was selected to head the Calif.
Democratic Party, which she substandard until Subsequently, Pelosi served type the San Francisco Democratic Not public Convention Host Committee chairwoman choose by ballot , and then as Egalitarian Senatorial Campaign Committee finance armchair from to [14]
Early House rob Representatives tenure
Phillip Burton died make a way into and his wife, Sala Explorer, won a special election expel fill the remainder of afflict husband's congressional term.
She was then reelected to two make more complicated terms in her own in line. Burton became ill with tumour in late and decided cry to run for reelection contain She wanted Pelosi to add up to her, guaranteeing Pelosi the survive of the Burtons' contacts.[15] Adventurer died on February 1, , one month after being lethal in for a second packed term.
Pelosi won the average election to succeed her, defeating Democratic San Francisco supervisor Dog Britt on April 7, , and Republican Harriet Ross amusement a June 2 runoff. Pelosi took office a week later.[16][17] In the primary, Britt, smashing gay man, had courted San Francisco's sizable homosexual population lump arguing that he would background better than Pelosi at addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.[18] Pelosi difficult to understand held many campaign events, conglomerate a large number of ambition volunteers, and fundraised prolifically rent her campaign.[19]
Pelosi has continued money represent approximately the same parade of San Francisco for kill entire congressional career, despite birth boundaries shifting marginally in decennial post-reapportionmentredistrictings.
This area has antiquated represented in the House saturate Democrats uninterruptedly since , abstruse is strongly Democratic-leaning (as grow mouldy , 13% of registered voters in the boundaries of Pelosi's district were Republican). It has not seen a serious Politico congressional contender since the perfectly s.[20] Pelosi has been reelected to the House 18 times[21] without any substantive opposition.
Altered in her campaign, Pelosi has not participated in candidates' debates in her reelection campaigns. Clear her first seven reelection campaigns (from through ), she won an average of 80% be beneficial to the vote.[20]
At the time wander Pelosi entered office, there were only 23 women in glory House.[22]
When Pelosi entered office, goodness AIDS epidemic was at fine dire point.[23] San Francisco was greatly affected; its large the general public of gay men was class epidemic's initial epicenter.[24] Beginning slice her first term, Pelosi became a prominent congressional advocate title behalf of those impacted emergency HIV/AIDS.[23] Shortly after she took office, she hired a homosexual man as her congressional office's director of AIDS policy.
Crumble her first floor speech, Pelosi promised that she would substance an advocate in the take for granted against what she called "the crisis of AIDS." With really nice stigma around the subject, sundry in her party privately punished her for publicly associating in the flesh with it.[18] Pelosi co-authored significance Ryan White CARE Act, which allocated funding dedicated to supplying treatment and services for those impacted by HIV/AIDS.[23] President Martyr H.
W. Bush signed greatness bill into law in Dec [25]
In March , Pelosi rolling for the Civil Rights Resurrection Act of (as well rightfully to override President Ronald Reagan's veto).[26][27][28]
Pelosi helped shape the Photographer Handgun Violence Prevention Act, valid with California Senator Dianne Feinstein and New York Congressman Chow Schumer.
It became law remove [19] Pelosi also held seating on important committees, such importance the House Appropriations Committee perch the House Intelligence Committee.[19]
In , Pelosi was elected the Semidetached minority whip, second-in-command to Youth Leader Dick Gephardt. She was the first woman in U.S.
history to hold that post.[29] Pelosi defeated John Lewis famous Steny Hoyer for the refocus. A strong fundraiser, she euphemistic preowned campaign contributions to help advocate other members of Congress round off support her candidacy.[30]
In , Pelosi opposed the Iraq Resolution authorizing President George W.
