United StatesHouse of Representatives Schooldays Leader
Born Nancy D'Alesandro, March 26, 1940, in Baltimore, MD; daughter of Clocksmith Jr. (a politician) and Annunciata D'Alesandro; married Paul F. Pelosi (an ingestion banker), 1963; children: Nancy, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul Jr., Alexandra. Education: Earned scale from Trinity College, 1962.
Home—San Francisco, Expressions, and Washington, DC. Office—2371 Rayburn Fairy, Washington, DC 20515.
Volunteer for Democratic For one person in San Francisco, CA, early 1970s; managed a 1976 Maryland primary hone for Democrat presidential hopeful Jerry Brown; chaired California Democratic Party, 1981–83; choice by special election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th Congressional district, 1987, and re–elected evermore two years; elected minority whip from one side to the ot House Democrats, October, 2001, and girlhood leader, November, 2002.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi became the House minority leader on Nov 14, 2002, a momentous day show the annals of American political story. Pelosi was chosen by her Popular Party colleagues in the U.S. Bedsit of Representatives to lead their square for the coming Congressional term, construction her the highest–ranked female elected authenticate in American history. New Statesman penny-a-liner Andrew Stephen described the famously bountiful Californian as "a tough, experienced federal operator," and even some of veto Republican foes admitted that Pelosi's vigorous, winning personality has earned their deference. She is known for her indicate to deliver and deflect the spiny awkward remarks common to partisan politicking plonk a smile. "The ability to do merry while reaching for the vena is an essential characteristic for politicians, and friends say Ms. Pelosi perspicacious it from one of the average political bosses and characters of disallow earlier era," wrote New York Times journalist David Firestone.
That man was Socialist "Big Tommy" J. D'Alesandro Jr., break through father. D'Alesandro represented his Baltimore, Colony, district in the U.S. House have a high regard for Representatives for years as one be more or less President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" Democrats. Pelosi was born in 1940 in Baltimore, the only daughter amidst six children. When she was sevener, her father became Baltimore's new politician, making him the first Italian Dweller to lead the city and a-okay hero in the strongly Italian vicinity around Albemarle Street, where the brotherhood lived. Pelosi attended local Roman Inclusive schools, and while her mother, Annunciata, hoped she might become a Authoritative Catholic nun, Pelosi had other plan. In an interview with National Draw to a close Reporter writer Joe Feuerherd, Pelosi aforesaid she knew from an early frighten that convent life was not answer her. "But I thought I force want to be a priest," she told Feuerherd. "There seemed to enter a little more power there, unadulterated little more discretion over what was going on in the parish."
Pelosi's paterfamilias served as Baltimore mayor for 12 years, and her first experience farce politics was gleaned by helping feeling in his campaigns. When she was 16, she attended a black–tie factional event with her father, and was thrilled to find herself seated catch on to a young Massachusetts senator, Ablutions F. Kennedy. Otherwise Pelosi led a-okay strict, sheltered life, and even went to a women–only Roman Catholic founding in Washington, Trinity College. She wise law school, but those plans were put aside after she married cool Georgetown University graduate, Paul F. Pelosi, after she earned her degree make 1962. They settled in New Royalty City, where her husband became peter out investment banker, and began a stock that would quickly number five offspring. In 1969, they packed up beam moved to the San Francisco, Calif., area.
Pelosi was a stay–at–home mother be a symbol of years. "With five of us, she was a car–pool mom for advise every day of the week," bake son, Paul Jr., recalled in sketch interview with People magazine's J.D. Heyman. Daughter Alexandra elaborated: "We were aspire the kids from The Simpsons—she couldn't get anyone to babysit." But Pelosi found herself drawn back into statecraft, and began volunteering for the shut up shop Democratic Party organization in the Scream Area. She worked for a San Francisco–area Congressman, Phil Burton, and cut down 1976 went back to her hometown at the behest of California Representative governor Jerry Brown, who was origination a run for the White Studio that year. Pelosi managed Brown's Colony campaign in the weeks leading propose to the state primary, which type won.
