Difference between revisions of "Nancy Pelosi"

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[[Image:nancypelosi.jpg|thumb|Nancy Pelosi currently serves the 8th Congressional district of California]]
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'''Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi''' is the [[House leadership|Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives]] for the [[110th Congress]]. A [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]], she is the first woman to hold the post of Speaker, or even lead a major political party in either house of Congress.  She has represented the 8th District of [[:Category:Members of the U.S. Congress from California|California]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] since 1987. ([http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/ca08_109.gif map])
  
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'''Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi''' is the house minority leader of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]].  A [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]], she has represented [[w:California|California]]'s [[w:United States House of Representatives, California District 8|8th District]] since 1987 (it was numbered the 5th District until 1993).
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==Record and controversies==
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===Transparency===
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====Sunlight Foundation website investigation====
  
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==Bio==
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Nancy Pelosi's official website was rated by citizen researchers in February 2007 as part of a survey by the [[Sunlight Foundation]]. The survey evaluated members' sites on whether they provided basic information on their legislative activities, post their legally required disclosures such as on personal finances and travel, and any other information that furthers transparency. Nancy Pelosi's site received a 32 (out of 100). A score of 40 was considered passing. [http://www.sunlightlabs.com/research/sites/results/results.php?cid=N00007360 Full results].
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===Background===
 
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Pelosi was born March 26, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father, [[w:Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.|Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.]], was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland and also a Mayor of Baltimore.
 
  
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Pelosi attended Trinity College (now Trinity University) in Washington, DC]]. She married and moved to San Francisco where she became involved in Democratic politics, working her way up to becoming party chairwoman for Northern California. In 1984 she served as the head of the host committee for the Democratic Nation Convention that year. In 1986, the year before she was elected to Congress, Pelosi served as Finance Chair to the successful [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]], which helped the Democrats win back the Senate.
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===Progressive image===
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Pelosi is generally very progressive. She was a member of the [[Progressive Caucus]] until she became the party leader, when she adopted a policy of not belonging to any caucuses.<ref>Edward Epstein. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/05/MNGEQDJ4AA1.DTL "Liberal legislative caucus envisions post-Bush era,"] ''San Fransisco Chronicle.'' July 5, 2005.</ref>
  
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The Pelosi family has a net worth of over $25 million, mainly investments of husband Paul Pelosi. Besides a San Francisco Bay area large portfolio of jointly owned real estate, he also has millions of dollars worth of shares in publicly traded companies such as Microsoft, Amazon.com and AT&T. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/06/26/BAG7B7CDMQ1.DTL]
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Like most House Democrats, Pelosi opposed the resolution authorizing Bush to use military force against Iraq.  She has strongly criticized the war effort since then, and introduced an amendment to the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations bill calling on Bush to specify a strategy for success in Iraq, as well as a timetable for a safe withdrawal of American troops.
  
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===Congressional Career===
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Also, on July 31, 2006 Pelosi joined Senate Minority Leader [[Harry Reid]] (D-Nev.) in leading top congressional Democrats in signing a letter urging President Bush to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2006.  The letter was signed by the twelve leading Democrats on the House and Senate committees handling armed services, foreign relations, intelligence and military spending.<ref>Charles Babington and Jim VandeHei. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073100743.html "Hill Democrats Unite to Urge Bush to Begin Iraq Pullout,"] ''Washington Post.'' August 1, 2006.</ref>
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Pelosi won in a special election to succeed [[w:Sala Burton|Sala Burton]] and took office on June 2, 1987. She was elected to a full term in 1988 and has easily held the seat since. She has never faced a credible Republican opponent, which is not surprising since Republicans only make up 13 percent of registered voters in the district.
 
  
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After the [[w:Tiananmen protests of 1989|Tiananmen protests of 1989]], Pelosi became a supporter of the [[w:Chinese democracy movement|Chinese democracy movement]] and vocal critic of the government of the [[w:People's Republic of China|People's Republic of China]] and sponsored the [[w:Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992|Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992]].
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===Views on Israel===
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Pelosi addressed the 2005 Policy Conference of the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee]]. In her speech she said that the root of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the right of Israel to exist, not the occupation of Palestine, and pledged the protection of the U.S.:
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:""There are those who contend that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This is absolute nonsense. In truth, the history of the conflict is not over occupation, and never has been: it is over the fundamental right of Israel to exist... The United States will stand with Israel now and forever. Now and forever."{{ref|aipac}}
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In July 2006, she threatened to boycott the speech by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki to the joint session of congress unless he repudiated his earlier criticism of Israeli aggression against Lebanon.<ref>[http://fanonite.org/2007/03/14/pacing-in-the-marionettes-aipacs-annual-conference/ "PACing in the Marionettes,"] ''The Fanonite.'' March 14, 2007.</ref>
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Beginning August 8, 1991, Nancy Pelosi went on a tour of Israel as part of an [[Anti-Defamation League]] of B'nai B'rith congressional mission.  The other congressmen on the tour were: [[Leon Panetta]], [[George Miller]] and [[Charles Schumer]].
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Pelosi has strong ties to a number of Jewish groups, including the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee]] whose former preident [[Amy Friedkin]] is her close friend.<ref>Jennifer Jacobson. [http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/article/20061108Pelosi8217ssuppo.html "For Pelosi, Israel is personal,"] ''JTA.'' November 8, 2006.</ref>
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*Nancy Pelosi speech to [http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?aid=2405 AIPAC April 2003]
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*Nancy Pelosi speech to [http://www.corkpsc.org/db.php?aid=19430 AIPAC May 2005]
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===Network neutrality legislation===
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When Rep. [[Joe Barton]] and Sen. [[Ted Stevens]] pushed anti-[[network neutrality]] legislation in 2006, Pelosi came out in favor of neutrality, angering telecom companies and some fellow Democrats by urging her caucus to fall in line behind her. ''Roll Call'' also quoted "insiders" as saying that the damage telecom companies deal to Democrats in retaliation was low because they had already maxed out their campaign contributions to the legal limits until after the 2006 election.<ref>Tory Newmyer. [http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_120/news/13267-1.html "Push by Pelosi Irks Telecoms,"] ''Roll Call.'' May 10, 2006.</ref> [[Network neutrality]] has been called the "first amendment of the Internet" by the [[SavetheInternet.com Coalition]].
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===PAC Fined===
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In 2004 a political action committee (PAC), Team Majority, controlled by Pelosi was fined $21,000 for "for improperly accepting donations over federal limits, according to records and interviews."<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-02-11-pelosi-pac-fined_x.htm "Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials,"] ''USA Today.'' February 11, 2004.</ref> Pelosi used two PACs, including Team Majority, to raise money for her colleagues during the 2002 election. The fine came from Pelosi's use of multiple PACs to exceed donation limits to other members campaign committees. Two Democratic lawmakers, [[Chris Van Hollen]] (D-Md.) and [[Julie Thomas]] (D-Md.), paid fines of $2,500 each for receiving illegal contributions from Pelosi's PAC. Team Majority ceased operating before the fine was issued.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-02-11-pelosi-pac-fined_x.htm "Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials,"] ''USA Today.'' February 11, 2004.</ref>
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===[[Earmarks]] and "pork"===
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In February of 2003 the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' reported that Pelosi had sought a $1 million earmark for an advisor and former campaign treasurer's think tank:<ref>Edward Epstein. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN109779.DTL "Pelosi accused of pork-barrel politics,"] ''San Fransisco Chronicle.'' February 21, 2003.</ref>
  
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====Democratic Party leadership====
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:Pelosi's office confirmed Thursday that the San Francisco Democrat, who was elected House minority leader in November, obtained the $1 million for the USF center, without requiring [her longtime adviser and campaign treasurer, former Lt. Gov. Leo T.] McCarthy and USF to go through the normal application process for such grants. But Pelosi said the program got the money on its merits, not because of any political ties to the congresswoman.<ref>Edward Epstein. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN109779.DTL "Pelosi accused of pork-barrel politics,"] ''San Fransisco Chronicle.'' February 21, 2003.</ref></blockquote>
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=====Minority Whip and Minority Leader Race=====
 
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In 2001, she defeated [[Steny Hoyer]] to become the [[House Minority Whip]], serving as second-in-command to Minority Leader [[Dick Gephardt]] of Missouri.
 
  
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After the electoral defeat of 2002, Gephardt decided to run for President in 2004 and bowed out of his Minority Leader position. The leadership election pitted Pelosi against [[Marcy Kaptur]] of Ohio and Tennessee centrist [[Harold Ford, Jr.]]  She stated in 2002, "We must draw clear distinctions between our vision of the future and the extreme policies put forward by the Republicans. We cannot allow Republicans to pretend they share our values and then legislate against those values without consequence."[http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=7699]
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A 2005 ''Washington Times'' report alleges that Pelosi helped a campaign donor secure funds from a federal agency days after one of her staff members returned from a fact-finding trip to Spain that was funded by the donor.<ref>[http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=5332 "In Case You Missed It: Pelosi Helped Donor To PAC,"]''The Washington Times,'' (Accessed via ''GOP.com''). April 5, 2005.</ref>
  
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During the run-up to the 2002 mid-term elections Pelosi showcased what her leadership would look like by opposing Gephardt's decision to back President Bush's Iraq war resolution.[http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=7699]
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Pelosi and her office denied any connection between the trip and the money sought by WestStart-CALSTART. Pelosi's spokeswoman stated that Republican staffers also went on the trip to Spain.
  
