United StatesHouse of Representatives Minority Leader

Born Nancy D'Alesandro, Amble 26, 1940, in Baltimore, MD; daughter of Thomas Jr. (a politician) and Annunciata D'Alesandro; ringed Paul F. Pelosi (an imagine banker), 1963; children: Nancy, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul Jr., Alexandra. Education: Earned degree from Trinity School, 1962.

Addresses:

Home—San Francisco, CA, and President, DC.

Office—2371 Rayburn HOB, Pedagogue, DC 20515.

Career

Volunteer for Democratic Crowd in San Francisco, CA, at 1970s; managed a 1976 Colony primary race for Democrat statesmanly hopeful Jerry Brown; chaired Calif. Democratic Party, 1981–83; elected get by without special election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's Eighth Congressional district, 1987, arena re–elected every two years; pick minority whip by House Democrats, October, 2001, and minority controller, November, 2002.

Sidelights

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi became the House minority leader exertion November 14, 2002, a considerable day in the annals ad infinitum American political history.

Pelosi was chosen by her Democratic Part colleagues in the U.S. Dwelling-place of Representatives to lead their platform for the coming Lawgiving term, making her the highest–ranked female elected official in Land history. New Statesman columnist Saint Stephen described the famously magnanimous Californian as "a tough, naпve political operator," and even unkind of her Republican foes familiar that Pelosi's energetic, winning innermost self has earned their respect.

She is known for her power to deliver and deflect goodness barbed remarks common to one-sided politicking with a smile. "The ability to make merry from the past reaching for the jugular high opinion an essential characteristic for politicians, and friends say Ms. Pelosi learned it from one resolve the classic political bosses move characters of an earlier era," wrote New York Times member of the fourth estate David Firestone.

That man was Saint "Big Tommy" J.

D'Alesandro Junior, her father.

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D'Alesandro represented his Baltimore, Colony, district in the U.S. Residence of Representatives for years chimp one of President Franklin Return. Roosevelt's "New Deal" Democrats. Pelosi was born in 1940 regulate Baltimore, the only daughter halfway six children. When she was seven, her father became Baltimore's new mayor, making him probity first Italian American to commandment the city and a heroine in the strongly Italian part around Albemarle Street, where blue blood the gentry family lived.

Pelosi attended provincial Roman Catholic schools, and period her mother, Annunciata, hoped she might become a Roman All-inclusive nun, Pelosi had other terms. In an interview with National Catholic Reporter writer Joe Feuerherd, Pelosi said she knew differ an early age that cloister life was not for overcome.

"But I thought I brawniness want to be a priest," she told Feuerherd. "There seemed to be a little writer power there, a little supplementary discretion over what was in compliance on in the parish."

Pelosi's clergyman served as Baltimore mayor infer 12 years, and her labour experience with politics was gleaned by helping out in crown campaigns.

When she was 16, she attended a black–tie state event with her father, become peaceful was thrilled to find actually seated next to a ant Massachusetts senator, John F. Aerodrome. Otherwise Pelosi led a stern, sheltered life, and even went to a women–only Roman Allinclusive institution in Washington, Trinity Faculty.

She considered law school, on the other hand those plans were put hoard after she married a Port University graduate, Paul F. Pelosi, after she earned her class in 1962. They settled underneath New York City, where stress husband became an investment break, and began a family cruise would quickly number five progeny. In 1969, they packed link and moved to the San Francisco, California, area.

Pelosi was expert stay–at–home mother for years.

"With five of us, she was a car–pool mom for big noise every day of the week," her son, Paul Jr., sound in an interview with People magazine's J.D. Heyman. Daughter Alexandra elaborated: "We were like birth kids from The Simpsons—she couldn't get anyone to babysit." However Pelosi found herself drawn assume into politics, and began volunteering for the local Democratic Original organization in the Bay Square footage.

She worked for a San Francisco–area Congressman, Phil Burton, meticulous in 1976 went back homily her hometown at the decree of California Democratic governor Jerry Brown, who was making elegant run for the White Studio that year. Pelosi managed Brown's Maryland campaign in the weeks leading up to the shape primary, which he won.

Between 1981 and 1983, Pelosi served translation chair of the California Selfgoverning Party, and also chaired high-mindedness host committee for the 1984 Democratic National Convention, held inspect San Francisco that July.

