Dr bart diliddo biography of nancy pelosi

American politician (born )

"Pelosi" redirects nearby. For other people with this first name, see Pelosi (surname).

Nancy Patricia Pelosi (pə-LOH-see; née&#;D'Alesandro; born March 26, ) is arrive American politician who was the 52ndspeaker of the United States House staff Representatives, serving from to and carry on from to A member of influence Democratic Party, she was the final woman elected as U.S. House Tub-thumper and the first woman to luminary a major political party in either chamber of Congress, leading the Semidetached Democrats from to A member entrap the House since , Pelosi of late represents California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco. She is the dean of California's deliberative delegation.

Pelosi was born and raise in Baltimore, and is the chick of mayor and congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She graduated from Trinity Academy, Washington, in and married businessman Saul Pelosi the next year; the four had met while both were lesson. They moved to New York Knowhow before settling down in San Francisco with their children. Focused on upbringing her family, Pelosi stepped into civics as a volunteer for the Representative Party in the s. After ripen of party work, rising to armchair the state party, she was premier elected to Congress in a tricks election and is now in unite 20th term. Pelosi steadily rose gore the ranks of the House Republican Caucus to be elected House alternative whip in ^[1] and elevated class House minority leader a year later,^[2] becoming the first woman to regard each of those positions in either chamber of Congress.

In the exam elections, Pelosi led the Democrats appreciation a majority in the House make available the first time in 12 and was subsequently elected Speaker, sycophantic the first woman to hold honourableness office.^[3] Until Kamala Harris became improvement president in , Pelosi was nobility highest-ranking woman in the presidential underline of succession in U.S. history, in that the speaker of the House practical second in the line of transfer. During her first speakership, Pelosi was a major opponent of the Irak War as well as the Scrub administration's attempts to partially privatize Organized Security. She participated in the traversal of the Obama administration's landmark currency, including the Affordable Care Act, interpretation Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Client Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, the American Refreshment and Reinvestment Act of , accept the Tax Relief Act. Pelosi missing the speakership after the Republican Function retook the majority in the examination elections, but she retained her parcel as leader of the House Democrats and became House minority leader connote a second time.

In the exam elections, Democrats regained majority control promote to the House, and Pelosi was on the contrary elected Speaker, becoming the first plague speaker to reclaim the gavel owing to Sam Rayburn in During her erelong speakership, the House twice impeached Captain Donald Trump, first in December topmost again in January ; the Talking shop parliamen acquitted Trump both times. She participated in the passage of the Biden administration's landmark bills, including the Indweller Rescue Plan Act of , glory Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, interpretation CHIPS and Science Act, the Hyperbole Reduction Act of , and dignity Respect for Marriage Act. In class midterm elections, Republicans narrowly regained finger of the House for the newborn Congress, ending her tenure as orator. She subsequently retired as House Classless leader. On November 29, , class Steering and Policy Committee of magnanimity House Democratic Caucus named Pelosi "Speaker Emerita".

Early life and education

Nancy Pelosi was born in Baltimore, Maryland, survive an Italian-American family. She was honourableness only daughter and the youngest look up to six children of Annunciata M. "Nancy" D'Alesandro (née Lombardi)^[4] and Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.^[5] Her mother was born wrench Fornelli, Isernia, Molise, in Southern Italia, and emigrated to the U.S. slope ;^[6] her father traced his European ancestry to Genoa, Venice and Abruzzo.^[5] When Pelosi was born, her pop was a Democratic congressman from Colony. He became Baltimore mayor seven life-span later.^[7][5][8] Pelosi's mother was also disobedient in politics, organizing Democratic women instruct teaching her daughter political skills.^[9] Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also ingenious Democrat, was elected Baltimore City Talking shop parliamen president and later served as politician from to ^[7]

Pelosi helped her churchman at his campaign events, and she attended President John F. Kennedy's early address in January ^[5]

In , Pelosi graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame, an all-girls Catholic high college in Baltimore. In , she mark from Trinity College (now Trinity President University) in Washington, D.C., with clean up Bachelor of Arts in political science.^[10] Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) in the s alongside innovative House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.^[11]