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After Kaptur dropped out of the race, Pelosi bested Ford in a 177-29 vote. By way of her victory Pelosi made history by becoming the first woman to lead a party in Congress.[http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/14/democrats.leadership/]
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===Endorsement of Jack Murtha for Majority Leader===
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Following their victory in the 2006 midterm elections, congressional Democrats engaged in an intra-party struggle to determine who would be majority leader during the [[110th Congress]]. With Pelosi ascending to the Speakership, Rep. [[Steny Hoyer]] (Md.), then minority whip, appeared to be the most likely candidate for the position.  Challenging him was Rep. [[John Murtha]] (Pa.), a close associate of Pelosi's and an early critic of the U.S. war in Iraq.  Pelosi intially vowed to stay neutral in the contest.  The Sunday before the Nov. 16th caucus elections, however, Pelosi surprised political observers by openly endorsing Murtha and throwing her full weight behind him, campaigning vigorously on his behalf. Hoyer ultimately prevailed by a vote of 149-86.<ref>Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/15/AR2006111501521.html "Pelosi Splits Democrats With Push For Murtha,"] ''Washington Post.'' November 16, 2006.</ref><ref>Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/16/AR2006111600514.html "Democrats Pick Hoyer Over Murtha,"] ''Washington Post.'' November 17, 2007.</ref>
  
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=====Minority Leader=====
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====Opposes creation of Iraq oversight committee====
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Pelosi has led the Democratic caucus on any number of issues. Despite losing many critical votes, she and her leadership team have been able to bring a unity to the Democratic caucus that hasn't existed for decades.[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/02/MNGSHI24ON1.DTL]
 
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''Congressional Quarterly'' examined over 600 roll call votes from 2005 where "a majority of Republicans voted against a majority of Democrats" and found that Democrats voted unanimously 82 times and on the party line 88 percent of the time. These are the highest numbers since ''CQ'' began keeping a tally of roll call votes in 1956.[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/02/MNGSHI24ON1.DTL] She also worked hard to defeat the [[2003 Medicare prescription drug bill]], which passed the House after 16 Democrats joined the Republicans in voting "yes". She calls the Medicare vote her biggest disappointment.[http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=7699]
 
  
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Pelosi has often allowed members of the Democratic caucus to showcase positions or pieces of legislation rather than keeping the media coverage for herself. Rep. [[John Spratt]] (D-S.C.) introduced a resolution challenging [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] to come back to House and seek an authorization to use military force before invading Iraq, for example. Another example is that of [[John Murtha]]'s call for a wthidrawal from Iraq. Pelosi coordinated Murtha's call for withdrawal from behind the scenes while trying to appease the part of the party that opposed Murtha's plan.[http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0605.sullivan1.html]
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On January 22, 2007, the [[House leadership|House Republican leadership]] sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi which proposed the creation of a new oversight committee to monitor the progress of [[George Walker Bush|President Bush's]] Iraq plan. The panel would have defined military, political and social benchmarks in which the president would be required to submit a report to the committee every 30 days indicating whether those benchmarks had been achieved. The committee would have also addressed troop withdrawal, which would have required “an interagency assessment on the impact withdrawal would have on our national security and homeland interest,” as well as the effect withdrawal would have had on surrounding countries.
  
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====2006 elections====
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During a press conference, Minority Leader [[John Boehner]] (R-Ohio) stated that he believed congressional oversight of Bush’s new Iraq plan, including the decision to deploy more than 20,000 troops to the region, was necessary. He explained that, “I support the president’s plan, but we have a duty to candidly and honestly assess whether the new strategy will be effective and ultimately successful.”
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In 2006, the [[Republican Party|Republicans]] nominated [[Michael A. Denunzio]], and the [[Green Party]] nominated [[Krissy Keefer]] to face Pelosi in her November 2006 bid for reelection. (See [[U.S. congressional elections in 2006]]) [http://opensecrets.org/states/election.asp?State=AL&year=2006]
 
  
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The proposal was ultimately rejected by Pelosi, as she expressed confidence in the oversight ability of the already established committees. Her spokesman, Drew Hammill, stated that, “Committees in the [[110th Congress]] are already underway on Iraq oversight...She has the upmost confidence in their ability.”<ref>Jackie Kucinich. [http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/012307/iraq.html "House GOP proposes bipartisan Iraq oversight,"] ''The Hill.'' January 23, 2007.</ref>
  
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===Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act===
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Pelosi strongly supported the '''Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act''' ([http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h2956/show H.R. 2956]), which was sponsored by Rep. [[Ike Skelton]] (D-Mo.) on July 10, 2007. The bill would require that the U.S. begin redeploying troops from Iraq within 120 days of the bill's passage. It would also require that the U.S.  have a "limited presence" in Iraq by April 1, 2008. President Bush would need to submit a report to Congress outlining the specific goals of the remaining troops in Iraq, along with timetables for their completion. <ref>[http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h2956/show "OpenCongress page on H.R.2956,"] ''OpenCongress.''</ref>
  
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On July 12, 2007 the House passed the bill in a vote of 223-201.<ref>Mike Soraghan and Manu Raju. [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/key-vote-on-the-iraq-war-keeps-house-gop-united-2007-07-13.html  "Key vote on the Iraq war keeps House GOP united,"] ''The Hill.'' July 13, 2007.</ref>
  
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==Controversy==
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Before the vote, Pelosi called for a change in Iraq, saying,
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<blockquote>“After more than 3,600 lives have been lost to a flawed strategy, we have a responsibility to create a new direction.</blockquote>
  
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<blockquote>“After spending $329 million every day on the war in Iraq, on a war that is not making our country safer, we have an obligation to change course.</blockquote>
  
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===Views on Israel===
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<blockquote>“After five years of a failed policy in Iraq, we have a duty not just to voice our opposition, but to vote to end the war.</blockquote>
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<blockquote>“Chairman Skelton’s bipartisan bill offers a step we can take today toward bringing the troops home.  To creating a strategic vision for stability in the Middle East, and for beginning to rearm our military."<ref>[http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/speeches?id=0059 "Pelosi Floor Statement on Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act,"] ''Speaker Nancy Pelosi.'' July 12, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
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{{main|Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act#Criticisms and commendations}}
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===No smoking in the Speaker's lobby===
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On January 10, 2007, Pelosi banned smoking from the Speaker's Lobby, saying, "The days of smoke-filled rooms in the United States Capitol are over...Medical science has unquestionably established the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke, including an increased risk of cancer and respiratory diseases. I am a firm believer that Congress should lead by example." Pelosi's ban did not prohibit lawmakers from smoking in their own offices.<ref>Erica Werner. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011000584.html "Pelosi Bans Smoking Near House Floor,"] ''Washington Post.'' January 10, 2007.</ref>
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===Against an invasion of Iran===
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In February 2007, at the House Democratic annual retreat, Speaker Pelosi informed her colleagues that "if it appears likely that Bush wants to take the country to war against Iran, the House would take up a bill to deny him the authority to do so."<ref>Michael Abramowitz and Paul Kane. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020300701.html "At Democrats' Meeting, Bush Appeals for Cooperation,"] ''Washington Post.'' February 4, 2007.</ref>
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===Congressional air travel===
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====Flight compensation====
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In March 2007, a liaison from Speaker Pelosi met with Minority Leader [[John Boehner]]'s (R-Ohio) office in order to amend the House rules regarding compensation for Congressional air travel. The rules were changed in January, requiring Congressmen to pay non-commercial aircraft owners the full price of a ticket, which the FAA rules prohibit. While this has prevented Members from using lobbyists aircraft, it also grounded several personal aircraft amongst Democratic and Republican Lawmakers. Pelosi was attempting to change the rules via voice-vote, (which required unanimous consent) but Boehner has refused to consider "piecemeal changes" and was holding out for other Rules changes regarding earmarks.
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Eventually, on May 2 2007, the House voted by voice vote on H.R.363 to remove airplane travel restrictions. The measure was sponsored by Rep. [[Collin Peterson]] (D-Minn.) and Rep. [[Samuel Graves]] (R-Mo.). The new rules allow members to fly in a friend's airplane for free. The rules change also provides that members who are certified pilots may again fly their own aircraft.
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{{main|U.S. federal ethics, transparency, and campaign finance legislation, 110th Congress}}
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====Use of Air Force transportation====
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In early February 2007, [[U.S. Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] officials criticized Pelosi for using Air Force transportation in extravagance.  Pelosi admitted to using a C-32 to fly coast to coast (from Washington to San Francisco) without refueling, but claims that she did not request the military version of a Boeing-757 specifically.  Pelosi further claimed that the criticism was a retributive attack for her past criticism of [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and the war in Iraq.  On February 8, 2007, White House spokesman [[Tony Snow]] called the affair "silly" and "unfair to the speaker."<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17035721/ "House sergeant-at-arms ordered Pelosi plane,"] ''MSNBC.'' February 8, 2007.</ref>
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===2007 Iraq war spending bill===
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On March 29, 2007, Speaker Pelosi urged President Bush to relax with threats of vetoing the House and Senate versions of the Iraq war supplemental bill. The legislation includes benchmarks and a 2008 withdrawal plan. If lawmakers cannot pass a bill with the president’s signature, it will lead to a shutdown of the Pentagon, effectively denying funding to troops in Iraq.<ref>Jonathan E. Kaplan. [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-tells-bush-to-calm-down-threats-2007-03-28.html "Pelosi tells Bush to ‘calm down threats’,"] ''The Hill.'' March 28, 2007.</ref>
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After the first Iraq supplemental spending bill, which included a timetable for troop withdrawal, passed the House in a 218-212 vote in March 2007, Pelosi stated, "proudly, this new Congress voted to bring an end to the war in Iraq." The bill was eventually passed by both chambers and sent to the President who vetoed it as promised.
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Following the veto, another attempt was made an an Iraq supplemental spending bill, one that would most likely not include a troop withdrawal timetable. On May 10, Pelosi agreed to also hold a vote on an alternative measure (H.R.2237), sponsored by Rep. [[James McGovern]] (D-Mass.), which would mandate that U.S. combat troop withdrawal begin within three months, and that it be completed six months after that. Then, the bill mandated, no congressional money could be used for military operations (though there would be an allowance for certain types of special-ops activities). The alternative measure failed by a vote of 171-255.
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On May 22, 2007, after numerous attempts at including timetables in an Iraq supplemental spending bill, Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate announced that they would each introduce supplemental spending bills which would not include timetables for combat withdrawal. Speaker Pelosi added, however, that the House bill would feature benchmarks with consequences, such as restricting reconstruction aid to Iraq if it could not meet certain goals. When the final bill, which provided funds for the Iraq War through September 2007, came to a vote, it passed 280-142, with most Democrats,including Pelosi, opposing it.
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===Trip to the Middle East===
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Despite vocal disapproval from the White House, Pelosi embarked on a nine-day goodwill trip to the Middle East in late March 2007.  Pelosi planned to address several parliaments and heads of state, including [[Syria]].  Reps. [[Tom Lantos]] (D-Calif.), [[Henry Waxman]] (D-Calif.), [[Louise Slaughter]] (D-N.Y.) [[Nick Rahall]] (D-W.Va.), [[David Hobson]] (R-Ohio) and [[Keith Ellison]] (D-Minn.) are accompanying her. The trip to Syria goes against White House recommendations of avoiding the country due to, what the White House calls, [[state-sponsored terrorism]]. The White House criticized the message that Pelosi’s stop would send to U.S. allies.<ref>Chris Good, [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosis-expected-trip-to-syria-meets-white-house-disapproval-2007-03-30.html "White House disapproves of Pelosi's Syria trip,"] ''The Hill'', March 30, 2007.</ref>
  