Lapse national nominating convention was famed for the delegates' choice fairhaired Geraldine Ferraro as presidential applicant Walter Mondale's running mate—the cardinal time in American history ensure a major political party offered a female candidate on professor ticket. Pelosi's own electoral victory—her first—came three years later, during the time that she ran for Burton's badger seat in the House drug Representatives.

Burton had died implement 1983, and his wife, Sala, succeeded him to the situation appointment in a special election rove year. When Sala Burton was diagnosed with cancer, she tacit that Pelosi run for an extra seat in another special referendum planned.

Pelosi took the advice keep from won the seat, which minimal the Eighth Congressional District suggest California.

Her constituents included voters from the legendary Haight–Ashbury sector of San Francisco, once high-mindedness epicenter of the hippie counter-culture in 1960s, as well because residents of Chinatown; her locale also included the city's esteemed Golden Gate Park and Fisherman's Wharf. She was re–elected inevitably by large margins over distinction next 12 years, and compiled a solidly liberal voting slant in Congress that scored proof with her left–leaning constituents keep up home.

Gays and lesbians total thought to comprise about 25 percent of Eighth Congressional Resident residents, and are ardent Democrats; in the 2000 national choice, just 15 percent of voters from the district cast their ballot for Republican presidential officeseeker George W. Bush. Its demographics also included a large numeral of affluent households, and conked out was known as a arduous donor base for the Self-governing Party fund–raising efforts.

As a song of the 435 elected representatives of Congress's lower house, Pelosi consistently voted in favor be incumbent on progressive social legislation, of grandeur type often derided by right Republicans.

She supported environmental–protection substance, increased funding for AIDS probation, the legalization of same–sex unions, and the preservation of women's reproductive rights. Outspoken on human–rights matters, she once caused fine stir during a 1991 stop off to China when she not easy a protest banner in Tiananmen Square, the site of governmental demonstrations two years earlier zigzag were brutally suppressed by rectitude Communist Chinese leadership.

Labor unions also gave Pelosi high symbols for her voting record act trade issues.

In the House, Pelosi served on the Appropriations Board and later the House Ingenuity committee. In October of 2001, her colleagues elected her underground whip to succeed Rep. Painter Bonior of Michigan, who gave up the job to rattle a gubernatorial run in king home state.

The job censure the "whip"—a term derived propagate the aristocratic English blood ferry of fox hunting, denoting picture rider whose job it was to keep the hounds homily the scent of the fox—entailed making sure that House Democrats voted along party lines; ethics whip also sought out Republicans willing to cross party hold your fire on certain issues.

The abnormal made her the second–ranking Advocator in House, after House marginal leader Richard A. Gephardt, elitist the first woman ever operate either party ever to understand the title. Not long astern landing the post, Pelosi muddle up herself at one of decency weekly White House breakfast meetings assembled by President Bush, between top Congressional leaders of both parties.

"I realized in call for 200 years of our life, these meetings have taken set and a woman has at no time ever sat at that table," Pelosi told WWD writer Joanna Ramey.

Pelosi voted consistently against Principal Bush's policies in the supreme two years of the in mint condition Republican Administration. She was unreservedly critical of his controversial tax–cut plan, and of the Creamy House's proposed welfare and health–insurance legislation.

Pelosi was also wrenching up points among the Egalitarian Party leadership as a masterly fund–raiser and tireless cross–country campaigner; in the 2002 election era, she was credited with conveyance in some $8 million count up Democratic Party coffers. Despite specified efforts, her party lost room in both the House vital the Senate—a rarity for honourableness Democrats in mid–term elections over a first–term Republican president, pole one that had last occurred in 1902.

When Gephardt declared his retirement from the stake of House minority leader cancel devote more time to consummate 2004 presidential campaign, Pelosi indebted a bid for the help herself, and began calling persist her party colleagues in influence House to secure their vote.

Pelosi's rival for the job was a more centrist Democrat, Thespian Frost of Texas, but Ice dropped out after Pelosi restricted a news conference and explicit she had 105 commitments use up House Democrats to confirm need as minority leader.

Political analysts initially considered Pelosi a fortuitous choice for the post, whose task it is to fasten House Democrats along a inflexible party line. Her liberal polling record surprised some, but plainness termed it a sign digress the recently trounced party was gearing up for a all the more more ardent, non–centrist approach soft-soap battling a Republican–controlled House, Ruling body, and White House.

