DCNOW Thanks National Legend, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi

By: Miriam Edelman

On November 6, 2025, Speaker Emerita of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced her retirement in a brief video, ending her almost 40-year groundbreaking Congressional career. The 85-year old political icon is the first and only female Speaker of the House. Until Kamala Harris became Vice President in 2021, Pelosi was the highest-ranking woman in U.S. history.  Excluding Harris’ role as President of the Senate as part of her Vice President position, Pelosi is still Congress’ highest-ranking woman in history.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) has strongly supported Pelosi over the years.:

-          In 2007, NOW celebrated “Herstory” when Pelosi was sworn in the U.S.’s most powerful woman. As NOW’s then-President Kim Gandy said:

“This is a historic moment for women everywhere – Nancy Pelosi has broken through the marble ceiling.”

“With the House under Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, women are now more hopeful for a better future. NOW looks forward to working with Speaker Pelosi on legislation that will help empower women and families.”

-          In 2016, in its endorsement of Pelosi to continue her role as the House’s Democratic Leader, NOW wrote:

“Nancy Pelosi has been an exemplary leader and a guiding force behind a progressive agenda that strengthens our representative democracy. Her support for a Women’s Economic Agenda focused attention on the continuing fight for justice, for equal rights and for greater opportunity. As Nancy Pelosi has said, when women succeed, America succeeds.”

-          In 2020, after Pelosi won reelection to Democratic leadership in 2020, NOW congratulated Pelosi:

“I am proud to congratulate Nancy Pelosi on her re-election to Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives. Pelosi has been a trailblazer for women, and a champion of feminist issues–including accessible reproductive care, equal pay, LGBTQIA equality, and voting rights.”

Pelosi gave a keynote address at NOW’s 2021 Annual Conference.

On November 6, 2025, NOW issued a statement, entitled “Thank You, Nancy Pelosi!,” that began:

“U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she will retire after 39 years in Congress — including her history-making tenure as the first woman Speaker of the House — marks the end of an extraordinary era in American leadership. It’s also an opportunity for women to look back on all she has accomplished, and to look forward to how we can carry her legacy into the future.”

“Without Nancy Pelosi, we would not have seen the passage of the Affordable Care Act; the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; the COVID-19 relief bills that delivered direct assistance to families in need, created millions of new jobs, and returned children safely to schools; and other laws that are making profound differences to women’s lives.”

Pelosi’s Life Before Congress

Pelosi was born into the D’Alesandro political family in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 1940. At the time, her father, Thomas Jr. D’Alesandro, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Maryland. Later, he was the Mayor of Baltimore, a position later filled by Pelosi’s brother Thomas D’Alesandro III. Pelosi’s five older brothers, but not Pelosi, were groomed for a career in politics. Pelosi graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame and Trinity College.

In 1963, Pelosi married Paul Pelosi, with whom she had five children. She was a “stay-at-home” mother in San Francisco and helped with Democratic politics and local initiatives. She became the first female Chair of the California Democratic Party and then served as Finance Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She assisted in getting and leading the 1984 Democratic convention that was in San Francisco. She also served on the San Francisco Public Library Commission.

1987 Initial Election to Congress

In 1987, Pelosi was first elected to the House of Representatives in a special election to replace the late Representative Sala Burton. Before Burton died, Pelosi was mainly known in the San Francisco Chronicle as “Mrs. Paul Pelosi.” Burton, who had colon cancer from early 1987, planned to remain in office until her term ended. Four days after she wrote that she wanted Pelosi to replace her, Burton died. A first-time candidate who never truly thought of being a candidate for electoral office,  Pelosi coined herself as, “A Voice That Will Be Heard.” During a debate, Pelosi said:

“I'm running because I want to represent the progressive principles of this district. I'm not running because I have nothing else to do.”

“I'm taken very seriously in Washington. I understand Congress, and I know what it would take to get them to act on something.”

Pelosi ran for office against 13 others, one of whom (city Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver) said that Pelosi was not in touch with average people in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported: 

“Her [Pelosi’s] opponents pounced, turning a 1985 Pelosi quote - "I won't be running for office. I enjoy the Democratic Party, but it has enough good candidates" - into campaign flyers. More anonymous quotes framed her as unserious, often in sexist terms.”

In April 1987, she won the primary election with 36 percent of the vote. In June 1987, she won the general election with 62 percent of the vote. Pelosi remarked, “[m]y top priorities will be cutting off aid to the Contras and increasing funding and education efforts for AIDS.” Since then, Pelosi has been reelected 19 times.