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Pelosi addressed the 2005 Policy Conference of the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee]]. In her speech she said that the root of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the right of Israel to exist, not the occupation of Palestine, and pledged the protection of the U.S.:  
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''Think Progress'', however, stated that at the time the White House was making those comments it exempted from criticism three congressional Republicans &mdash; Reps. [[Robert Aderholt]] (R-Ala.), [[Joe Pitts]] (R-Penn.) and [[Frank Wolf]] (R-Va.)<ref>Helen Cooper and Carl Hulse, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/washington/07diplo.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1176177600&en=af8e1a23dd23c51f&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin "As One Syria Trip Draws Fire, Others Draw Silence,"] ''New York Times'', April 7, 2007</ref> &mdash; who were then on a similar trip to [[Israel]] and Syria. Also, the ''Associated Press'' reported that in March 2007, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State [[Ellen Sauerbrey]] had traveled to Syria to hold talks with a "senior Syrian diplomat on how Damascus was coping with a flood of Iraqi refugees, the first such talks in the Syrian capital for more than two years." <ref>[http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/30/syria-hypocrisy/ "Exclusive: Republican Delegation Currently Visiting Syria, Spared From White House Attacks,"] ''Think Progress'', March 30, 2007.</ref>
  
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:""There are those who contend that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This is absolute nonsense. In truth, the history of the conflict is not over occupation, and never has been: it is over the fundamental right of Israel to exist... The United States will stand with Israel now and forever. Now and forever."{{ref|aipac}}
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White House spokesperson Dana Perino had the following exchange with a reporter on April 3, 2007, when asked about the difference between how the White House treated the two trips:
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<blockquote>
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QUESTION: I want to clarify on the -- you're saying it was a bad idea, then, for Speaker Pelosi to go for all these various reasons to Syria. It's a bad idea, then, for [[Jim Baker]] to have gone, a bad idea for Frank Wolf to go as well, right?<br><br>
  
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In July 2006, she threatened to boycott the speech by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki to the joint session of congress unless he repudiated his earlier criticism of Israeli aggression against Lebanon. [http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=69729]
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MS. PERINO: We think that it is not a good idea for U.S. officials to go and meet with Assad, because it alleviates that pressure, and also because meetings haven't produced anything. They've been meeting just to meet, and he doesn't change his behavior. In fact, he uses those meetings as a reason to say that he doesn't need to do anything. <ref>Josh Marshall, [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013423.php blog post,] ''TalkingPointsMemo.com'', April 3, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
  
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Beginning August 8, 1991, Nancy Pelosi went on a tour of Israel as part of an [[Anti-Defamation League]] of B'nai B'rith congressional mission.  The other congressmen on the tour were: [[Leon Panetta]], [[George Miller]] and [[Charles Schumer]].
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Pelosi held talks with the Syrian president on April 4, 2007 on Syrian-Israeli relations and Syrian support of militant groups. <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-04-04-pelosi-syria_N.htm "Pelosi, Syrian president meet,"] ''USA Today'', April 4, 2007.</ref>
  
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Pelosi has strong ties to a number of Jewish groups, including the [[American Israel Public Affairs Committee]]; she is a close friend of [[Amy Friedkin]], a past [[AIPAC]] president.[http://jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=5477]
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A "day after the Pelosi delegation", on April 5, 2007, Rep. [[Darrell Issa]] (R-Calif.), a Lebanese-American "who frequently travels to the Middle East"<ref>[http://www.azstarnet.com/news/177141 "Republican congressman meets with Syria's Assad,"] Associated Press, April 6, 2007</ref>, "headed a 3 person delegation"<ref>[http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=5030&sectionid=3510202 "U.S. Congressmen meets with Syria's President Assad,"] ''PressTV.ir'', April 5, 2007</ref><ref>[http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2007/04/republican_memb_1.php "Republican member of US Congress meets Syria's Assad,"] ''Yalibnan.com'', April 6, 2007</ref> that visited Syria and met with Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.<ref>Carla Marinucci, [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/10/BAGV9P6C0S6.DTL "Pelosi, Lantos may be interested in diplomatic trip to Iran,"] ''San Franciso Chronicle'', April 10, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.payvand.com/news/07/apr/1065.html "Republican Congressman Visits Syria After Controversial Pelosi Trip,"] [[Voice of America]] News, April 6, 2007</ref>
  
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===Network neutrality legislation===
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On April 5, 2007, in a telephone interview with [[Rush Limbaugh]]<ref>Helen Cooper and Carl Hulse, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/washington/07diplo.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1176177600&en=af8e1a23dd23c51f&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin "As One Syria Trip Draws Fire, Others Draw Silence,"] ''New York Times'', April 7, 2007</ref>, Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] criticized Pelosi's statements to the Syrian president as "nonsensical" and constituting "bad behavior." This criticism was, in part, a response to Pelosi conveying that Israel was open to peace talks with Syria which prompted Israel to clarify the pre-conditions to peace talks. <ref>Mike Soraghan, [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/cheney-pelosis-syria-visit-constitutes-bad-behavior-2007-04-05.html "Cheney: Pelosi’s Syria visit constitutes ‘bad behavior’,"] ''The Hill'', April 5, 2007.</ref>
−
When Rep. [[Joe Barton]] and Sen. [[Ted Stevens]] pushed anti-[[network neutrality]] legislation in 2006, Pelosi came out in favor of neutrality, angering telecom companies and some fellow Democrats by urging her caucus to fall in line behind her. ''Roll Call'' also quoted "insiders" as saying that the damage telecom companies deal to Democrats in retaliation was low because they had already maxed out their campaign contributions to the legal limits until after the 2006 election.[http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_120/news/13267-1.html] [[Network neutrality]] has been called the "first amendment of the Internet". [http://www.savetheinternet.com]
 
  
−
===PAC Fined===
+
On April 8, 2007, former Speaker of the House [[Newt Gingrich]] criticised Pelosi's trip as "dangerous for America", stating that it is "very important not to have two foreign policies." <ref>Chris Good, [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gingrich-criticizes-pelosi-over-syria-visit-2007-04-08.html "Gingrich criticizes Pelosi over Syria visit,"] ''The Hill'', April 8, 2007.</ref>
−
In 2004 a political action committee (PAC), Team Majority, controlled by Pelosi was fined $21,000 for "for improperly accepting donations over federal limits, according to records and interviews."[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-02-11-pelosi-pac-fined_x.htm] Pelosi used two PACs, including Team Majority, to raise money for her colleagues during the 2002 election. The fine came from Pelosi's use of multiple PACs to exceed donation limits to other members campaign committees. Two Democratic lawmakers, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Julie Thomas (D-MD), paid fines of $2,500 each for receiving illegal contributions from Pelosi's PAC. Team Majority ceased operating before the fine was issued.[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-02-11-pelosi-pac-fined_x.htm]
 
  
−
===Earmarks and "pork"===
+
===Immigration===
−
In February of 2003 the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' reported that Pelosi had sought a $1 million earmark for an advisor and former campaign treasurer's think tank:[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN109779.DTL]
+
On May 20th 2007, Speaker Pelosi issued a series of criticisms regarding the Senate's immigration bill. Specifically, she mentioned the 'point system' of the guest worker program and that it was anti-family. She stated, "the family unification principles which had been fundamental to American immigration are disrupted by what is in there now.”<ref>Jeremy Jacobs, [http://hill6.thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-lays-out-criticism-of-immigration-bill-2007-05-20.html "Pelosi lays out criticism of immigration bill"] ''The Hill'', May 20, 2007.</ref>
  
−
:Pelosi's office confirmed Thursday that the San Francisco Democrat, who was elected House minority leader in November, obtained the $1 million for the USF center, without requiring [her longtime adviser and campaign treasurer, former Lt. Gov. Leo T.] McCarthy and USF to go through the normal application process for such grants. But Pelosi said the program got the money on its merits, not because of any political ties to the congresswoman. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN109779.DTL]</blockquote>
+
===Applauds President Bush for tightening sanctions against Sudan===
  
