Speaker Nancy Pelosi
#womenshistoryProfiles
For more than 35 years, Nancy Pelosi has served in Congress making history in 2007 when she was elected as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. During the two terms she spent in that role, she authored landmark legislation and ensured critical civil rights protections.
As author of both the Affordable Care Act and the American Rescue Plan, Pelosi championed important financial support for people during times of great economic distress. She also led what has been called “the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of Congress” during her tenure in the governing body.
Her tenacity to defend civil rights led her to success in repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which discriminated against members of the LGBTQ+ community who wanted to serve their country through military enlistment. She also passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which increases local capacity for the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.
Most recently, Pelosi oversaw the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, which upholds marriage equality under federal law securing safeguards for millions.
Pelosi took leading stances on many issues involving civil rights, education, environment, health care, foreign affairs, and the economy, which has led her to receive overwhelming support in the majority of her electoral races.