United States House of Representatives:
In January 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House, and thus, become the most politically powerful woman in U.S. history.
Pelosi has a reputation of standing gracefully firm for liberal causes, working notoriously hard, and is a highly successful fundraiser.
Notability:
See Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Controversial Bailout Speech.
Pelosi is a Congressional fundraising legend, having raised almost $100 million for Democratic candidates since becoming House Democratic leader in 2002.
Major Areas of Interest:
In 2002, Nancy Pelosi voted against the Iraq War, and remains a vocal critic of the US occupation of Iraq. In late 2005, Pelosi announced her support of Rep. John Murtha's controversial plan for US troops to immediately withdraw from Iraq.
She won her first election running as an environmentalist and champion of AIDS prevention.
House of Representatives Committees in the 109th Congress:
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (ranking Democrat)
- Committee on Appropriations
- Banking & Financial Services Committee
- Committee on Standards of Office Conduct (Ethics)
- Congressional Working Group on China
- Executive Committee of the Democratic Study Group
- AIDS Task Force of the Democratic Caucus (co-chair)
Prior Experience:
She became chair of the Northern California Democratic Party in 1977, and California Democratic Party chair in 1981. For most of the 1980s, she worked in public relations and political consulting, until, at age 47 in 1987, she successfully ran for elected office.
Personal Data:
- Birth - March 26, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland
- Education - B.A. from Trinity College in Washington DC
- Family - Married Paul Pelosi in 1963, five children, five grandchildren. (See below for more on Paul Pelosi.)
- Faith - Christian, Roman Catholic
Nancy d'Alesandro Pelosi's Parents:
Paul Pelosi, Husband of Nancy Pelosi:
Commented Pelosi in 2004 to the San Francisco Chronicle, "I've made a conscious effort to not be involved or give the appearance of being involved in her political career. People should realize that she's the one."
Paul and Nancy Pelosi's Investment Holdings:
Memorable Quotes:
"For the 70 years of Social Security, American families have paid into Social Security. It is a guaranteed retirement benefit for them. And if tragedy should strike, by losing a loved one or by being afflicted by a disability, then Social Security is there for them. What the president is going to do is to seriously undermine Social Security. The private accounts that the president is advocating are the first step in undermining Social Security. And the deficits that the president is running up in the budget are very damaging to Social Security as well because there is no way that the president can pay back to Social Security what he has taken out for other purposes."
"Republicans have underfunded veterans' health care even as waiting lists for soldiers returning from Iraq grow, proposed to increase financial burdens on veterans, and continued to bar entire groups of veterans, including combat veterans, from even entering the VA health care system...Our soldiers, our veterans, and our military families have earned much better than this. And our nation is better than one that would break its promises once a solider returns home....The men and women of the armed forces "past, present and future " deserve nothing less. "