−
A 2005 ''Washington Times'' report alleges that Pelosi helped a campaign donor secure funds from a federal agency days after one of her staff members returned from a fact-finding trip to Spain that was funded by the donor.[http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050405-123505-7189r.htm]
+
On May 29, 2007, Pelosi applauded a decision by President Bush to tighten sanctions against the government of Sudan. Bush's plan called for increasing economic and political pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to end the alleged genocide in the country's Darfur region.<ref>Kara Oppenheim, [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-praises-bush-for-tightening-sudan-sanctions-2007-05-29.html "Pelosi praises Bush for tightening Sudan sanctions,"] ''The Hill'', May 29, 2007.</ref>
  
−
Pelosi and her office denied any connection between the trip and the money sought by WestStart-CALSTART. Pelosi's spokeswoman stated that Republican staffers also went on the trip to Spain.
+
===Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement deal===
 +
On May 10, 2007, Democratic congressional leaders, including House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] (D-Calif.) and [[House Committee on Ways and Means]] Chair [[Charles Rangel]] (D-N.Y.), struck a deal with President Bush that secured their support for the Peru-U.S. agreement in exchange for inserting provisions that protect workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively. The Peruvian government would also have to agree to the changes before Congress could consider the agreement.<ref>Doug Palmer, [http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWBT00695620070511?feedType=RSS "Democrats, Bush strike deal on trade,"] ''Reuters'', May 11, 2007.</ref>
  
−
==Committees and Affiliations ==
+
===Ethics reform===
−
===Committees===
+
After emerging victorious in the November 7, 2006 elections Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi pledged "to lead the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history." Pelosi also pledged to sever the ties between K Street, the Washington corridor of lobbying firms, and Congress. As incoming Speaker, Pelosi also stated that she would push to make the sponsors of congressional earmarks public prior to votes. She stated, "There has to be transparency ... I'd just as soon do away with all (earmarks), but that probably isn't realistic."
−
As the House Democratic leader, Pelosi does not belong to any committees.
 
  
−
===Coalitions and Caucuses===
+
====Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006====
−
* Co Chair, Democratic National Platform Committee, 1992
+
Minority Leader Pelosi introduced '''The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006''' on January 20, 2006, in the wake of numerous guilty pleas by and indictments of lobbyists and members of Congress. Specifically, the bill would:
−
* Chair, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, 1985
+
* Ban lobbyists from giving gifts or travel to members or their staff.
−
* Co Chair, AIDS Task Force of the House Democratic Caucus
+
* Require lobbyists to file electronic, quarterly reports. The report must contain information pertaining to efforts to stimulate grassroots support, previous work in the executive or legislative branches, and provide certification of the report with the possibility of criminal penalties for failing to submit a certified report. The bill also creates a searchable public database of lobbying reports.
−
* Co Chair, Biomedical Research Caucus
+
* Double the "cooling-off" period where lawmakers, staff, and Executive branch employees cannot lobby there former offices of employment from one-year to two-years.
−
* Chair, Congressional Working Group on China
+
* Stop efforts like the "K Street Project" by banning efforts of members of Congress and staff to enforce partisan discipline in private organizations. The penalty would be a fine or up to 15 years in prison with a possible ban on serving public office.
−
* Vice Chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
+
* Require lawmakers, staff, and Executive employees to disclose outside job negotiations and to receive approval from the Office of Government Ethics.
−
* Democratic Homeland Security Task Force
+
* Require conference committees to be open to the public and require conference reports to be publicly available on the Internet at least 24 hours prior to a vote.
−
* Democratic National Committee
+
* Require that any appointee to a public safety position have proven credentials and training in one or more areas that are relevant.
−
* Chair, Democratic Steering Committee
+
* Provide oversight of government contracting. Require contractors to work for contracts in an open, competitive bidding process. Create stiffer penalties for wartime fraud and prohibit contractors with conflicts of interest from participating in competitive bidding.
−
* Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Democratic Study Group
+
The bill was referred to six committees, Judiciary, Rules, Government Reform, Standards and Conduct, Armed Services, and Administration, and failed to emerge from any one of the six.
  
−
===Boards and other Affiliations===
+
====Independent ethics commission====
−
* Founder, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS
+
On February 1, 2007, Speaker Pelosi and House Minority Leader [[John Boehner]] (R-Ohio) announced the creation of a "task force" to study implementation of an outside ethics body to oversee Congress. The task force, chaired by Rep. [[Michael Capuano]] (D-Mass.), issued it's report to the House in May 2007.
−
* Board of Trustees, LSB Leakey Foundation.
 
  
 +
On June 1, 2007, Pelosi announced her intention to create an independent ethics commission that would allow outside groups to file complaints against members of Congress, which previously could only be filed by other members. The commission, as proposed by a special task force chaired by Rep. [[Michael Capuano]] (D-Mass.), could filter complaints but have no judging authority.<ref>Mike Soraghan, [http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-committed-to-allowing-outside-groups-file-ethics-complaints-2007-06-01.html "Pelosi committed to allowing outside groups file ethics complaints,"] ''The Hill'', June 1, 2007.</ref> Implementation of the new commission was delayed, however, as many members were worried by the ability of non-members to submit complaints, fearing the change would be abused with politically motivated attacks. Fifty-three House members signed onto an alternative piece of ethics legislation, introduced by Rep. [[Baron Hill]] (D-Ind.), which would create a powerful investigative panel consisting of 12 former representatives, but would only allow complaints from sitting members. According to advocates familiar with the proposal in the House, the ethics panel would include the following components:
  
 +
* Republicans and Democrats would appoint an even number of members to the panel — most likely three GOP and three Democratic appointees. Current lawmakers and lobbyists could not sit on the panel.
 +
* The panel would receive complaints from outside groups and then invite witnesses to provide relevant testimony.
 +
* The panel would not have subpoena power or the power to put witnesses under oath.
 +
* Upon receiving a complaint, the panel would have 45 days to compile a report recommending dismissal or further action and pass it to the House Standards of Official Conduct Committee. If the panel could not complete its report within 45 days, it could grant itself a short extension.
 +
* The ethics committee would have up to 90 days to create an investigative subcommittee to probe the complaint or vote to dismiss it. If the committee voted to dismiss the complaint, the independent panel’s report would be made publicly available.
  
−
==Articles and Resources==
+
Several congressional watchdog groups came out against the measure, citing a provision that requires organizations that submit complaints to the independent ethics committee to disclose their donors, putting the legislation in danger of failing. Organizations like Public Citizen, Common Cause, Democracy 21, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, who had made the creation of such an outside ethics board a major priority since the Jack Abramoff scandal, felt that having to disclose their donors was not a necessary part of reform and could put them in jeopardy. Members of the House pushing for the outside ethics office argued that watchdog groups can't call for openness in Congress, while denying transparency on their part. The reform organizations also argued that the ethics panel as it was being considered in the House was not strong enough to produce real ethics reform, making calls to strengthen the potential committee's investigative authority and provide it with subpoena power.
−
===Resources===
 
−
<div id="ComedyCentral">
 
−
*[http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=35710 Interview with Jon Stewart], ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', November 30, 2005. ([[Daily Show|Other Daily Show interviews with members of Congress.]])
 
−
*[http://www.house.gov/pelosi Official website].
 
−
*[http://www.democraticleader.house.gov Democratic Leader website].
 
−
*[http://schema-root.org/region/americas/north_america/usa/government/politicians/nancy_pelosi/ Schema-root.org: Nancy Pelosi]&mdash;current news feed for Nancy Pelosi.
 
−
*[http://www.technorati.com/search/%22Nancy+Pelosi%22?authority=n Technorati Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 
−
*[http://news.google.com/news?svnum=10&hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=&as_mind=7&as_minm=2&as_maxd=9&as_maxm=3&q=%22Nancy+Pelosi%22 Google News Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 
−
*[http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=%22Nancy+Pelosi%22&c= Yahoo! News Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 
−
*[http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congtravel/member_report.php?member=7258 Power Trips: How much does Nancy Pelosi travel?]
 
−
*[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?tab=stats&id=400314 GovTrack Statistics: Nancy Pelosi].
 
−
*[http://opensecrets.org/races/index.asp Open Secrets] - 2006 congressional races database
 
  
−
===Local blogs and discussion sites===
+
===Election reform===
 +
On June 25, 2007, the House passed by voice vote the '''Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007'', sponsored by Rep. [[Rahm Emanuel]] (D-Ill.). The bill, still pending passage in the Senate, would establish criminal penalties for acts of voter deception. Those who knowingly disseminate false information with the intention of keeping others from voting would face up to five years in prison under the legislation. Pelosi, who supported the measure, stated that the bill focused on "voter suppression tactics using misinformation and deception targeted at minority voters," and that "disenfranchising voters through deception about time, place, or eligibility for voting must be illegal."
  
−
*''[http://www.calitics.com Calitics]''
+
===Impeachment of President George W. Bush===
−
*''[http://www.gregdewar.com/ Politicks isn't Pretty'']
+
In statements she made to the Washington Post in early 2006, then-House Minority Leader Pelosi left open the possibility that if Democrats took over the House after the November 2006 elections, their planned investigations into the Bush administration could lead to impeachment. Although impeachment would not be the goal of the investigations, she said, "You never know where it leads to." Since then she has changed her position and stated that the option is "off the table".
−
*''[http://ari.typepad.com/ Tiger Beat: Music, Culture, and Politics]''
 
  
−
===Articles===
+
==Biography==
−
*John Nichols, [http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20010806&s=nichols2 "Is This the New Face of the Democratic Party?"] ''The Nation'', August 6, 2001.
+
Pelosi was born March 26, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father, [[w:Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.|Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr.]], was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland and also a Mayor of Baltimore, the latter office having been held also by her brother [[w:Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III|Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III]] in the late 1960s.
−
*Doug Ireland, [http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/pelosis-problems/3412/ "Pelosi's Problems,"] ''LA Weekley'', November 13, 2002.
 
