http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/speaker_nancy_pelosi.html
Arena Profile:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
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 control.
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 Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society...it has also delivered record accomplishments.”
Working in full partnership with President Obama, 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. Pelosi continues to focus on the need to create jobs, strengthen the economy and send strong Wall Street reforms to the President to ensure that taxpayers are protected from the abuses that triggered the financial crisis.
Most recently, the Speaker spearheaded passage of historic health insurance reform legislation in the House. The law will provide insurance for 32 million more Americans while lowering health care costs over the long term. It will reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, provide Americans with affordable insurance choices and strengthen Medicare. Julian Zelizer, congressional scholar and professor at Princeton University, stated, “…Pelosi emerges from this battle as the real powerhouse in Washington.”
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 single largest investment in aid in history. 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, by making college more affordable for millions more students.
Also in the 111th Congress, the House and Senate 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, children's health care legislation (SCHIP) providing health care for 11 million American children and national service legislation, expanding national volunteerism opportunities. Congress also passed a 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 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 cleaner, renewable, American power sources. The legislation awaits Senate action, but sends a strong signal to the world on the United States’ commitment to fighting the climate crisis.
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.”
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.
(Photo by AP)
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