Historical Figure
Nancy Pelosi
b. 1940
American politician (born 1940)
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Biography
Nancy Patricia Pelosi is an American politician who was the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first female elected speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress, heading the House Democrats from 2003 to 2023. Her 20 years as a House party leader are tied with Joe Martin's as the second-longest after Sam Rayburn. Pelosi is in her 20th term, having served in the House since 1987, representing California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco. She is the dean of California's congressional delegation.
In Their Own Words (5)
Go back to China, that’s where your headquarters is.
Nancy Pelosi was caught on camera asking pro-Palestinian protesters to 'go back to China' (January 29, 2023) , 2024
As many of you know, I come from San Francisco. We don't have a lot of farms there. Well, we do have one—it's a mushroom farm, so you know what that means.
To The Agribusiness Club of Washington (July 24, 2006) , 2006
This is not right, this is not the path of freedom for our country
Interviews with: Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Pete Ricketts, Finland President Sauli Niinistö. (May 15, 2022 video) , 2022
Twelve years ago, when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, our nation took an historic step toward fulfilling a fundamental promise: that health care is a right, not a privilege
Pelosi Statement on 12th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (March 23, 2022) , 2022
had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race
According to Pelosi blames Biden for election loss as finger pointing intensifies (17 hours ago Christal Hayes BBC News) , 2024
Timeline
The story of Nancy Pelosi, told in moments.
Born Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro in Baltimore. Her father was a congressman and later mayor. Her brother was also mayor. She grew up counting votes at the dinner table. Politics wasn't a career choice. It was the family trade.
Wins a special election for California's 5th congressional district in San Francisco. She's 47. Five kids. Her youngest is a senior in high school. She waited until the children were nearly grown. Then she started.
Elected Speaker of the House. The first woman to hold the position in 218 years of American history. She picks up the gavel. Her grandchildren surround her on the House floor.
Claps at Donald Trump during the State of the Union address. The gesture is ambiguous. Sarcastic? Polite? Mocking? The photograph becomes one of the most shared political images of the year. She knows exactly what she's doing.
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