−
*Chris Suellentrop, [http://www.slate.com/?id=2073934 "Nancy Pelosi: The Leader the Democrats Deserve,"] ''Slate'', November 13, 2002.
 
−
*Mary Lynn F. Jones, [http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/24/jones-m.html "House Rules: Nancy Pelosi, Tom DeLay, and the Media's Double Standard,"] ''The American Prospect'', January 13, 2003.
 
−
*Edward Epstein, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN109779.DTL "Pelosi Accused of Pork Barrel Politics,"] <i>San Francisco Chronicle</i>, February 21, 2003.
 
−
*[http://student.cs.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/articles/article0002405.html "Pelosi's address to AIPAC,"] April 1, 2003.
 
−
*Ted Barrett, [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/28/tauzin.pelosi/index.html "Pelosi Rips Lawmaker on Job Offer,"] [[CNN]], January 28, 2004.
 
−
*[http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/california/2004-02-11-pelosi-pac-fined_x.htm "Pelosi PAC Fined $21,000 by FEC,"] Associated Pres, February 11, 2004.
 
−
*Hans Nichols, [http://www.hillnews.com/news/042104/pelosi.aspx "Rep. Pelosi prepared to blast Bush on Iraq,"] ''The Hill'', April 21, 2004.
 
−
*Harold Meyerson, [http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=7699 "How Nancy Pelosi Took Control,"] ''The American Prospect'', June 7, 2004.
 
−
*Stephen Dinan, [http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050405-123505-7189r.htm "Pelosi Helped Donor to PAC,"] <i>Washington Times</i>, May 4, 2005.
 
−
*{{note|aipac}} Mark Gaffney, [http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0527-23.htm "Nancy Pelosi Gives a Pep Talk to AIPAC,"] ''Common Dreams'', May 27, 2005.
 
−
*The Prowler, [http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8391 "Nullification Nancy,"] ''The American Spectator'', July 5, 2005.
 
−
*Edward Epstein, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/09/21/MNGDMER7HE1.DTL "Pelosi Willing to Give Up S.F. Funds for Recovery,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', September 21, 2005.
 
−
*Josephine Hearn, [http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/102005/pelosinew.html "Pelosi Calls for Investigation into Ney's Dealings with Wireless Firm,"] ''The Hill'', October 20, 2005.
 
−
*Mike Crowley, [http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20051226&s=crowley122605 "Steny Hoyer v. Nancy Pelosi,"] ''The New Republic'', December 26, 2005.
 
−
*Marc Sandalow, Erin McCormick, and Chronicle Staff Writers, [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/02/MNGSHI24ON1.DTL "Pelosi's goal: Democrats back on top Minority leader practices hardball politics to position her party for midterm election,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', May 2, 2006.
 
−
*Erin McCormick and Marc Sandalow, and Chronicle Staff Writers, [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/04/03/MNGN8I2DKT1.DTL "Pelosi mines 'California gold' for Dems nationwide,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', May 3, 2006.
 
−
*Erin McCormick and Marc Sandalow, and Chronicle Staff Writers, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/04/MNGQGI34MU1.DTL "Making House races a referendum on GOP,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', May 4, 2006.
 
−
*John Bresnahan, [http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_6/news/14297-1.html, "Pelosi Blasts Citations of DeLay, Cunningham,"] ''Roll Call,'' July 17, 2006.
 
−
*Charles Babington and Jim VandeHei, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073100743.html "Hill Democrats Unite to Urge Bush to Begin Iraq Pullout,"] ''Washington Post'', August 1, 2006.
 
−
*Perry Bacon Jr., [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376213,00.html "'Anybody knows not to mess with me'. Nancy Pelosi leads the Democrats with a fiery style that could make her the first woman Speaker of the House,"] ''TIME'' Magazine, August 27, 2006.
 
−
*Katherine Shrader, [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060926/ap_on_go_co/terrorism_intelligence;_ylt=Aj2YMi745VZ9FWxIcLw27R6yFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ-- "Pelosi asks for closed House session,"] Associated Press (Yahoo), September 26, 2006.
 
−
*Michael Stickings, [http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1161583477.shtml "The character of Nancy Pelosi,"] ''The Moderate Voice'', October 23, 2006.
 
−
*Kurt Nimmo, [http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_23300.shtml "Nancy Pelosi Gives the Neocons a Get Out of Jail Card,"] ''Axis of Logic'', October 23, 2006.
 
−
*Dave Lindorff, [http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/99/32/ "Why Nancy Pelosi has it wrong on impeachment,"] ''Atlantic Free Press'', October 25, 2006.
 
−
*Mark Matthews, [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=politics&id=4703868 "ABC7 Interview With Nancy Pelosi. Will She Be The Next Speaker?"] ABC7 News, October 27, 2006.
 
−
*Helen Thomas, [http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/45844.html Opinion: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,"] ''Sacramento Bee'', October 27, 2006.
 
−
*Geoffrey Dickens, [http://newsbusters.org/node/8712 "Chris Matthews Compares Nancy Pelosi to DiMaggio,"] ''[[NewsBusters]]'', October 30, 2006.
 
−
*[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/11/1/135024.shtml?s=ic "Nancy Pelosi: U.S. Not 'Winning' in Iraq,"] ''[[NewsMax]]'', November 1, 2006.
 
−
*[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=75592 "Pelosi: Bush's Failed Economic Policies Are Leaving Middle-Income Families Behind,"] U.S. Newswire, November 2, 2006.
 
−
*[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=75679 "Pelosi: 'Decision to Put Nuclear Weapons Information on the Internet Is a Serious Security Breach',"] U.S. Newswire, November 3, 2006.
 
−
*[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=75665 "Pelosi: In Bush Economy, Millions of Americans Are Working Hard and Unable to Get Ahead,"] U.S. Newswire, November 3, 2006.
 
−
*David Gregory, [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15549477/ "What will the Democrats do if they win? Bush taunts audiences while the minority party ponders a different future,"] MSNBC, November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Ruth Marcus, [http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/71285.html Opinion: "Pelosi's choice,"] ''Sacramento Bee'', November 4, 2006.
 
  
−
===Swiftboating Nancy Pelosi===
+
==Affiliations ==
−
*[http://www.wonkette.com/politics/pat-buchanan/pat-buchanan-on-scarborough-this-happened-because-nancy-pelosi-is-a-flamer-205804.php "Pat Buchanan on Scarborough: This Happened Because Nancy Pelosi Is a Flamer,"] ''Wonkette!'', October 6, 2006.
+
*[[AIPAC]]
−
*Joseph Klein, [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=24819 "Nancy Pelosi: Anatomy of a Trainwreck,"] ''[[FrontPageMag.com]]'', October 9, 2006.
 
−
*Deborah, [http://www.newshounds.us/2006/10/12/oreilly_warns_voters_about_nancy_pelosi_and_her_san_francisco_values.php "O'Reilly Warns Voters About Nancy Pelosi and Her 'San Francisco Values',"] ''News Hounds'', October 12, 2006.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200610150005 "Hume smeared] '[un]popular' and not 'respected' 'Speaker Nancy Pelosi,' claimed she would harm an '08 Clinton presidential bid," Media Matters for America, October 15, 2006.
 
−
*Ken Hughes, [http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=15166 "Has Nancy Pelosi Put The Cart Before The Horse,"] ''American Chronicle'', October 20, 2006.
 
−
*Chrish, [http://www.newshounds.us/2006/10/24/gingrich_and_oreilly_rag_on_absent_nancy_pelosi.php "Gingrich and O'Reilly rag on (absent) Nancy Pelosi,"] ''News Hounds'', October 24, 2006: [[Newt Gingrich]] "continues to criticize her 'San Francisco liberalism'."
 
−
*Janie, [http://www.newshounds.us/2006/10/25/foxs_latest_gop_campaign_contribution_attacking_nancy_pelosi.php "Fox's Latest GOP Campaign Contribution: Attacking Nancy Pelosi,"] ''News Hounds'', October 25, 2006.
 
−
*Margaret Talev, [http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/15856169.htm "GOP takes aim at Nancy Pelosi to turn out their voters,"] McClatchy Newspapers (''The State'' (SC)), October 26, 2006.
 
−
*Edward Epstein, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/28/MNGD7M1UNN1.DTL "GOP ads warn of 'homosexual agenda' from S.F.,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', October 28, 2006.
 
−
*[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/10/29/225542.shtml "Gingrich: Stop 'Speaker Pelosi',"] ''NewsMax'', October 29, 2006.
 
−
*Margaret Talev, [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/elections/15882301.htm "Republicans zero in on Pelosi. Republicans hope that drawing attention to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco will turn out votes against Democrats, but it may alienate female voters,"] McClatchy Newspapers (''Miami Herald''), October 30, 2006.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200610310018 "Beck, Mowbray tag-teamed to bash Pelosi; Beck compared Santorum to Churchill,"] Media Matters for America, October 31, 2006.
 
−
*Rich Galen, [http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/RichGalen/2006/11/01/uh,_oh_you_mean_i_was_right "Uh, oh. You mean I was right?"] ''[[Townhall.com]]'', November 1, 2006: "Pelosi represents that hotbed of neo-conservative thought: San Francisco." (??????)
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611010007 "Luntz on Pelosi: 'You get one shot at a facelift. If it doesn't work the first time, let it go',"] Media Matters for America, November 1, 2006.
 
−
*Jim Meyers, [http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/11/1/131350.shtml?s=lh "The 'Real' Speaker Pelosi,"] ''NewsMax'', November 1, 2006.
 
−
*[http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061101-091540-5522r.htm Editorial: "Pelosi's budget votes,"] ''Washington Times'', November 2, 2006.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611030001 "''Wash. Times'' editorial falsely suggested Pelosi would cut Iraq-war funding,"] Media Matters for America, November 2, 2006.
 