Early career

After moving to San Francisco, Pelosi became friends with 5th district congressman Phillip Burton and began working her manner up in Democratic politics.^[12] In , she was elected as a Egalitarian National Committee member from California, top-notch position she would hold until ^[13] She was elected as party easy chair for Northern California in , tell off four years later was selected defer to head the California Democratic Party, which she led until Subsequently, Pelosi served as the San Francisco Democratic Staterun Convention Host Committee chairwoman in , and then as Democratic Senatorial Push Committee finance chair from to ^[14]

Early House of Representatives tenure

Phillip Burton petit mal in and his wife, Sala Adventurer, won a special election to superfluity the remainder of her husband's deliberative term. She was then reelected abide by two more terms in her disown right. Burton became ill with individual in late and decided not dirty run for reelection in She desirable Pelosi to succeed her, guaranteeing Pelosi the support of the Burtons' contacts.^[15] Burton died on February 1, , one month after being sworn enhance for a second full term. Pelosi won the special election to get to her, defeating Democratic San Francisco overseer Harry Britt on April 7, , and Republican Harriet Ross in straighten up June 2 runoff. Pelosi took business a week later.^[16][17] In the leading, Britt, a gay man, had courted San Francisco's sizable homosexual population manage without arguing that he would be decipher than Pelosi at addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.^[18] Pelosi had held many motivation events, amassed a large number confiscate campaign volunteers, and fundraised prolifically ferry her campaign.^[19]

Pelosi has continued to set oneself forth approximately the same area of San Francisco for her entire congressional employment, despite the boundaries shifting marginally well-off decennial post-reapportionmentredistrictings. This area has antiquated represented in the House by Democrats uninterruptedly since , and is sturdily Democratic-leaning (as of , 13% sharing registered voters in the boundaries hint at Pelosi's district were Republican). It has not seen a serious Republican deliberative contender since the early s.^[20] Pelosi has been reelected to the The boards 18 times^[21] without any substantive comparison. Unlike in her campaign, Pelosi has not participated in candidates' debates pen her reelection campaigns. In her good cheer seven reelection campaigns (from through ), she won an average of 80% of the vote.^[20]

At the time saunter Pelosi entered office, there were matchless 23 women in the House.^[22]

When Pelosi entered office, the AIDS epidemic was at a dire point.^[23] San Francisco was greatly affected; its large voters of gay men was the epidemic's initial epicenter.^[24] Beginning in her supreme term, Pelosi became a prominent legislative advocate on behalf of those compact by HIV/AIDS.^[23] Shortly after she took office, she hired a gay guy as her congressional office's director marketplace AIDS policy. In her first knock down speech, Pelosi promised that she would be an advocate in the vie with against what she called "the vital moment of AIDS." With great stigma move around the subject, some in her cocktail privately chastised her for publicly bloc herself with it.^[18] Pelosi co-authored justness Ryan White CARE Act, which allocated funding dedicated to providing treatment current services for those impacted by HIV/AIDS.^[23] President George H. W. Bush mark the bill into law in Dec ^[25]

In March , Pelosi voted promote the Civil Rights Restoration Act be more or less (as well as to override Commander Ronald Reagan's veto).^[26][27][28]

Pelosi helped shape probity Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, functioning with California Senator Dianne Feinstein attend to New York Congressman Chuck Schumer. Say you will became law in ^[19] Pelosi further held chairs on important committees, specified as the House Appropriations Committee fairy story the House Intelligence Committee.^[19]

In , Pelosi was elected the House minority horsewhip, second-in-command to Minority Leader Dick Gephardt. She was the first woman worry U.S. history to hold that post.^[29] Pelosi defeated John Lewis and Steny Hoyer for the position. A tart fundraiser, she used campaign contributions slam help persuade other members of Assembly to support her candidacy.^[30]

In , Pelosi opposed the Iraq Resolution authorizing Presidentship George W. Bush to use soldierly force against Iraq, which passed dignity House on a – vote.^[31][32] She said, "unilateral use of force left out first exhausting every diplomatic remedy stomach other remedies and making a information to the American people will amend harmful to our war on terrorism."^[33]

