Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, served as the 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first woman elected as U.S. House Speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in Congress. Pelosi has been a member of the House since 1987 and represented California's 11th congressional district. Known for her strong leadership, she played a key role in passing significant legislation during her tenures as Speaker.
Nancy Pelosi was born on March 26, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
In 1962, Nancy Pelosi graduated from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
In 1963, Nancy Pelosi married Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco.
In 1976, Nancy Pelosi was elected as a Democratic National Committee member from California, a position she held until 1996.
In 1983, U.S. Rep. Phil Burton passed away and was succeeded by his wife, Sala Burton. Before her death in 1987, Sala urged Nancy Pelosi to run for the seat, leading to Pelosi's successful election in a special election.
Nancy Pelosi won the special election to succeed Sala Burton on April 7, 1987.
Nancy Pelosi defeated Democratic San Francisco supervisor Harry Britt on April 7, 1987, and Republican Harriet Ross in a June 2 runoff.
On February 22, 1989, Representative Nancy Pelosi from California introduced the bill to designate March as 'Women's History Month'. The bill aimed to recognize and celebrate the significant role of women in history.
In 1995, Nancy Pelosi voted against the Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment, which passed the House but fell short in the Senate. This vote showcased her stance on fiscal policy.
In October 2001, Nancy Pelosi won the position of House Democratic Whip after Rep. David E. Bonior resigned. She defeated Steny Hoyer in a close vote, becoming the No. 2 in the caucus.
In November 2002, after Gephardt resigned as House minority leader to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election, Pelosi was elected to replace him, becoming the first woman to lead a major party in either chamber of Congress.
In January 2003, Nancy Pelosi made history by becoming the House Minority Leader, the first woman to lead any of the four congressional caucuses.
Pelosi criticized leaders for not pressuring Russia and China for providing Iran with nuclear and missile technology. She vowed to use evidence of other nations' involvement in Iran's nuclear program to influence U.S. actions.
In the 2006 midterm elections, Nancy Pelosi led the Democrats to a majority in the House for the first time in 12 years and was subsequently elected Speaker, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
Nancy Pelosi made history by becoming the first woman to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She also became the first woman to lead a major political party in Congress.
In an interview, Pelosi expressed support for Bush's diplomatic resolution with Iran, while also emphasizing the need for Congress to assert itself in authorizing military force against Iran.
Pelosi removed a resolution introduced by Congressman Walter B. Jones from a military spending bill for the war in Iraq, which required specific authorization from Congress prior to initiating military force against Iran.
Pelosi hosted a reception with Israeli Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, emphasizing the strong friendship between Israel and the United States.
On June 26, 2009, several leading Democratic lawmakers in the House signed a letter alleging that CIA Director Leon Panetta had asserted the CIA misled Congress for years, casting doubts on the controversy surrounding enhanced interrogation techniques.
In March 2010, Nancy Pelosi played a crucial role in passing President Obama's Affordable Care Act, securing a major legislative victory despite challenges.
In November 2010, Nancy Pelosi was re-elected as the minority leader of the House Democratic Caucus after the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives to the Republicans. Despite facing intraparty opposition, Pelosi won the leadership vote and continued to lead the caucus.
In November 2011, allegations of insider trading were made against Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress, accusing them of using information from closed sessions to make money on the stock market. Pelosi denied the allegations and supported the passing of the STOCK Act to address ethics concerns.
In 2012, Business Insider reported that Nancy Pelosi's net worth was $26.4 million, ranking her as the 13th-richest member of Congress.
In February 2013, Nancy Pelosi urged for strong action on gun control, aligning with fellow advocate Gabby Giffords, following a mass shooting.
By 2014, OpenSecrets reported that Nancy Pelosi's net worth had almost doubled to approximately $101 million, making her the 8th-wealthiest member of Congress.
Pelosi expressed confidence in Obama securing enough votes for the Iran nuclear deal, praising his presentation and calling the deal a diplomatic masterpiece.
After the 2016 presidential election, Tim Ryan of Ohio started a campaign to replace Nancy Pelosi as the House minority leader. Pelosi eventually won the vote against Ryan after agreeing to provide more leadership opportunities to junior members.
During a news conference in June 2017, Nancy Pelosi expressed concerns about President Trump's tweets and questioned his fitness for office.
On August 15, 2018, Nancy Pelosi condemned President Trump's decision to revoke John Brennan's security clearance as an abuse of power and distraction tactic.
On January 3, 2019, Nancy Pelosi became the first Speaker to lose the gavel and then reclaim it since Texas representative Sam Rayburn in the early 1950s, showcasing her leadership resilience.
Trump signed a stopgap bill to reopen the government without concessions for a border wall after the shutdown. He threatened to shut down the government again or declare a national emergency if funds for the wall were not appropriated.
On May 1, 2019, Nancy Pelosi and Senator Schumer met with President Trump to discuss infrastructure funding. The meeting aimed to address bipartisan initiatives for job creation and economic growth.
Pelosi announced the launch of an impeachment inquiry against Trump on September 29, 2019.
The House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against Trump, formally impeaching him.
After President Trump's State of the Union address in February 2020, Nancy Pelosi tore up her official copy of the speech, citing it as a courteous gesture considering the content. Her action drew criticism from Trump and other Republicans.
Pelosi announced the introduction of legislation in the House of Representatives to establish a commission for the potential use of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from executive duties.
From January 6 to January 13, 2021, Nancy Pelosi led the House in impeaching President Trump for the second time, following the storming of the Capitol by insurrectionists.
Pelosi visited Kyiv to show U.S. support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion, meeting with President Zelenskyy.
On May 20, 2022, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced that Nancy Pelosi would be barred from receiving Holy Communion due to her support of pro-choice abortion policies.
On June 29, 2022, Nancy Pelosi received Communion at a Papal Mass presided over by Pope Francis in Rome at St. Peter's Basilica.
On October 28, 2022, a man broke into the San Francisco home of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and used a hammer to assault her husband, Paul. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized but is expected to recover. The assailant was charged with attempted homicide among other crimes.
On November 17, 2022, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not seek a House leadership role in the upcoming 118th Congress but will continue to represent her San Francisco district.
On November 29, 2022, the Steering and Policy Committee of the House Democratic Caucus honorarily named Pelosi 'speaker emerita' in the upcoming 118th U.S. Congress.
Her second speakership, and her participation in the House Democratic Party leadership, concluded on January 3, 2023, at the end of the 117th Congress.
Nancy Pelosi disclosed an allocation of $8.1 million for the renovation of Buchanan Street Mall Park Blocks.
Nancy Pelosi revealed a funding of $35 million for the University of California, San Francisco to conduct research on treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi expressed her condolences for the World Central Kitchen workers who lost their lives in Gaza.