Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (/pəˈloʊsi/; née D'Alesandro; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician serving as speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019, and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has served as a U.S. representative from California since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, Pelosi is the only woman to have served as speaker of the U.S. House.
Nancy Pelosi | |
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 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Ryan |
| In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Dennis Hastert |
| Succeeded by | John Boehner |
| House Minority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Deputy | Steny Hoyer |
| Preceded by | John Boehner |
| Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Deputy | Steny Hoyer |
| Preceded by | Dick Gephardt |
| Succeeded by | John Boehner |
| Leader of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 | |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Dick Gephardt |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| Assumed office June 2, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Sala Burton |
| Constituency |
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| House Minority Whip | |
| In office January 15, 2002 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Leader | Dick Gephardt |
| Preceded by | David Bonior |
| Succeeded by | Steny Hoyer |
| Chair of the California Democratic Party | |
| In office February 27, 1981 – April 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Richard J. O'Neill |
| Succeeded by | Peter Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro March 26, 1940 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 5, including Christine and Alexandra |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Thomas D'Alesandro III (brother) |
| Residence(s) | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Education | Trinity College (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
A member of the D'Alesandro political family, Pelosi's father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., was a notable longtime politician. Before her election to Congress, she chaired the California Democratic Party from 1981 until 1983. Now in her 18th term, Pelosi was first elected to Congress in a 1987 special election. She is the dean of California's congressional delegation. She represents California's 12th congressional district, which comprises most of San Francisco. Initially, Pelosi represented the 5th district (1987–1993); after district boundaries were redrawn following the 1990 census, she represented the 8th district (1993–2013). Pelosi has led the House Democrats since 2003. She is the first woman to lead a party in Congress, and has served twice as House Minority Leader (2003–2007 and 2011–2019) and as House Speaker (2007–2011 and since 2019), respectively.
Pelosi was a major opponent of the Iraq War as well as the Bush administration's 2005 attempt to partially privatize Social Security. During her first speakership, she was instrumental in the passage of many of the Obama administration's landmark bills, including the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the 2010 Tax Relief Act.
Pelosi lost the speakership in 2011 after the Republican Party won a majority in the House in the 2010 elections, but retained her role as leader of the House Democratic Caucus and returned to the role of House minority leader. In the 2018 midterm elections, the Democrats regained control of the House.[1] When the 116th Congress convened in January 2019, Pelosi was again elected Speaker,[2] becoming the first former Speaker to return to the post since Sam Rayburn in 1955.[3] Under Pelosi's leadership, the House twice impeached President Donald Trump, first in December 2019, and again in January 2021; Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.[4]
On January 3, 2021, Pelosi was reelected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House.[5][6][7] During her second speakership, she was instrumental in the passage of the Biden administration's two major bills, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. She announced in January 2022 that she would seek reelection as a U.S. representative that year, though she had pledged in 2018 to not seek the speakership again.[8]