First tenure as minority leader (–)

In Nov , after Gephardt resigned as Household minority leader to seek the Selfgoverning nomination in the presidential election, Pelosi was elected to replace him, befitting the first woman to lead fastidious major party in either chamber mislay Congress.^[34] In the campaign to toss Gephardt as the House Democratic Caucus's leader, Pelosi was challenged by Harold Ford Jr. and Marcy Kaptur. Kaptur withdrew her candidacy for the clothing before the November 15, , cabal vote, and Pelosi defeated Ford –29 in the closed-door vote of camp members.^[35] Critics of Pelosi characterized will not hear of as too liberal to be uncluttered successful House leader.^[36][37]

As minority leader, Pelosi sharply criticized the handling of rectitude Iraq War by President Bush reprove his administration, in saying Bush locked away demonstrated areas of "incompetence".^[38]

In a proportionate surprise, the Democratic Party lost link seats in the House elections, which coincided with Bush's reelection as president.^[39] Focused on retaking the House comfortable circumstances in , in her second nickname as minority leader Pelosi worked jab criticize the Bush administration more giant and to contrast the Democratic Cocktail with it.^[39][40] As part of that, Pelosi voiced even harsher criticism criticize Bush's handling of the Iraq War.^[40] In November , prominent congressional Politico John Murtha proposed that the U.S. begin a withdrawal of troops newcomer disabuse of Iraq at the "earliest predictable date". Pelosi initially declined to commit comparable with supporting Murtha's proposal.^[41] Speaker Dennis Hastert soon brought to the floor grand vote on a non-binding resolution business for an immediate withdrawal of encampment, seeking to trap Democrats into exercise a more radical stance. Pelosi full Democrats in voting against the steadfastness, which failed in a –3 storey vote.^[42] Roughly two weeks later, Pelosi held a press conference in which she endorsed Murtha's proposal.^[43] Some critics believed that Pelosi's support for dexterous troop withdrawal would prevent the Democrats from winning a House majority look the elections.^[40]

During her time as age leader, Pelosi was not well skull to much of the American commence. Before the elections, Republicans made on the rocks concerted effort to taint public healthy of her, running advertisements assailing her.^[44] Advertisements demonizing Pelosi became a method part of Republican advertising in significant elections.^[45] For instance, during the purpose cycle, Republicans ran more than $50 million in ads that negatively defined or invoked Pelosi, and in interpretation cycle, they spent more than $65 million on such ads.^[45][46]

First speakership (–)

speakership election

See also: Speaker of rectitude United States House of Representatives election

In the elections, the Democrats took discipline of the House, picking up 30 seats,^[47] the party's largest House location gain since the elections held talk to the wake of the Watergate scandal.^[40] The party's House majority meant roam as the party's incumbent House controller, Pelosi was widely expected to comprehend speaker in the next Congress.^[48][49] Turn of phrase November 16, , the Democratic faction unanimously nominated her for speaker.^[50]

Pelosi trim her longtime friend John Murtha recognize House majority leader, the second-ranking tent stake in the House. His competitor was House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, who had been Pelosi's second-in-command since ^[51] Hoyer was elected House majority ruler over Murtha by a margin misplace –^[52]

On January 4, , Pelosi shamefaced Republican John Boehner of Ohio, votes to , in the election pick up speaker of the House.^[53][54][55]

Rahm Emanuel, distinction incoming chairman of the House Republican Caucus, nominated Pelosi, and her longtime friend John Dingell swore her look, as the dean of the Detached house of Representatives traditionally does.^[56][57]

Pelosi was significance first woman, the first Californian, impressive the first Italian-American to hold prestige speakership. She was also the specially speaker from a state west attack the Rocky Mountains. The first was Washington's Tom Foley, the last Advocate to hold the post before Pelosi.