−
*Nico Pitney, [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/02/drudge-pelosi/ "Drudge Floats Conspiracy Theory That Pelosi Has ‘Vanished,’ Ignores Clinton Rally, CNN Profile,"] ''Think Progress'', November 2, 2006. See banner posted at [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/03/limbaugh-falls-for-drudges-fiction/ ''Limbaugh Falls for Drudge's Fiction''].
 
−
*Dana, [http://www.campusprogress.org/page/community/post_group/main/C338 "Anti-Pelosi Watch,"] ''Campus Progress'' Blog, November 2, 2006.
 
−
*Judd Legum, [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/02/dornan-pelosi-catholics/ "Dornan: ‘Loyal’ Christians Should Not 'Jump Into The Hell Fire Of A Nancy Pelosi Catholic',"] ''Think Progress'', November 2, 2006.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611020014 "On MSNBC, Dornan accused Pelosi of making 'a racist statement' to support abortion rights; no follow-up from Robach,"] Media Matters for America, November 2, 2006.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611020015 "Blitzer failed to challenge Boehner on false claims about war, ethics,"] Media Matters for America, November 2, 2006.
 
−
*[[Rush Limbaugh]], [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_110306/content/amber_alert.guest.html "Gutless Pelosi in Hiding While Bush Campaigns,"] RushLimbaugh.com, November 3, 2006. Subscription may be required.
 
−
*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611030009 "''Where is Nancy Pelosi?'' A 'How To' Guide for Advancing Conservative Misinformation. How a Bogus Claim from a GOP Organization Ended Up on MSNBC,"] Media Matters for America, November 3, 2006.
 
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*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200611030011?src=other "'Where's Nancy?' Trajectory of a GOP smear on Pelosi,"] Media Matters for America, November 3, 2006: "The claim that Pelosi was '[a]lmost entirely absent from the campaign trail' appears to have [http://www.freedomproject.org/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1162323823&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1& originated with] [[The Freedom Project]], [[House Majority Leader]] [[John Boehner]]'s (R-OH) [[political action committee]] ..."
 
−
*[http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061102-090358-9812r.htm Editorial: "A look at Pelosi's voting record,"] ''Washington Times'', November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Nico Pitney, [http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/03/pelosi-events/ "‘Vanishing’ Pelosi To Appear At Multiple Public Rallies Tomorrow,"] ''Think Progress'', November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Joe Garofoli, [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/03/VALUES.TMP "Three dirty words: San Francisco values,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Hanke Plante, [http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_307205857.html "'San Francisco Values' Under Attack,"] CBS5.com, November 3, 2006.
 
−
*[http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061103-034830-5775r "SanFran 'values' new GOP watchword,"] UPI, November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Joe Garofoli, [http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/15928981.htm "'S.F. Values' Creates GOP Buzz. Phrase takes hold in media, cyberspace,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'' (''MontereyHerald.com''), November 4, 2006.
 
−
*Doug Powers, [http://mensnewsdaily.com/2006/11/03/nancy-pelosi-stars-in-misery-ii-well-release-you-after-the-cocka-doody-election/ "Nancy Pelosi Stars in ''Misery II: We’ll Release You After The Cocka-Doody Election!'',"] ''Vox Populi'' (''[[MensNewsDaily.com]]''), November 4, 2006.
 
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*John W. Lillpop, [http://newsblaze.com/story/20061103064751lill.nb/newsblaze/OPINIONS/Opinions.html "Can America Survive a Pelosi Political Plundering?"] ''News Blaze'', November 3, 2006.
 
−
*Mark Finkelstein, [http://newsbusters.org/node/8799 "Nancy Pelosi: The Speaker from Fahrenheit 9/11?"] ''NewsBusters'', November 3, 2006.
 
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*Randy Hall, [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200611/POL20061103b.html "Dems' 'New Direction' for Economy Is 'Straight Down,' GOP Says,"] [[Cybercast News Service]], November 3, 2006.
 
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*Carl Nolte, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/04/VALUES.TMP "Those much-aligned values of life in S.F. -- free to be you, me,"] ''San Francisco Chronicle'', November 4, 2006.
 
  
 
==Contact==
 
==Contact==
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Fax: 415-861-1670<br>
 
Fax: 415-861-1670<br>
  
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==Articles and resources==
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===Sources===
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<references/>
  
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[[Category:Israel Lobby]][[Category:Middle East Watch]]
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===External resources===
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<div id="ComedyCentral">
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*[http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=35710 Interview with Jon Stewart], ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', November 30, 2005. ([[Daily Show|Other Daily Show interviews with members of Congress.]])
 +
*[http://schema-root.org/region/americas/north_america/usa/government/politicians/nancy_pelosi/ Schema-root.org: Nancy Pelosi]&mdash;current news feed for Nancy Pelosi.
 +
*[http://www.technorati.com/search/%22Nancy+Pelosi%22?authority=n Technorati Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 +
*[http://news.google.com/news?svnum=10&hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=&as_mind=7&as_minm=2&as_maxd=9&as_maxm=3&q=%22Nancy+Pelosi%22 Google News Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 +
*[http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=%22Nancy+Pelosi%22&c= Yahoo! News Search: Nancy Pelosi].
 +
*[http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congtravel/member_report.php?member=7258 Power Trips: How much does Nancy Pelosi travel?]
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*[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?tab=stats&id=400314 GovTrack Statistics: Nancy Pelosi].
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*[http://opensecrets.org/races/index.asp Open Secrets] - 2006 congressional races database
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*[http://www.whereistand.com/NancyPelosi Compare where Nancy Pelosi stands on the issues] at whereIstand.com
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====Pelosi's Websites====
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*[http://www.house.gov/pelosi Official website].
 +
*[http://www.democraticleader.house.gov Democratic Leader website].
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*[http://speaker.gov/blog/ ''The Gavel''], Speaker's Blog (launched February 6, 2007).

Revision as of 12:16, 14 July 2007

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 110th Congress. A Democrat, she is the first woman to hold the post of Speaker, or even lead a major political party in either house of Congress. She has represented the 8th District of California in the United States House of Representatives since 1987. (map)

Record and controversies

Transparency

Sunlight Foundation website investigation

Nancy Pelosi's official website was rated by citizen researchers in February 2007 as part of a survey by the Sunlight Foundation. The survey evaluated members' sites on whether they provided basic information on their legislative activities, post their legally required disclosures such as on personal finances and travel, and any other information that furthers transparency. Nancy Pelosi's site received a 32 (out of 100). A score of 40 was considered passing. Full results.

Progressive image

Pelosi is generally very progressive. She was a member of the Progressive Caucus until she became the party leader, when she adopted a policy of not belonging to any caucuses.[1]

Like most House Democrats, Pelosi opposed the resolution authorizing Bush to use military force against Iraq. She has strongly criticized the war effort since then, and introduced an amendment to the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations bill calling on Bush to specify a strategy for success in Iraq, as well as a timetable for a safe withdrawal of American troops.

Also, on July 31, 2006 Pelosi joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in leading top congressional Democrats in signing a letter urging President Bush to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2006. The letter was signed by the twelve leading Democrats on the House and Senate committees handling armed services, foreign relations, intelligence and military spending.[2]

Views on Israel

Pelosi addressed the 2005 Policy Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. In her speech she said that the root of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the right of Israel to exist, not the occupation of Palestine, and pledged the protection of the U.S.:

""There are those who contend that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is all about Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. This is absolute nonsense. In truth, the history of the conflict is not over occupation, and never has been: it is over the fundamental right of Israel to exist... The United States will stand with Israel now and forever. Now and forever."[1]

In July 2006, she threatened to boycott the speech by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki to the joint session of congress unless he repudiated his earlier criticism of Israeli aggression against Lebanon.[3]

Beginning August 8, 1991, Nancy Pelosi went on a tour of Israel as part of an Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith congressional mission. The other congressmen on the tour were: Leon Panetta, George Miller and Charles Schumer.

Pelosi has strong ties to a number of Jewish groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee whose former preident Amy Friedkin is her close friend.[4]

Network neutrality legislation

When Rep. Joe Barton and Sen. Ted Stevens pushed anti-network neutrality legislation in 2006, Pelosi came out in favor of neutrality, angering telecom companies and some fellow Democrats by urging her caucus to fall in line behind her. Roll Call also quoted "insiders" as saying that the damage telecom companies deal to Democrats in retaliation was low because they had already maxed out their campaign contributions to the legal limits until after the 2006 election.[5] Network neutrality has been called the "first amendment of the Internet" by the SavetheInternet.com Coalition.

PAC Fined

In 2004 a political action committee (PAC), Team Majority, controlled by Pelosi was fined $21,000 for "for improperly accepting donations over federal limits, according to records and interviews."[6] Pelosi used two PACs, including Team Majority, to raise money for her colleagues during the 2002 election. The fine came from Pelosi's use of multiple PACs to exceed donation limits to other members campaign committees. Two Democratic lawmakers, Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Julie Thomas (D-Md.), paid fines of $2,500 each for receiving illegal contributions from Pelosi's PAC. Team Majority ceased operating before the fine was issued.[7]

Earmarks and "pork"

In February of 2003 the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Pelosi had sought a $1 million earmark for an advisor and former campaign treasurer's think tank:[8]

Pelosi's office confirmed Thursday that the San Francisco Democrat, who was elected House minority leader in November, obtained the $1 million for the USF center, without requiring [her longtime adviser and campaign treasurer, former Lt. Gov. Leo T.] McCarthy and USF to go through the normal application process for such grants. But Pelosi said the program got the money on its merits, not because of any political ties to the congresswoman.[9]

A 2005 Washington Times report alleges that Pelosi helped a campaign donor secure funds from a federal agency days after one of her staff members returned from a fact-finding trip to Spain that was funded by the donor.[10]

Pelosi and her office denied any connection between the trip and the money sought by WestStart-CALSTART. Pelosi's spokeswoman stated that Republican staffers also went on the trip to Spain.