Pelosi’s Time in Congress

Since June 2, 1987, Pelosi has served in the House of Representatives. According to Time, when she joined Congress, “not much was expected of her.” Time also reported that most of her new colleagues assumed her “to be a dilettante or even a bimbo.”

In the House, where she has served during the terms of Presidents #40 through #47 (seven Presidents because President Donald Trump has two non-consecutive terms), Pelosi climbed from 435^th (last) in seniority to fifth in seniority. The House has become substantially more female during her lengthy tenure. When she was first elected to the House, 23 females were Members in the House. Now, there are 126 female Representatives and four female Delegates. Pelosi has recruited and mentored some female Representatives. According to the Women’s Hall of Fame, “Pelosi has worked tirelessly to increase the number of women in public service, and through her leadership, she has paved the way for many more women to enter politics.”

Pelosi had originally thought that she might be a Representative for around ten years. However, as Time reported:

“But by the late 1990s, in the wake of the 1994 Republican House takeover, she had concluded that the men around her didn’t know anything she didn’t—there was no “special sauce”—and indeed, didn’t know how to win. It would not be the last time she saw that if she wanted something done, she would have to do it herself.”

Pelosi’s Decades-Long Tenure In House Leadership

As Pelosi ascended to the House’s top leadership position, she broke history multiple times. When she began her climb to the pinnacle of power in the House, she received pushback from other Members of Congress, one of whom said, “Who said she could run?”

Just like Pelosi entered Congress in a special election, she became a top Democratic leader during the middle of a Congressional session in 2001. The House Whip position opened up because Democratic Whip David Bonier (D-MI) was leaving Congress in order to run for Governor. In 2001, House Democrats elected 61-year old Pelosi to become the first female House Whip, defeating Steny Hoyer in a 118-95 vote. Hoyer later served as her #2 in Democratic House leadership for many years.

With this leadership election in 2001, Pelosi became Congress’ highest-ranking woman in history. At the time, Pelosi said, “We made history, now we need to make progress.” Women leaders said that Pelosi broke a glass ceiling that had long prevented women from reaching top Congressional power. NOW’s President Kim Gandy said that Pelosi’s victory “shattered a long-standing congressional glass ceiling.”

In 2003, Pelosi became the first female House Minority Leader and the first female leader of a political party in Congress. The House Minority Leader position had opened up because Richard Gephardt (D-MO), who had been Minority Leader since 1995, left the position after Democrats failed to gain control of the House. In 2022, Pelosi easily won the House Minority Leader election, defeating Representative Harold E. Ford Jr. (D-TN) in a 177-29 vote. Gephardt praised Pelosi, who he said “won this on her merit and her leadership capability.”

In 2003, Pelosi also became the first female to be nominated to be Speaker. This nomination was a given since usually political parties nominate their leader to be Speaker. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), who defeated her to be Speaker in a 228-201 vote, said, “Now that this glass ceiling has been broken, I trust she won’t be the last.” However, in the more than two decades since then, Pelosi is still the only female to lead a political party in Congress.

Pelosi led her party in the House for two decades, a little more than half of her time in Congress. She was Minority Leader from 2003 through 2007, Speaker from 2007 until 2011, Minority Leader from 2011 until 2019, and Speaker from 2019 through 2023. In 2019, Pelosi was the first Speaker to have non-consecutive terms as Speaker in more than 60 years. Pelosi served as Speaker during the Presidencies of four Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump (first term), and Joe Biden.

Pelosi helped Democrats regain the majority in the House in the 2006 midterm elections. The change in party control led to Pelosi making history again. Pelosi won her party’s Speaker vote unanimously. In January 2007, Pelosi became the nation’s first female Speaker of the House, its first Italian-American Speaker, and the first Californian in this role.. Becoming Speaker meant that she became the highest-ranking female government official in U.S. history. She was just second in the order of Presidential secession.

Pelosi defeated Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) in a party-line vote of 232-202. Immediately before she was sworn in as Speaker, she invited her grandchildren and other children in attendance to come to the podium. Many children, including her grandchildren, joined her. Then, officially, Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker. Pelosi referred to her new position as “a historic moment for the women of America.” She also said:

“For our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling.”

“For our daughters and our granddaughters now, the sky is the limit. Anything is possible for them.”

“It is an historic moment for the Congress, and an historic moment for the women of this country.”

“It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years.”

