Biography
Nancy Pelosi is in her second term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected 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 after eight years of Republican rule.
In the 111th Congress, Speaker Pelosi “is an extraordinary leader for the American people," in the words of the President Barack Obama. Working in full partnership with the President, Pelosi worked quickly 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.
Most recently, the Speaker spearheaded House passage of historic health insurance reform legislation. The Affordable Health Care for America Act will cover 96 percent of Americans, make coverage more affordable for all, protect seniors by strengthening Medicare, and create new consumer protections that will end discrimination practices by insurance companies.
Also in this session, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore the ability of women and all workers to access our judicial system to fight pay discrimination, and children's health care legislation (SCHIP) providing health care for 11 million American children. The House also passed the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act to triple national volunteerism opportunities, and a national budget that builds a new foundation for economic growth, creates jobs, cuts taxes for middle-income Americans and invests in health care, clean energy and excellence in education. Under the Speaker’s leadership, the House passed and President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which will help protect Americans against violence based on sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or gender identity by extending the federal hate crimes statute.
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 cleaner, renewable, American power sources. The legislation awaits Senate action, but sends a strong signal to the world on the United States’ commitment to reducing global warming pollution.
Additional key accomplishments signed into law under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include: the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress, 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 the largest increase in veterans health care funding in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration, as well as a new GI education bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Thomas Mann, a congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution, said: “She's probably gained the reputation of one of the strongest and most effective speakers in decades.” Congressional scholar Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute commented in May on the work of the Congress Pelosi is helping lead: “This Congress has been as active and productive as any I can remember. The number of major bills passed and enacted into law, the serious, sustained activities in areas of broad, complex, and critical importance, all are truly impressive.”
Pelosi first 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 22 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.