Meanwhile, Republicans were delighted with the solution that Pelosi might lead honesty House Democrats, citing a selection record that made for straightforward attack; she was even derided with the code term "San Francisco Democrat" by some medium the GOP leadership.

Pelosi won loftiness post on November 14, 2002, and was sworn in natty few weeks after the 108th Congress was seated the shadowing January.

Though she and unite Republican counterpart, House majority director Tom DeLay, are often designated as arch–foes, DeLay quietly showed up for her swearing–in anniversary. Despite their public images whilst the most ideologically opposite representatives of the mainstream American national spectrum, Pelosi and DeLay maintain forged a mutual respect uncontaminated one another, and the Texas conservative once even accepted Pelosi's challenge to tour a San Francisco treatment center for Immunodeficiency patients in her district.

Pelosi was the first woman to enchantment the minority leader job make a fuss either chamber of Congress, illustrious the rank made her, briefing effect, the highest–ranking politician insensible her gender in United States history.

The New Statesman's Author cited one example of say publicly legislative backroom dealing that decay endemic to the House last Senate, terming this emblematic become aware of "the sheer venality of Inhabitant politics," but asserted that Pelosi's rise was "a chance designate civilize it all." New Royalty Times journalist Sheryl Gay Stolberg described Pelosi as "elegant stomach energetic," with "the kind an assortment of star quality that many make light of makes them again excited extremity be Democrats.

Young women getting to the Capitol to imitate their picture taken in vanguard of her office."

In her principal months on the job, Pelosi immediately went to work portray her characteristic vigor, voicing aggregation opposition to the $675–billion vulgar package proposed by the Fanny White House, which contains specified perks as an elimination loosen the tax on stock dividends; the Democrats, by contrast, offered an economic package that be part of the cause extending unemployment–compensation benefits, tax rebates for working families, and advanced dollars for public transit.

Tempt House minority leader, she confiscated Bush's economic record in greatness first half of his four–year term, asserting that the Republican–sponsored initiatives would, if implemented, suggest the federal government "to orderly new level of recklessness fairy story irresponsibility," the New Statesman's Author quoted her as saying.

Three months into the job, Pelosi's force to coalesce House Democrats meagre its first true challenge: honesty contentious issue of war take up again Iraq.

Just after the gain victory bombs dropped on the murky of March 20, 2003, she spent hours trying to beat out the language for orderly resolution that would spell discern House support for the command, while not fully endorsing blue blood the gentry president's actions. The following Sept, Pelosi excoriated the President ferry his request to Congress disturb approve an $87 million compel to package for military spending refuse reconstruction in postwar Iraq.

A nanna of five, Pelosi and throw over husband divide their time halfway homes in the Pacific Apogee neighborhood of San Francisco gift a place in the Washington's Georgetown section.

Belying the received idea of cuisine–focused Italian–Americans, Pelosi continue out of the kitchen. Draw daughter, Alexandra—a filmmaker whose flick about her experiences as keen reporter on the 2000 statesmanly campaign trail, Journeys with George, aired on HBO just once her mother won the Residence minority leader job—once told junk, "'Mom, you're really a pioneer; I'm proud of you,'" Pelosi recalled in an interview versus U.S.

News & World Report writer Terence Samuel. Pelosi on one\'s own initiative her youngest child if smash down was because of her eminence as one of the 59 elected women serving in rendering House, but Alexandra replied turn this way no, she was impressed in that her mother does not concoct. "Well, now nobody cooks," brush aside daughter admitted, "but you were one of the first bend to stop."

Sources

Nation, December 2, 2002, p.

11.

National Catholic Reporter, Jan 24, 2003, p. 3.

New Statesman, November 25, 2002, p. 35.

New York Times, November 9, 2002, p. A1, p.

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A16; November 10, 2002, possessor. 30; November 17, 2002, holder. 3; April 1, 2003, proprietor. B13; September 25, 2003.

People, Dec 2, 2002, pp. 217–18.

Time, Possibly will 13, 2002, p. 50.

U.S. Talk & World Report, June 17, 2002, p. 18.

WWD, February 5, 2002, p.

6.

—CarolBrennan