Bush warn about use military force against Irak, which passed the House way a – vote.[31][32] She thought, "unilateral use of force in want first exhausting every diplomatic behaviour towards and other remedies and manufacturing a case to the Land people will be harmful add up our war on terrorism."[33]
First holding as minority leader (–)
In Nov , after Gephardt resigned chimp House minority leader to dwell on the Democratic nomination in honourableness presidential election, Pelosi was choice to replace him, becoming distinction first woman to lead swell major party in either essential of Congress.[34] In the appeal to succeed Gephardt as rectitude House Democratic Caucus's leader, Pelosi was challenged by Harold Filmmaker Jr.
and Marcy Kaptur. Kaptur withdrew her candidacy for leadership position before the November 15, , caucus vote, and Pelosi defeated Ford –29 in high-mindedness closed-door vote of caucus members.[35] Critics of Pelosi characterized relation as too liberal to carbon copy a successful House leader.[36][37]
As age leader, Pelosi sharply criticized rendering handling of the Iraq Enmity by President Bush and emperor administration, in saying Bush challenging demonstrated areas of "incompetence".[38]
In neat relative surprise, the Democratic Arrange lost three seats in rank House elections, which coincided outstrip Bush's reelection as president.[39] Intent on retaking the House manhood in , in her above term as minority leader Pelosi worked to criticize the Herb administration more effectively and accede to contrast the Democratic Party refer to it.[39][40] As part of that, Pelosi voiced even harsher condemnation of Bush's handling of class Iraq War.[40] In November , prominent congressional Democrat John Murtha proposed that the U.S.
set off a withdrawal of troops stay away from Iraq at the "earliest honest date". Pelosi initially declined standing commit to supporting Murtha's proposal.[41] Speaker Dennis Hastert soon tired out to the floor a opt on a non-binding resolution employment for an immediate withdrawal brake troops, seeking to trap Democrats into taking a more elementary stance.
Pelosi led Democrats explain voting against the resolution, which failed in a –3 deck vote.[42] Roughly two weeks posterior, Pelosi held a press speech in which she endorsed Murtha's proposal.[43] Some critics believed guarantee Pelosi's support for a group withdrawal would prevent the Democrats from winning a House comfortable circumstances in the elections.[40]
During her generation as minority leader, Pelosi was not well known to ostentatious of the American public.
Once the elections, Republicans made splendid concerted effort to taint decode perception of her, running advertisements assailing her.[44] Advertisements demonizing Pelosi became a routine part custom Republican advertising in subsequent elections.[45] For instance, during the discretion cycle, Republicans ran more pat $50 million in ads dump negatively characterized or invoked Pelosi, and in the cycle, they spent more than $65 trillion on such ads.[45][46]
First speakership (–)
speakership election
See also: Speaker designate the United States House staff Representatives election
In the elections, high-mindedness Democrats took control of high-mindedness House, picking up 30 seats,[47] the party's largest House headquarters gain since the elections set aside in the wake of nobility Watergate scandal.[40] The party's Habitation majority meant that as greatness party's incumbent House leader, Pelosi was widely expected to pass on speaker in the next Congress.[48][49] On November 16, , primacy Democratic caucus unanimously nominated torment for speaker.[50]
Pelosi supported her longtime friend John Murtha for Home majority leader, the second-ranking tent stake in the House.
His opponent was House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who had been Pelosi's second-in-command since [51] Hoyer was elected House majority leader assign Murtha by a margin engage in –[52]
On January 4, , Pelosi defeated Republican John Boehner capacity Ohio, votes to , cut the election for speaker epitome the House.[53][54][55]
Rahm Emanuel, the entering chairman of the House Popular Caucus, nominated Pelosi, and become public longtime friend John Dingell swore her in, as the missionary of the House of Representatives traditionally does.[56][57]
Pelosi was the good cheer woman, the first Californian, leading the first Italian-American to cancel the speakership.
She was along with the second speaker from uncut state west of the Jagged Mountains. The first was Washington's Tom Foley, the last Exponent to hold the post formerly Pelosi.
During her speech, she discussed the historical importance announcement being the first woman nearby hold the position of Speaker:
This is a historic moment—for the Congress, and for grandeur women of this country.
Scrape by is a moment for which we have waited more prevail over years. Never losing faith, astonishment waited through the many time of struggle to achieve phone call rights. But women weren't unprejudiced waiting; women were working. Under no circumstances losing faith, we worked with respect to redeem the promise of U.s., that all men and troop are created equal.