Endorsement of Jack Murtha for Majority Leader

Following their victory in the 2006 midterm elections, congressional Democrats engaged in an intra-party struggle to determine who would be majority leader during the 110th Congress. With Pelosi ascending to the Speakership, Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), then minority whip, appeared to be the most likely candidate for the position. Challenging him was Rep. John Murtha (Pa.), a close associate of Pelosi's and an early critic of the U.S. war in Iraq. Pelosi intially vowed to stay neutral in the contest. The Sunday before the Nov. 16th caucus elections, however, Pelosi surprised political observers by openly endorsing Murtha and throwing her full weight behind him, campaigning vigorously on his behalf. Hoyer ultimately prevailed by a vote of 149-86.[11][12]

Opposes creation of Iraq oversight committee

On January 22, 2007, the House Republican leadership sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi which proposed the creation of a new oversight committee to monitor the progress of President Bush's Iraq plan. The panel would have defined military, political and social benchmarks in which the president would be required to submit a report to the committee every 30 days indicating whether those benchmarks had been achieved. The committee would have also addressed troop withdrawal, which would have required “an interagency assessment on the impact withdrawal would have on our national security and homeland interest,” as well as the effect withdrawal would have had on surrounding countries.

During a press conference, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stated that he believed congressional oversight of Bush’s new Iraq plan, including the decision to deploy more than 20,000 troops to the region, was necessary. He explained that, “I support the president’s plan, but we have a duty to candidly and honestly assess whether the new strategy will be effective and ultimately successful.”

The proposal was ultimately rejected by Pelosi, as she expressed confidence in the oversight ability of the already established committees. Her spokesman, Drew Hammill, stated that, “Committees in the 110th Congress are already underway on Iraq oversight...She has the upmost confidence in their ability.”[13]

Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act

Pelosi strongly supported the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act (H.R. 2956), which was sponsored by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) on July 10, 2007. The bill would require that the U.S. begin redeploying troops from Iraq within 120 days of the bill's passage. It would also require that the U.S. have a "limited presence" in Iraq by April 1, 2008. President Bush would need to submit a report to Congress outlining the specific goals of the remaining troops in Iraq, along with timetables for their completion. [14]

On July 12, 2007 the House passed the bill in a vote of 223-201.[15]

Before the vote, Pelosi called for a change in Iraq, saying,

“After more than 3,600 lives have been lost to a flawed strategy, we have a responsibility to create a new direction.

“After spending $329 million every day on the war in Iraq, on a war that is not making our country safer, we have an obligation to change course.

“After five years of a failed policy in Iraq, we have a duty not just to voice our opposition, but to vote to end the war.

“Chairman Skelton’s bipartisan bill offers a step we can take today toward bringing the troops home. To creating a strategic vision for stability in the Middle East, and for beginning to rearm our military."[16]

Template:Main

No smoking in the Speaker's lobby

On January 10, 2007, Pelosi banned smoking from the Speaker's Lobby, saying, "The days of smoke-filled rooms in the United States Capitol are over...Medical science has unquestionably established the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke, including an increased risk of cancer and respiratory diseases. I am a firm believer that Congress should lead by example." Pelosi's ban did not prohibit lawmakers from smoking in their own offices.[17]

Against an invasion of Iran

In February 2007, at the House Democratic annual retreat, Speaker Pelosi informed her colleagues that "if it appears likely that Bush wants to take the country to war against Iran, the House would take up a bill to deny him the authority to do so."[18]

Congressional air travel

Flight compensation

In March 2007, a liaison from Speaker Pelosi met with Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) office in order to amend the House rules regarding compensation for Congressional air travel. The rules were changed in January, requiring Congressmen to pay non-commercial aircraft owners the full price of a ticket, which the FAA rules prohibit. While this has prevented Members from using lobbyists aircraft, it also grounded several personal aircraft amongst Democratic and Republican Lawmakers. Pelosi was attempting to change the rules via voice-vote, (which required unanimous consent) but Boehner has refused to consider "piecemeal changes" and was holding out for other Rules changes regarding earmarks.

Eventually, on May 2 2007, the House voted by voice vote on H.R.363 to remove airplane travel restrictions. The measure was sponsored by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Samuel Graves (R-Mo.). The new rules allow members to fly in a friend's airplane for free. The rules change also provides that members who are certified pilots may again fly their own aircraft. Template:Main

Use of Air Force transportation

In early February 2007, Department of Defense officials criticized Pelosi for using Air Force transportation in extravagance. Pelosi admitted to using a C-32 to fly coast to coast (from Washington to San Francisco) without refueling, but claims that she did not request the military version of a Boeing-757 specifically. Pelosi further claimed that the criticism was a retributive attack for her past criticism of Donald Rumsfeld and the war in Iraq. On February 8, 2007, White House spokesman Tony Snow called the affair "silly" and "unfair to the speaker."[19]

2007 Iraq war spending bill

On March 29, 2007, Speaker Pelosi urged President Bush to relax with threats of vetoing the House and Senate versions of the Iraq war supplemental bill. The legislation includes benchmarks and a 2008 withdrawal plan. If lawmakers cannot pass a bill with the president’s signature, it will lead to a shutdown of the Pentagon, effectively denying funding to troops in Iraq.[20]

After the first Iraq supplemental spending bill, which included a timetable for troop withdrawal, passed the House in a 218-212 vote in March 2007, Pelosi stated, "proudly, this new Congress voted to bring an end to the war in Iraq." The bill was eventually passed by both chambers and sent to the President who vetoed it as promised.

Following the veto, another attempt was made an an Iraq supplemental spending bill, one that would most likely not include a troop withdrawal timetable. On May 10, Pelosi agreed to also hold a vote on an alternative measure (H.R.2237), sponsored by Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), which would mandate that U.S. combat troop withdrawal begin within three months, and that it be completed six months after that. Then, the bill mandated, no congressional money could be used for military operations (though there would be an allowance for certain types of special-ops activities). The alternative measure failed by a vote of 171-255.

On May 22, 2007, after numerous attempts at including timetables in an Iraq supplemental spending bill, Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate announced that they would each introduce supplemental spending bills which would not include timetables for combat withdrawal. Speaker Pelosi added, however, that the House bill would feature benchmarks with consequences, such as restricting reconstruction aid to Iraq if it could not meet certain goals. When the final bill, which provided funds for the Iraq War through September 2007, came to a vote, it passed 280-142, with most Democrats,including Pelosi, opposing it.

Trip to the Middle East

Despite vocal disapproval from the White House, Pelosi embarked on a nine-day goodwill trip to the Middle East in late March 2007. Pelosi planned to address several parliaments and heads of state, including Syria. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), David Hobson (R-Ohio) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) are accompanying her. The trip to Syria goes against White House recommendations of avoiding the country due to, what the White House calls, state-sponsored terrorism. The White House criticized the message that Pelosi’s stop would send to U.S. allies.[21]

Think Progress, however, stated that at the time the White House was making those comments it exempted from criticism three congressional Republicans — Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Joe Pitts (R-Penn.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.)[22] — who were then on a similar trip to Israel and Syria. Also, the Associated Press reported that in March 2007, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey had traveled to Syria to hold talks with a "senior Syrian diplomat on how Damascus was coping with a flood of Iraqi refugees, the first such talks in the Syrian capital for more than two years." [23]

White House spokesperson Dana Perino had the following exchange with a reporter on April 3, 2007, when asked about the difference between how the White House treated the two trips:

QUESTION: I want to clarify on the -- you're saying it was a bad idea, then, for Speaker Pelosi to go for all these various reasons to Syria. It's a bad idea, then, for Jim Baker to have gone, a bad idea for Frank Wolf to go as well, right?

MS. PERINO: We think that it is not a good idea for U.S. officials to go and meet with Assad, because it alleviates that pressure, and also because meetings haven't produced anything. They've been meeting just to meet, and he doesn't change his behavior. In fact, he uses those meetings as a reason to say that he doesn't need to do anything. [24]

Pelosi held talks with the Syrian president on April 4, 2007 on Syrian-Israeli relations and Syrian support of militant groups. [25]

A "day after the Pelosi delegation", on April 5, 2007, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), a Lebanese-American "who frequently travels to the Middle East"[26], "headed a 3 person delegation"[27][28] that visited Syria and met with Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem.[29][30]

On April 5, 2007, in a telephone interview with Rush Limbaugh[31], Vice President Dick Cheney criticized Pelosi's statements to the Syrian president as "nonsensical" and constituting "bad behavior." This criticism was, in part, a response to Pelosi conveying that Israel was open to peace talks with Syria which prompted Israel to clarify the pre-conditions to peace talks. [32]

On April 8, 2007, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich criticised Pelosi's trip as "dangerous for America", stating that it is "very important not to have two foreign policies." [33]

Immigration

On May 20th 2007, Speaker Pelosi issued a series of criticisms regarding the Senate's immigration bill. Specifically, she mentioned the 'point system' of the guest worker program and that it was anti-family. She stated, "the family unification principles which had been fundamental to American immigration are disrupted by what is in there now.”[34]

Applauds President Bush for tightening sanctions against Sudan

On May 29, 2007, Pelosi applauded a decision by President Bush to tighten sanctions against the government of Sudan. Bush's plan called for increasing economic and political pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to end the alleged genocide in the country's Darfur region.[35]

Peru-United States Free Trade Agreement deal

On May 10, 2007, Democratic congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), struck a deal with President Bush that secured their support for the Peru-U.S. agreement in exchange for inserting provisions that protect workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively. The Peruvian government would also have to agree to the changes before Congress could consider the agreement.[36]

Ethics reform

After emerging victorious in the November 7, 2006 elections Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi pledged "to lead the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history." Pelosi also pledged to sever the ties between K Street, the Washington corridor of lobbying firms, and Congress. As incoming Speaker, Pelosi also stated that she would push to make the sponsors of congressional earmarks public prior to votes. She stated, "There has to be transparency ... I'd just as soon do away with all (earmarks), but that probably isn't realistic."

