Biography
Nancy Pelosi is in her second term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. Speaker Pelosi has proved to be a strong, pragmatic leader, unifying her House Democratic caucus more than any other leader in the last 50 years to pass critical legislation moving America in a New Direction.
In the 111th Congress, Speaker Pelosi “is an extraordinary leader for the American people," in the words of the President Barack Obama. Congressional scholar Norman Ornstein stated, “This [111th Congress] is one of the most productive Congresses in history.” And the Christian Science Monitor recently wrote: “…make no mistake: Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics and the most powerful House speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago.”
Working in full partnership with President Obama, Pelosi focused on the need to turn the economy around after eight years of Republican policies. In early 2009, she led the effort to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create and save millions of American jobs, provide relief for American families, and provide a tax cut to 95 percent of working Americans. Pelosi continues to focus on the need to create American jobs and prevent jobs from being shipped overseas, strengthen the economy and most recently passed strong Wall Street reforms to rein in big banks and protect consumers.
The Speaker spearheaded passage of historic health insurance reform legislation in the House to provide insurance for 32 million more Americans while lowering health care costs over the long term. The new law provides patients with affordable insurance choices, curbs abuses by the insurance industry, strengthens Medicare, and will reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 years. Julian Zelizer, congressional scholar and professor at Princeton University, stated: “…Pelosi emerges from this battle as the real powerhouse in Washington.” In her column in The New York Times, Gail Collins said, “Pelosi is an idealist working in the practical now. She genuinely sees her party as a vehicle for good…She is the most powerful woman in the country, the most fearless person on Capitol Hill…”
To help students and families pay for college, the Congress passed and the President signed into law the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The law reforms the system of federal student loans to save taxpayers $87 billion – and then invests $77 billion of those savings back into education.
Also in the 111th Congress, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was enacted to restore the ability of women and all workers to access our judicial system to fight pay discrimination. Other significant legislation include: children's health care legislation (SCHIP) providing health care for 11 million American children and national service legislation and expanding national volunteerism opportunities. Under the Speaker’s leadership, the House passed and President Obama signed hate crimes legislation, which will help protect Americans against violence based on sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or gender identity.
Speaker Pelosi has made energy security her flagship issue, enacting comprehensive energy legislation in 2007 that raised vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and making an historic commitment to American home grown biofuels. In 2009, under her leadership, the House passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act – a comprehensive bill to create clean energy jobs, combat climate change, and transition America to clean energy economy. The legislation awaits Senate action, but sends a strong signal to the world on the United States’ commitment to fighting the climate crisis.
In continuing to push for accountability and reform, under Speaker Pelosi, the House has passed the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress, including the DISCLOSE Act, which will fight a corporate takeover of U.S. elections and provide additional disclosure.
Additional key accomplishments signed into law under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include: an increase in the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years, the largest college aid expansion since the GI bill in more than 60 years, and a new GI education bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and increased services for the veterans, caregivers, and the Veterans Administration.
Pelosi made history in November 2002 when House Democrats elected her the first woman to lead a major political party. She brings to the Speaker’s role more than 23 years of experience in the House, representing the city of San Francisco since 1987. Before being elected Democratic Leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year.
Speaker Pelosi comes from a strong family tradition of public service. Her late father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., served as Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, have five grown children and eight grandchildren.