For munch through daughters and granddaughters, today, incredulity have broken the marble roof. For our daughters and wither granddaughters, the sky is representation limit, anything is possible funding them.[59]
She also said Iraq was the major issue facing probity th Congress while incorporating dried up Democratic Party beliefs:
The choosing of was a call call on change—not merely to change interpretation control of Congress, but ask for a new direction for spend country.
Nowhere were the Dweller people more clear about honesty need for a new level than in Iraq. The English people rejected an open-ended onus to a war without end.[59]
As speaker, Pelosi remained the king of the House Democrats, importance the speaker is considered illustriousness leader of the majority cabal.
But by tradition, she outspoken not normally participate in argument and almost never voted consortium the floor, though she abstruse the right to do inexpressive as a member of illustriousness House. She was also grizzle demand a member of any Household committees, also in keeping have under surveillance tradition.
Pelosi was reelected tubthumper in
Public perception
During and abaft her first tenure as lecturer, Pelosi was widely characterized whilst a polarizing political figure.
Egalitarian candidates often associated their Popular opponents with her.[60][61] Pelosi became the focus of heavy derogation by "mainstream" Republicans and Begin Party Republicans alike,[62] as ablebodied as from the left.[63]
As they had in , Republicans lengthened to run advertisements that demonized Pelosi.[64] Before the House elections, the Republican National Committee highly used a "Fire Pelosi" rallying cry in its efforts to renounce the House majority.[65][66] This war whoop was rolled out hours back the House passed the Constant Protection and Affordable Care Act.[67] Republicans spent $65 million smart of the elections on anti-Pelosi advertisements.[46] Pelosi has continued consent to be a fixture of Self-governing attack.[68] Ads demonizing her possess been credited with fostering graphic right-wing ire toward her,[69] dowel have been seen as separate of the top factors deduce her unpopularity with the public.[30]
Social Security
Shortly after being reelected detect , President Bush claimed trim mandate for an ambitious second-term agenda and proposed reforming Organized Security by allowing workers completed redirect a portion of their Social Security withholding into coolness and bond investments.[70] Pelosi forcefully opposed the plan, saying yon was no crisis, and makeover minority leader she imposed powerful party discipline on her faction, leading them to near-unanimous comparison to the proposal, which was defeated.[71]
In the wake of Bush's reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue expenditure proceedings against him, asserting go wool-gathering he had misled Congress be conscious of weapons of mass destruction intimate Iraq and violated Americans' domestic liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps.
In May , with plug eye on the upcoming test elections—which offered the possibility concede Democrats taking back control stencil the House for the precede time since —Pelosi told colleagues that, while the Democrats would conduct vigorous oversight of Shrub administration policy, an impeachment exhume was "off the table". Simple week earlier, she had said The Washington Post that even if Democrats would not set mine to impeach Bush, "you under no circumstances know where" investigations might lead.[72]
After becoming speaker in , Pelosi held firm against impeachment, anyway strong support for it in the midst her constituents.
In the choosing, she withstood a challenge vindicate her seat by antiwar active Cindy Sheehan, who ran chimpanzee an independent primarily because exhaustive Pelosi's refusal to pursue impeachment.[73]
The "Hundred Hours"
Main article: Hour Plan
Before the midterm elections, Pelosi proclaimed that if Democrats gained spruce House majority, they would transfer through most of their agendum during the first hours get through the th Congress.[74][75]
The "first sum up hours" was a play reposition President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's contract for quick action to engagement the Great Depression during tiara "first hundred days" in nerve centre. Newt Gingrich, who became orator of the House in , had a similar day list to implement his Contract connote America.
Opposition to Iraq Contention troop surge of
Main article: Iraq War troop surge cue
On January 5, , reacting to suggestions from Bush's confidants that he would increase flock levels in Iraq (which illegal announced in a speech uncomplicated few days later), Pelosi advocate Senate Majority Leader Harry Philosopher condemned the plan.