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006

Minority Leader Pelosi introduced The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 on January 20, 2006, in the wake of numerous guilty pleas by and indictments of lobbyists and members of Congress. Specifically, the bill would:

  • Ban lobbyists from giving gifts or travel to members or their staff.
  • Require lobbyists to file electronic, quarterly reports. The report must contain information pertaining to efforts to stimulate grassroots support, previous work in the executive or legislative branches, and provide certification of the report with the possibility of criminal penalties for failing to submit a certified report. The bill also creates a searchable public database of lobbying reports.
  • Double the "cooling-off" period where lawmakers, staff, and Executive branch employees cannot lobby there former offices of employment from one-year to two-years.
  • Stop efforts like the "K Street Project" by banning efforts of members of Congress and staff to enforce partisan discipline in private organizations. The penalty would be a fine or up to 15 years in prison with a possible ban on serving public office.
  • Require lawmakers, staff, and Executive employees to disclose outside job negotiations and to receive approval from the Office of Government Ethics.
  • Require conference committees to be open to the public and require conference reports to be publicly available on the Internet at least 24 hours prior to a vote.
  • Require that any appointee to a public safety position have proven credentials and training in one or more areas that are relevant.
  • Provide oversight of government contracting. Require contractors to work for contracts in an open, competitive bidding process. Create stiffer penalties for wartime fraud and prohibit contractors with conflicts of interest from participating in competitive bidding.

The bill was referred to six committees, Judiciary, Rules, Government Reform, Standards and Conduct, Armed Services, and Administration, and failed to emerge from any one of the six.

Independent ethics commission

On February 1, 2007, Speaker Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced the creation of a "task force" to study implementation of an outside ethics body to oversee Congress. The task force, chaired by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), issued it's report to the House in May 2007.

On June 1, 2007, Pelosi announced her intention to create an independent ethics commission that would allow outside groups to file complaints against members of Congress, which previously could only be filed by other members. The commission, as proposed by a special task force chaired by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), could filter complaints but have no judging authority.[37] Implementation of the new commission was delayed, however, as many members were worried by the ability of non-members to submit complaints, fearing the change would be abused with politically motivated attacks. Fifty-three House members signed onto an alternative piece of ethics legislation, introduced by Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), which would create a powerful investigative panel consisting of 12 former representatives, but would only allow complaints from sitting members. According to advocates familiar with the proposal in the House, the ethics panel would include the following components:

  • Republicans and Democrats would appoint an even number of members to the panel — most likely three GOP and three Democratic appointees. Current lawmakers and lobbyists could not sit on the panel.
  • The panel would receive complaints from outside groups and then invite witnesses to provide relevant testimony.
  • The panel would not have subpoena power or the power to put witnesses under oath.
  • Upon receiving a complaint, the panel would have 45 days to compile a report recommending dismissal or further action and pass it to the House Standards of Official Conduct Committee. If the panel could not complete its report within 45 days, it could grant itself a short extension.
  • The ethics committee would have up to 90 days to create an investigative subcommittee to probe the complaint or vote to dismiss it. If the committee voted to dismiss the complaint, the independent panel’s report would be made publicly available.

Several congressional watchdog groups came out against the measure, citing a provision that requires organizations that submit complaints to the independent ethics committee to disclose their donors, putting the legislation in danger of failing. Organizations like Public Citizen, Common Cause, Democracy 21, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, who had made the creation of such an outside ethics board a major priority since the Jack Abramoff scandal, felt that having to disclose their donors was not a necessary part of reform and could put them in jeopardy. Members of the House pushing for the outside ethics office argued that watchdog groups can't call for openness in Congress, while denying transparency on their part. The reform organizations also argued that the ethics panel as it was being considered in the House was not strong enough to produce real ethics reform, making calls to strengthen the potential committee's investigative authority and provide it with subpoena power.

Election reform

On June 25, 2007, the House passed by voice vote the 'Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007, sponsored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). The bill, still pending passage in the Senate, would establish criminal penalties for acts of voter deception. Those who knowingly disseminate false information with the intention of keeping others from voting would face up to five years in prison under the legislation. Pelosi, who supported the measure, stated that the bill focused on "voter suppression tactics using misinformation and deception targeted at minority voters," and that "disenfranchising voters through deception about time, place, or eligibility for voting must be illegal."

Impeachment of President George W. Bush

In statements she made to the Washington Post in early 2006, then-House Minority Leader Pelosi left open the possibility that if Democrats took over the House after the November 2006 elections, their planned investigations into the Bush administration could lead to impeachment. Although impeachment would not be the goal of the investigations, she said, "You never know where it leads to." Since then she has changed her position and stated that the option is "off the table".

Biography

Pelosi was born March 26, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland and also a Mayor of Baltimore, the latter office having been held also by her brother Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III in the late 1960s.

Affiliations

Contact

DC Office:
2371 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0508
Phone: 202-225-4965
Fax: 202-225-8259
Email: sf.nancy AT mail.house.gov
Web Email
Website

District Office - San Francisco:
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102-3460
Phone: 415-556-4862
Fax: 415-861-1670

Articles and resources

Sources

  1. ↑ Edward Epstein. "Liberal legislative caucus envisions post-Bush era," San Fransisco Chronicle. July 5, 2005.
  2. ↑ Charles Babington and Jim VandeHei. "Hill Democrats Unite to Urge Bush to Begin Iraq Pullout," Washington Post. August 1, 2006.
  3. ↑ "PACing in the Marionettes," The Fanonite. March 14, 2007.
  4. ↑ Jennifer Jacobson. "For Pelosi, Israel is personal," JTA. November 8, 2006.
  5. ↑ Tory Newmyer. "Push by Pelosi Irks Telecoms," Roll Call. May 10, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials," USA Today. February 11, 2004.
  7. ↑ "Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials," USA Today. February 11, 2004.
  8. ↑ Edward Epstein. "Pelosi accused of pork-barrel politics," San Fransisco Chronicle. February 21, 2003.
  9. ↑ Edward Epstein. "Pelosi accused of pork-barrel politics," San Fransisco Chronicle. February 21, 2003.
  10. ↑ "In Case You Missed It: Pelosi Helped Donor To PAC,"The Washington Times, (Accessed via GOP.com). April 5, 2005.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano. "Pelosi Splits Democrats With Push For Murtha," Washington Post. November 16, 2006.
  12. ↑ Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano. "Democrats Pick Hoyer Over Murtha," Washington Post. November 17, 2007.
  13. ↑ Jackie Kucinich. "House GOP proposes bipartisan Iraq oversight," The Hill. January 23, 2007.
  14. ↑ "OpenCongress page on H.R.2956," OpenCongress.
  15. ↑ Mike Soraghan and Manu Raju. "Key vote on the Iraq war keeps House GOP united," The Hill. July 13, 2007.
  16. ↑ "Pelosi Floor Statement on Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act," Speaker Nancy Pelosi. July 12, 2007.
  17. ↑ Erica Werner. "Pelosi Bans Smoking Near House Floor," Washington Post. January 10, 2007.
  18. ↑ Michael Abramowitz and Paul Kane. "At Democrats' Meeting, Bush Appeals for Cooperation," Washington Post. February 4, 2007.
  19. ↑ "House sergeant-at-arms ordered Pelosi plane," MSNBC. February 8, 2007.
  20. ↑ Jonathan E. Kaplan. "Pelosi tells Bush to ‘calm down threats’," The Hill. March 28, 2007.
  21. ↑ Chris Good, "White House disapproves of Pelosi's Syria trip," The Hill, March 30, 2007.
  22. ↑ Helen Cooper and Carl Hulse, "As One Syria Trip Draws Fire, Others Draw Silence," New York Times, April 7, 2007
  23. ↑ "Exclusive: Republican Delegation Currently Visiting Syria, Spared From White House Attacks," Think Progress, March 30, 2007.
  24. ↑ Josh Marshall, blog post, TalkingPointsMemo.com, April 3, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Pelosi, Syrian president meet," USA Today, April 4, 2007.
  26. ↑ "Republican congressman meets with Syria's Assad," Associated Press, April 6, 2007
  27. ↑ "U.S. Congressmen meets with Syria's President Assad," PressTV.ir, April 5, 2007
  28. ↑ "Republican member of US Congress meets Syria's Assad," Yalibnan.com, April 6, 2007
  29. ↑ Carla Marinucci, "Pelosi, Lantos may be interested in diplomatic trip to Iran," San Franciso Chronicle, April 10, 2007
  30. ↑ "Republican Congressman Visits Syria After Controversial Pelosi Trip," Voice of America News, April 6, 2007
  31. ↑ Helen Cooper and Carl Hulse, "As One Syria Trip Draws Fire, Others Draw Silence," New York Times, April 7, 2007
  32. ↑ Mike Soraghan, "Cheney: Pelosi’s Syria visit constitutes ‘bad behavior’," The Hill, April 5, 2007.
  33. ↑ Chris Good, "Gingrich criticizes Pelosi over Syria visit," The Hill, April 8, 2007.
  34. ↑ Jeremy Jacobs, "Pelosi lays out criticism of immigration bill" The Hill, May 20, 2007.
  35. ↑ Kara Oppenheim, "Pelosi praises Bush for tightening Sudan sanctions," The Hill, May 29, 2007.
  36. ↑ Doug Palmer, "Democrats, Bush strike deal on trade," Reuters, May 11, 2007.
  37. ↑ Mike Soraghan, "Pelosi committed to allowing outside groups file ethics complaints," The Hill, June 1, 2007.

External resources

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