Boehner remarked, “Whether you're a Republican, Democrat or an independent, this is a cause for celebration.” At that time, Pelosi, a strong supporter of the District of Columbia, said she would work for full voting representation in the U.S. Congress for D.C. residents.

In 2007, as Speakers do, Pelosi stood behind Bush when he gave his State of the Union address. Bush honored Pelosi: “Tonight, I am honored to be the first U.S. president in history to say these words: Madam Speaker, the House Speaker!”

Pelosi has been credited as a masterful legislator and effective Speaker. Boehner, who also had been Speaker, said, “The fact of the matter is no other speaker of the House in the modern era, Republican or Democrat, has wielded the gavel with such authority or with such consistent results.” As the Washington Post reported, Pelosi “was one of the most skilled vote-counters in history.” CNN stated that Pelosi “almost never” lost a vote on the House Floor “and used old-school tactics to keep that power, including exacting revenge on her rivals by blocking them from powerful committees”

Select Policy and Legislation

Pelosi has been a leader on HIV/AIDS. This leadership makes sense since she represents San Francisco, which was HIV’s epicenter. In her first House speech, she said “now we must take leadership of course in the crisis of AIDS.” Since then, she:

“worked to accelerate development of an HIV vaccine, expand access to Medicaid for people living with HIV, and increase funding for the Ryan White CARE program, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative and other research, care, treatment, prevention and search for a cure initiatives vital to people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.”

Although Pelosi is a Catholic and the Catholic Church oppose abortions, Pelosi is pro-choice. In June 2022, she rebuked the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed women the right to an abortion:

“Today, the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has achieved their dark, extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions.”

 “Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers.”

“With Roe and their attempt to destroy it, radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalize health freedom,”

“It’s a slap in the face to women about using their own judgment, to make their own decisions about their reproductive freedom.”

“Yesterday, they say the states cannot make laws governing the constitutional right to bear arms. And today, they’re saying the exact reverse — that the states can overturn a constitutional right — for 50 years a constitutional right — for a woman having the right to choose. The hypocrisy is raging, but the harm is endless.”

Without Pelosi, the Affordable Care Act would not have become law. The Affordable Care Act transformed the U.S. health system, expanding health-insurance coverage and Medicaid, allowing people up to 26 years old to stay on their parents’ private health plan, ending the “donut hole” of Medicare Part D, and more.

The Washington Post credited Pelosi with saving the Affordable Care Act: “More than anyone else, in fact, she had been the reason the House passed its health-care bill in November.” The House was set to reject the bill. Pelosi said, “We're standing on the brink of doing something great. I'm not letting anything stand in the way of that.” Pelosi was okay with strict limits on abortion for the bill to pass, but Pelosi’s friends opposed such restrictions. Ultimately, the House passed the bill “with two votes to spare.” When Obama signed the bill into law in March 2010, he called Pelosi “one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had.”

Pelosi and Washington, D.C.

DCNOW thanks Pelosi for her leadership on statehood for Washington, D.C. Pelosi is a champion of residents of the nation’s capital. The only two times that a Congressional chamber passed legislation that would have granted statehood for D.C., were in 2020 and 2021, when Pelosi was Speaker.

Pelosi has supported D.C. statehood bills. Most recently, earlier in 2025, she co-sponsored H.R. 51 – Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

On January 24, 2024, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office issued a press release about Pelosi’s co-sponsorship of the D.C. statehood bill of that Congress. The release quoted Pelosi:

“The sacred right to have a voice in our government is fundamental to our democracy – but for far too long, residents of Washington, D.C. have served in uniform, paid federal taxes and followed federal laws while being denied full representation.”

The release highlights Pelosi’s other actions that supported the nation’s capital:

“Pelosi also fought countless Republican attempts to repeal, block, or impose D.C. laws, brought D.C.’s second statue to the Capitol, giving D.C. two statues in the Capitol like each state, and ensured D.C. was made whole in the American Rescue Plan for the $755 million D.C. was shortchanged in the Republican-drafted CARES Act, which treated D.C. as a territory instead of a state for coronavirus fiscal relief, even though D.C. pays full federal taxes.”

Upon Pelosi’s retirement, on Facebook, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser congratulated Norton:

“A steadfast champion for the District, we are deeply grateful for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s years of service on the Hill.”

“Under her leadership, the House voted twice to pass DC statehood—a critical milestone in our ongoing fight for full representation.”