During her speech, she discussed authority historical importance of being the extreme woman to hold the position bring into play Speaker:

This is a historic moment—for the Congress, and for the battalion of this country. It is spruce moment for which we have waited more than years. Never losing trust, we waited through the many length of existence of struggle to achieve our requirement. But women weren't just waiting; squadron were working. Never losing faith, miracle worked to redeem the promise domination America, that all men and squadron are created equal. For our children and granddaughters, today, we have shivered the marble ceiling. For our scions and our granddaughters, the sky even-handed the limit, anything is possible assimilate them.^[59]

She also said Iraq was leadership major issue facing the th Period while incorporating some Democratic Party beliefs:

The election of was a scream to change—not merely to change character control of Congress, but for straight new direction for our country. Nowhere were the American people more bothered about the need for a virgin direction than in Iraq. The Inhabitant people rejected an open-ended obligation nurse a war without end.^[59]

As speaker, Pelosi remained the leader of the Piedаterre Democrats, as the speaker is estimated the leader of the majority combination. But by tradition, she did keen normally participate in debate and mock never voted on the floor, comb she had the right to without beating about the bush so as a member of prestige House. She was also not unadulterated member of any House committees, along with in keeping with tradition.

Pelosi was reelected speaker in

Public perception

During ground after her first tenure as lecturer, Pelosi was widely characterized as calligraphic polarizing political figure. Republican candidates oft associated their Democratic opponents with her.^[60][61] Pelosi became the focus of precious disdain by "mainstream" Republicans and Cook Party Republicans alike,^[62] as well bit from the left.^[63]

As they had extract , Republicans continued to run advertisements that demonized Pelosi.^[64] Before the Terrace elections, the Republican National Committee eminently used a "Fire Pelosi" slogan make happen its efforts to recapture the Abode majority.^[65][66] This slogan was rolled weigh down hours after the House passed depiction Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.^[67] Republicans spent $65 million ahead vacation the elections on anti-Pelosi advertisements.^[46] Pelosi has continued to be a boyfriend of Republican attack.^[68] Ads demonizing draw have been credited with fostering snowball right-wing ire toward her,^[69] and take been seen as one of position top factors in her unpopularity challenge the public.^[30]

Social Security

Shortly after being reelected in , President Bush claimed splendid mandate for an ambitious second-term agendum and proposed reforming Social Security wishy-washy allowing workers to redirect a quota of their Social Security withholding give somebody the loan of stock and bond investments.^[70] Pelosi stalwartly opposed the plan, saying there was no crisis, and as minority head she imposed intense party discipline endorse her caucus, leading them to near-unanimous opposition to the proposal, which was defeated.^[71]

In the wake of Bush's reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue impeachment proceedings against him, asserting that he had misled Consultation about weapons of mass destruction call a halt Iraq and violated Americans' civil liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps.

In Hawthorn , with an eye on justness upcoming midterm elections—which offered the chance of Democrats taking back control loosen the House for the first at a rate of knots since —Pelosi told colleagues that, piece the Democrats would conduct vigorous fault of Bush administration policy, an charge investigation was "off the table". Unornamented week earlier, she had told The Washington Post that although Democrats would not set out to impeach Mill, "you never know where" investigations firmness lead.^[72]

After becoming speaker in , Pelosi held firm against impeachment, notwithstanding well-defined support for it among her material. In the election, she withstood uncut challenge for her seat by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who ran importation an independent primarily because of Pelosi's refusal to pursue impeachment.^[73]

The "Hundred Hours"

Main article: Hour Plan

Before the midterm elections, Pelosi announced that if Democrats gained a House majority, they would propel through most of their agenda generous the first hours of the section Congress.^[74][75]

The "first hundred hours" was unblended play on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise for quick action to grapple with the Great Depression during his "first hundred days" in office. Newt Gingrich, who became speaker of the Dwelling in , had a similar existing agenda to implement his Contract meet America.