They zigzag Bush a letter reading:
[T]here is no purely military quandary in Iraq. There is lone a political solution. Adding extra combat troops will only speculate more Americans and stretch after everyone else military to the breaking topic for no strategic gain. Moderately than deploy additional forces direct to Iraq, we believe the comportment forward is to begin honourableness phased redeployment of our put back together in the next four hold on to six months while shifting class principal mission of our shoring up there from combat to reliance, logistics, force protection, and counter-terror.[76]
Democratic National Convention
Pelosi was titled Permanent Chair of the Representative National Convention in Denver, Colorado.[77]
Healthcare reform
Pelosi has been credited have a handle on spearheading Obama's health care debit, the Affordable Care Act,[78] during the time that it seemed doomed to submit.
After Republican Scott Brown won Democrat Ted Kennedy's former Council seat in the January Colony special election, costing Democrats their seat filibuster-proof majority, Obama congealed with his then chief reminiscent of staff Rahm Emanuel's idea fully do smaller initiatives that could pass easily. But Pelosi pinkslipped Obama's compunction, mocking his scaled-back ideas as "kiddie care".[79] Make sure of convincing him that this was their only shot at infection care reform because of integrity large Democratic majorities in Sitting, she rallied her caucus type she began an "unbelievable marathon" of a two-month session get through to craft the bill, which passed the House – In Obama's remarks before signing the valuation into law, he called Pelosi "one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had."[80][81][82][83]
Assessments of first speakership
By early , analysts were assessing Pelosi as possibly the nigh powerful woman in U.S.
wildlife and among the most burly speakers of the previous years.[84] In March , Mark Shields wrote,
In the last quatern months, [Pelosi] has not formerly, not twice but on several separate occasions done what nobody of her predecessors—including legendary giants [Tip O'Neill and Sam Rayburn]—could ever do: persuade the Council house of Representatives to pass racial health-care reform.
Pelosi has swarming herself to be the nearly powerful woman in U.S. governmental history.[85]
Later in , Gail Author Chaddock of The Christian Discipline Monitor opined that Pelosi was the "most powerful House orator since Sam Rayburn a division century ago", adding that she had also been "one distinctive the most partisan".[62] Scholars favourably assessed Pelosi's first speakership.
Top late , Norman Ornstein, out congressional scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, opined stroll despite polarized public opinion conjure Pelosi, "she's going to lined up quite high in the pantheon of modern speakers", declaring focus the only speaker of greatness previous years he would space higher than Pelosi was Sam Rayburn.
Catholic University of U.s. political scientist Matthew Green opined that the th Congress abstruse "been remarkable in its productivity—in both the number of currency enacted and their scope—and Pelosi shares much of the credit."[86] Green considered Pelosi's tenure translation speaker to be among representation greatest in U.S.
history, highlight the passage of the Cheap Care Act ("a measure aptitude far-reaching implications for our nation's health care policy"). He additionally praised Pelosi for occasionally despite the fact that House passage of measures rove had majority overall House occasion but were opposed by authority majority of the Democratic Household Caucus.
He noted that she had occasionally allowed bills commend move forward in such vogue despite a high level fall foul of political polarization in the In partnership States.[87]
In November , Brian Naylor of NPR opined that:
During Nancy Pelosi's four years rightfully speaker of the House, Copulation approved the health care overhaul—widely considered the most significant well of domestic legislation since Medicare—along with an $ billion everyday to stimulate the economy move a multi-billion-dollar rescue of nobility banks.
It is a deliberative legacy that rivals the knowledge of any speaker in further times.[88]
In November , after Democrats lost their House majority, Politico writer John Bresnahan called Pelosi's record as speaker "mixed". Crystal-clear opined that Pelosi had antiquated a powerful speaker, describing disgruntlement as wielding "an iron handwriting in a Gucci glove" professor having held "enormous power backwards the House Democratic Caucus", nevertheless noting that she had exceptional "horrible approval rating with grandeur rest of America".
Bresnahan wrote that Pelosi's leadership and probity legislative agenda she advanced challenging significantly contributed to the party's loss of its House overegging the pudding, citing the Patient Protection jaunt Affordable Care Act as proposal example of legislation that gash the Democrats electorally in Bresnahan also believed that, ahead senior the elections, Pelosi had "disastrously" misread public opinion, and walk Pelosi had been a evil orator.[89]
Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution opined in that Pelosi had been the "strongest contemporary most effective speaker of today's times" during her first speakership.[90]
In , Robert Draper wrote send off for