Between 1981 and 1983, Pelosi served as chair of the California Populist Party, and also chaired the throng committee for the 1984 Democratic Not public Convention, held in San Francisco guarantee July. That national nominating convention was notable for the delegates' choice sunup Geraldine Ferraro as presidential candidate Director Mondale's running mate—the first time rip open American history that a major administrative party offered a female candidate try out its ticket. Pelosi's own electoral victory—her first—came three years later, when she ran for Burton's former seat prize open the House of Representatives. Burton difficult died in 1983, and his her indoors, Sala, succeeded him to the post in a special election that harvest. When Sala Burton was diagnosed best cancer, she suggested that Pelosi foothold for her seat in another memorable election planned.
Pelosi took the advice impressive won the seat, which represented illustriousness Eighth Congressional District of California. Repudiate constituents included voters from the mythic Haight–Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, previously the epicenter of the hippie counter-culture in 1960s, as well as denizens of Chinatown; her territory also be part of the cause the city's famous Golden Gate Garden and Fisherman's Wharf. She was re–elected consistently by large margins over honourableness next 12 years, and compiled first-class solidly liberal voting record in Copulation that scored points with her left–leaning constituents back home. Gays and lesbians are thought to comprise about 25 percent of Eighth Congressional District denizens, and are ardent Democrats; in influence 2000 national election, just 15 pct of voters from the district class their ballot for Republican presidential applicant George W. Bush. Its demographics besides included a large number of wealthy households, and it was known by the same token a strong donor base for righteousness Democratic Party fund–raising efforts.
As a individual of the 435 elected representatives get the message Congress's lower house, Pelosi consistently systematic in favor of progressive social bill, of the type often derided get ahead of conservative Republicans. She supported environmental–protection immersed, increased funding for AIDS research, dignity legalization of same–sex unions, and depiction preservation of women's reproductive rights. Unreticent on human–rights matters, she once caused a stir during a 1991 come again to China when she raised neat protest banner in Tiananmen Square, magnanimity site of political demonstrations two age earlier that were brutally suppressed through the Communist Chinese leadership. Labor unions also gave Pelosi high marks take care of her voting record on trade issues.
In the House, Pelosi served on magnanimity Appropriations Committee and later the Semi-detached Intelligence committee. In October of 2001, her colleagues elected her minority burn rubber to succeed Rep. David Bonior counterfeit Michigan, who gave up the labour to make a gubernatorial run propitious his home state. The job help the "whip"—a term derived from character aristocratic English blood sport of unfortunate hunting, denoting the rider whose extraordinary it was to keep the hounds on the scent of the fox—entailed making sure that House Democrats systematic along party lines; the whip further sought out Republicans willing to bad-tempered party lines on certain issues. Honourableness job made her the second–ranking Politician in House, after House minority emperor Richard A. Gephardt, and the gain victory woman ever of either party every time to hold the title. Not finish after landing the post, Pelosi make higher herself at one of the hebdomadary White House breakfast meetings assembled strong President Bush, among top Congressional forefront of both parties. "I realized enclosure over 200 years of our earth, these meetings have taken place scold a woman has never ever sat at that table," Pelosi told WWD writer Joanna Ramey.
Pelosi voted consistently conflicting President Bush's policies in the leading two years of the new River Administration. She was openly critical follow his controversial tax–cut plan, and sequester the White House's proposed welfare with health–insurance legislation. Pelosi was also painful up points among the Democratic Tyrannical leadership as a skilled fund–raiser existing tireless cross–country campaigner; in the 2002 election year, she was credited industrial action bringing in some $8 million join Democratic Party coffers. Despite such efforts, her party lost seats in both the House and the Senate—a curio for the Democrats in mid–term elections during a first–term Republican president, beginning one that had last occurred regulate 1902. When Gephardt announced his privacy from the post of House schooldays leader to devote more time evaluate his 2004 presidential campaign, Pelosi compelled a bid for the job person, and began calling on her challenging colleagues in the House to timid their vote.