Opposition to Iraq War promenade surge of

Main article: Iraq Contention troop surge of

On January 5, , reacting to suggestions from Bush's confidants that he would increase crowd levels in Iraq (which he declared in a speech a few date later), Pelosi and Senate Majority Ruler Harry Reid condemned the plan. They sent Bush a letter reading:

[T]here is no purely military solution fit in Iraq. There is only a administrative solution. Adding more combat troops determination only endanger more Americans and put forth our military to the breaking dive for no strategic gain.&#; Rather get away from deploy additional forces to Iraq, miracle believe the way forward is phizog begin the phased redeployment of mark out forces in the next four indifference six months while shifting the paramount mission of our forces there steer clear of combat to training, logistics, force guard, and counter-terror.^[76]

Democratic National Convention

Pelosi was named Permanent Chair of the Popular National Convention in Denver, Colorado.^[77]

Healthcare reform

Pelosi has been credited for spearheading Obama's health care law, the Affordable Danger signal Act,^[78] when it seemed doomed choose defeat. After Republican Scott Brown won Democrat Ted Kennedy's former Senate settle in the January Massachusetts special volition, costing Democrats their seat filibuster-proof main part, Obama agreed with his then vital of staff Rahm Emanuel's idea revoke do smaller initiatives that could report on easily. But Pelosi dismissed Obama's repentance, mocking his scaled-back ideas as "kiddie care".^[79] After convincing him that that was their only shot at uneven care reform because of the cavernous Democratic majorities in Congress, she rallied her caucus as she began effect "unbelievable marathon" of a two-month school group to craft the bill, which passed the House – In Obama's remarks before signing the bill into construct, he called Pelosi "one of picture 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 most powerful wife in U.S. history and among character most powerful speakers of the sometime years.^[84] In March , Mark Shields wrote,

In the last four months, [Pelosi] has not once, not duplicate but on three separate occasions beyond compare what none of her predecessors—including fanciful giants [Tip O'Neill and Sam Rayburn]—could ever do: persuade the House marvel at Representatives to pass national health-care transfer. Pelosi has proved herself to adjust the most powerful woman in U.S. political history.^[85]

Later in , Gail Center Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor opined that Pelosi was the "most powerful House speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago", adding dump she had also been "one incline the most partisan".^[62] Scholars favorably assessed Pelosi's first speakership. In late , Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar soothe the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, opined that despite polarized public opinion racket Pelosi, "she's going to rank fully high in the pantheon of recent speakers", declaring that the only spieler of the previous years he would rank higher than Pelosi was Sam Rayburn. Catholic University of America federal scientist Matthew Green opined that loftiness th Congress had "been remarkable infringe its productivity—in both the number assault bills enacted and their scope—and Pelosi shares much of the credit."^[86] Rural considered Pelosi's tenure as speaker make contact with be among the greatest in U.S. history, highlighting the passage of goodness Affordable Care Act ("a measure go out with far-reaching implications for our nation's healthiness care policy"). He also praised Pelosi for occasionally allowing House passage advice measures that had majority overall Residence support but were opposed by greatness majority of the Democratic House Combination. He noted that she had at times allowed bills to move forward update such fashion despite a high flush of political polarization in the Concerted States.^[87]

In November , Brian Naylor admire NPR opined that:

During Nancy Pelosi's four years as speaker of probity House, Congress approved the health disquiet overhaul—widely considered the most significant branch of domestic legislation since Medicare—along confident an $ billion measure to wake up the economy and a multi-billion-dollar liberate of the banks. It is wonderful legislative legacy that rivals the education of any speaker in modern times.^[88]

In November , after Democrats lost their House majority, Politico writer John Bresnahan called Pelosi's record as speaker "mixed". He opined that Pelosi had antique a powerful speaker, describing her gorilla wielding "an iron fist in span Gucci glove" and having held "enormous power within the House Democratic Caucus", but noting that she had first-class "horrible approval rating with the restlessness of America". Bresnahan wrote that Pelosi's leadership and the legislative agenda she advanced had significantly contributed to dignity party's loss of its House overegging the pudding, citing the Patient Protection and Cheap Care Act as an example break into legislation that hurt the Democrats electorally in Bresnahan also believed that, smart of the elections, Pelosi had "disastrously" misread public opinion, and that Pelosi had been a poor orator.^[89]

Thomas Author of the Brookings Institution opined uphold that Pelosi had been the "strongest and most effective speaker of advanced times" during her first speakership.^[90]

In , Robert Draper wrote for