Pelosi and Trump

Pelosi became a notable critic of Trump. There has been acrimony between Pelosi and Trump for years. In December 2018, she, Trump, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) participated in a contentious meeting in the Oval Office about security. After Trump said, “I also know that…Nancy's in a situation where it's not easy for her to talk right now, and I understand that, and I fully understand that,” Pelosi replied, “Mister President, please don't characterize the strength that I bring to this meeting as the leader of the House Democrats, who just won a big victory.” She stood up for the truth:

“what the President is representing, the terms on his cards over there, are not factual. We have to have an evidence-based conversation about what does work, what money has been spent, and how effective it is….This isn't deba-- This is about the security of our country. We take an oath to protect and defend, and we don't want to have that mischaracterized by anyone.”

During Trump’s State of the Union address in February 2019, Pelosi clapped for Trump in a way that CNN referred to as “condescending applause,” Pelosi also appeared to read text, presumably Trump’s speech, during that speech. In October 2019, she and other major Democrats walked out of a meeting with Trump in the White House. At the end of Trump’s State of the Union Address in February 2020, Pelosi tore up Trump’s speech, which she referred to as “a manifesto of lies.”

Pelosi led two impeachments of Trump. In 2019, Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The impeachment resulted from Trump’s phone call on July 25, 2019, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On the call, Trump said:

“There's a lot of talk about Biden' s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it: ... It sounds horrible to me.”

In effect, he wanted Ukraine to investigate or announce an investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden. At that point, Biden was Trump’s major political opponent in the 2020 presidential elections. During that summer, the Trump Administration withheld $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine even though Congress had appropriated that money.

In 2021, Trump was impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors as a result of the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol. On that day, Congress was scheduled to certify Biden’s 2020 electoral college victory. As Speaker, Pelosi sat with Pence, who presided over this ceremony. Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the U.S. Capitol. A crowd breached the Capitol and interrupted the Congressional actions. During the attack, Pelosi focused on certifying Biden as President. She said, “If they [the rioters] stop the proceedings, they will have succeeded in stopping the validation of the presidency of the United States.” Upon returning to the Capitol, she remarked, “We always knew that this responsibility would take us into the night and we will stay as long as it takes. Our purpose will be accomplished.” Pelosi again was by Pence’s side when Congress finished certifying the 2020 Electoral College results.  

Pelosi was repulsed by the Capitol protests on January 6^th. She said, “I just feel sick what he did to the Capitol and to the country today. He’s got to pay a price for that.” She created the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, which held hearings and issued a final report.

Pelosi did not attend Trump’s inauguration in 2025 even though she had attended Trump’s inauguration in 2017. Recently, Pelosi called Trump “a vile creature. The worst thing on the face of the earth.”

Other Notable Information

In April 2021, Pelosi and Harris made history when for the first time in U.S. history, two women stood behind the President (Biden) when he addressed a joint session of Congress. After addressing the top two people in the presidential order of succession as “Madam Speaker” and “Madam Vice President,” Biden noted the history by saying “No president has ever said those words – and it’s about time.” On the day of the speech, Pelosi said, “It’s pretty exciting. And it’s wonderful to make history. It’s about time.” She also remarked, “I made history when I was the first Speaker to be standing behind President Bush, and he made note of that. Now, this is just, just so exciting.” NOW’s then-President Christian Nunes, said, “[t]his is a great start, and we have to continue to move forward to give women their equal due.”

The New York Times reported that Pelosi “is known nationally as a Washington leader praised by Democrats for standing up to President Trump and derided by Republicans as a symbol of the radical excesses of the left.” In 2018, Pelosi said, “I get some names called, because if you’re effective as a woman, then they have to undermine you, because that’s a real threat.” She also remarked, “You know why I do it? I do it, because I want women to see that you do not get pushed around. You don’t run away from the fight,”

Pelosi’s large national profile put at least her and her husband’s life in danger. After Republicans demonized her, Pelosi became a major target of threats. During the insurrection of January 6, 2021, some rioters said “Where’s Nancy?” They broke into her Capitol Speaker’s office, looking for her. Pelosi’s staff hid in that office’s inner area.  

In 2022, Pelosi’s 82-year old husband was attacked at their San Francisco home by David Tate. Tate broke in and wanted to see Pelosi, who was not home. In court, Pelosi’s daughter Christine read a letter from Pelosi’s husband, who had written that his sleep was interrupted “when the defendant violently broke into my home, burst into my bedroom and stood over my bed with a hammer and zip ties demanding to see my wife, yelling ‘Where’s Nancy?’” Pelosi’s husband sustained a skull fracture and other major injuries from the attack and underwent surgery. During a federal trial, Tate admitted his plans to hold Pelosi hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she did not admit to her lies about the interference of Russia in the 2016 presidential campaign. DePape received a 30-year sentence in federal prison in a federal case and a life term without parole in a state trial.