Pelosi's rival for the experienced was a more centrist Democrat, Comedian Frost of Texas, but Frost cast aside out after Pelosi held a word conference and declared she had Cardinal commitments from House Democrats to safeguard her as minority leader. Political analysts initially considered Pelosi a surprising selection for the post, whose task have over is to unite House Democrats well ahead a consistent party line. Her free voting record surprised some, but remains termed it a sign that dignity recently trounced party was gearing attract for a much more ardent, non–centrist approach to battling a Republican–controlled Habitation, Senate, and White House. Meanwhile, Republicans were delighted with the idea think it over Pelosi might lead the House Democrats, citing a voting record that thought for easy attack; she was uniform derided with the code term "San Francisco Democrat" by some of distinction GOP leadership.
Pelosi won the post touch November 14, 2002, and was temporal in a few weeks after influence 108th Congress was seated the succeeding January. Though she and her Populist counterpart, House majority leader Tom Linger, are often described as arch–foes, Suspend quietly showed up for her swearing–in ceremony. Despite their public images kind the most ideologically opposite representatives a few the mainstream American political spectrum, Pelosi and DeLay have forged a interactive respect for one another, and justness Texas conservative once even accepted Pelosi's challenge to tour a San Francisco treatment center for AIDS patients alternative route her district.
Pelosi was the first gal to hold the minority leader remarkable in either chamber of Congress, pivotal the rank made her, in arrange, the highest–ranking politician of her shagging in United States history. The New Statesman's Stephen cited one example slap the legislative backroom dealing that job endemic to the House and Talking shop parliamen, terming this emblematic of "the complete venality of American politics," but declared that Pelosi's rise was "a prospect to civilize it all." New Royalty Times journalist Sheryl Gay Stolberg designated Pelosi as "elegant and energetic," eradicate "the kind of star quality go wool-gathering many say makes them again agitated to be Democrats. Young women burst into tears to the Capitol to have their picture taken in front of refuse office."
In her first months on significance job, Pelosi immediately went to go with her characteristic vigor, voicing squaring off opposition to the $675–billion economic entrance proposed by the Bush White Deal with, which contains such perks as fraudster elimination of the tax on aloofness dividends; the Democrats, by contrast, offered an economic package that included communicative unemployment–compensation benefits, tax rebates for operational families, and more dollars for leak out transit. As House minority leader, she condemned Bush's economic record in depiction first half of his four–year fame, asserting that the Republican–sponsored initiatives would, if implemented, bring the federal rule "to a new level of unthoughtfulness and irresponsibility," the New Statesman's Writer quoted her as saying.
Three months cause somebody to the job, Pelosi's ability to commingle House Democrats faced its first correct challenge: the contentious issue of battle with Iraq. Just after the cardinal bombs dropped on the night elder March 20, 2003, she spent trying to hammer out the expression for a resolution that would incantation out House support for the unit base, while not fully endorsing the president's actions. The following September, Pelosi excoriated the President for his request say nice things about Congress to approve an $87 meg aid package for military spending spell reconstruction in postwar Iraq.
A grandmother detect five, Pelosi and her husband border their time between homes in position Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and a place in the Washington's Georgetown section. Belying the stereotype dying cuisine–focused Italian–Americans, Pelosi stays out close the kitchen. Her daughter, Alexandra—a producer whose documentary about her experiences likewise a reporter on the 2000 statesmanlike campaign trail, Journeys with George, airy on HBO just before her dam won the House minority leader job—once told her, "'Mom, you're really nifty pioneer; I'm proud of you,'" Pelosi recalled in an interview with U.S. News & World Report writer Playwright Samuel. Pelosi asked her youngest offspring if it was because of break down status as one of the 59 elected women serving in the Line, but Alexandra replied that no, she was impressed because her mother does not cook. "Well, now nobody cooks," her daughter admitted, "but you were one of the first ones die stop."
Nation, December 2, 2002, p. 11.
National Catholic Reporter, January 24, 2003, owner. 3.
New Statesman, November 25, 2002, owner. 35.
New York Times, November 9, 2002, p. A1, p. A16; November 10, 2002, p. 30; November 17, 2002, p. 3; April 1, 2003, possessor. B13; September 25, 2003.
People, December 2, 2002, pp. 217–18.
Time, May 13, 2002, p. 50.
U.S. News & World Report, June 17, 2002, p. 18.
WWD, Feb 5, 2002, p. 6.
—CarolBrennan
Newsmakers 2004 Cumulation