Honors

Throughout the years in the U.S. and abroad, Pelosi has received multiple honors, including, induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame (2013), an honor of the National Women’s Partnership for Women (2014), Public Service Award of United for Libraries (2016), JFK Profile in Courage Award (2019), Ripple of Hope Award (2019), LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award (2019), Women for Peace & Security Award of  the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (2021), Award of Honor of the American Hospital Association (2023), Freedom Award of the Roosevelt Institute (2023), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2024) (This award is viewed as the highest civilian honor in the United States.), Lincoln Medal of Ford’s Theater (2024), Democracy Service Award of the National Endowment for Democracy (2024), and Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame Honor (2024). Pelosi also received the top civilian awards of “Spain (2023), Ukraine (2022), Taiwan (2022), Greece (2022), Japan (2015) and Italy (2009).” She also received multiple following honorary degrees, including from all-women’s colleges.

Reactions to Pelosi’s Retirement

Pelosi’s retirement announcement was met with warm tributes. On X, Biden wrote:

“I often said Nancy Pelosi was the best Speaker of the House in American history — it’s why I awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. When I was President, we worked together to grow our economy, create millions of jobs, and make historic investments in our nation’s future. She has devoted much of her life to this country, and America will always be grateful. Jill and I wish Nancy and Paul all the best.”

 On X, Obama wrote:

“For almost four decades, Nancy Pelosi has served the American people and worked to make our country better. No one was more skilled at bringing people together and getting legislation passed – and I will always be grateful for her support of the Affordable Care Act. She made us proud to be Democrats, and will go down in history as one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had. Nancy, thank you for your leadership and your friendship. Michelle and I wish you and Paul the best in this next chapter.”

Other elected officials expressed gratitude to Pelosi. In a MSNBC interview, Representative Pete Aguilar (D-CA) referred to Pelosi as “the greatest of all time.” He also said, “she's on the Mount Rushmore of Democratic politicians and legislators…who can get something done, who can lead and move an agenda.”

Publications also lauded Pelosi. Time called her “the most powerful woman in congressional history, one of the most powerful in American history, and surely the most skilled and accomplished congressional leader of her era.”

Organizations and their leaders also issued tributes to Pelosi:

-          The National Partnership for Women & Families wrote:

“The National Partnership applauds Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she concludes a historic chapter in her remarkable career. She is a visionary trailblazer who has served as a role model not only for women, but also for all those who seek to lead with strength, dignity, intelligence, and compassion.”

“We are all indebted to Speaker Pelosi for her fierce and unrelenting advocacy on the issues that matter deeply to women, from caregiving to abortion access to equal pay. Speaker Pelosi championed vital policies to protect the health and well-being of women and families, including her historic roles in enacting landmark legislation such as the Affordable Care Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, and in guiding our nation through crises such as the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the January 6th insurrection. No matter the challenge, Speaker Pelosi never backed down and never gave up.”

-          The National Women’s Law Center’s President and CEO Fatima Goss Graves, said:

“A dangerous number of right-wing extremists were elected to Congress this year, and in January they will flood the halls of the Capitol. We cannot allow them to roll back our rights. Now, more than ever before, we need strong allies in Congress who will defend policies that promote equality. I know that Nancy Pelosi will lead the charge, and NOW will continue to fight for women alongside her.”

In contrast, Trump told Fox News:

“The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party, and it was never coming back. I'm very honored. She impeached me twice and failed miserably twice. Nancy Pelosi is a highly overrated politician.”

Later while sitting at his desk in the Oval Office, Trump said:

"I think she's [Nancy] an evil woman, I'm glad she's retiring. I think she did the country a great service by retiring. I think she was a tremendous liability for the country. I thought she was an evil woman who did a poor job, who cost the country a lot in damages and in reputation. I thought she was terrible."

Final Thoughts

Pelosi will always be a role model for women and many others. DCNOW will always appreciate the immense contribution and legacy of Pelosi, whom the New York Times recently referred to as “an American [p]olitical [g]iant.”

As NOW wrote, “Nancy Pelosi showed us the way.  Now it’s up to us to stay on the path she trailblazed and to keep her legacy alive.”

Let’s honor Pelosi by helping women, creating policies that benefit their lives instead of dismantling rights that they have had for decades, and by finally granting statehood to D.C.