How much do you really know about Nancy Pelosi?
Nancy Pelosi, representing the Democratic Party, is currently the 52nd Speaker of the House of Reps and the first female to hold this office. In her term, she has managed to influence the lives of many Americans by forcefully driving a liberal agenda.
But even though she has made historic strides for women throughout the years, Pelosi has only recently risen to icon status. To her fans, she’s a “girl boss” who gets the job done with impeccable style.
And during some of her most controversial years as Speaker, standing toe-to-toe with former president Trump brought her viral admiration. To her critics, though, she’s a witch with a gavel.
Despite what you may think of her, her core mission is to pull women up the ladder behind her. But what is this woman REALLY like when she’s not swearing in the record numbers of women entering Congress’ halls or passing legislation with stunning confidence?
We did some digging. Here are 5 hard facts you didn’t know about Nancy Pelosi!
…Love her or hate her, continue reading to learn more about this powerful woman!
Democrats Are rubbed the wrong way by Nancy Pelosi’s stance on stocks
Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, is a venture capitalist. And while there’s no law against it, there’s a perception that, because he’s married to the Democratic leader in the House, he might have access to information others wouldn’t when it comes to trading stocks.
Numerous members of Congress have violated the STOCK Act, according to CNBC. This law is intended to keep lawmakers from acting on insider information when engaged in certain financial transactions, including the sale of stocks.
Violations are rarely recognized, and “penalties” amount to small fines. Pelosi herself doesn’t own any stock. But her husband’s career seems to be a conflict of interest.
When asked by media outlets whether members of Congress or their significant others should be able to trade individual stocks, she quickly answered with a “yes.” Her logic was that this is a “free-market economy.”
Pelosi’s attitude towards the subject has attracted condemnation from both the left and the right.
A stock-ban bill still remains embroiled in Congress since August 2022, with some Democrats insinuating that Pelosi is helping to stonewall any such legislation, according to the Insider.
Nancy Pelosi attended JFK’s inaugural ball
Nancy Pelosi has been circling the political orb at a young age. In fact, she went to her first Democratic National Convention when she was just 12 years old. And as a Trinity College student, she stood front and center at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration!
On the 50th anniversary of the event, she posted a photo of herself on Facebook at age 20, dressed in a gown with elbow-length gloves next to a smiling JFK.
The caption read: “The leadership of President John F. Kennedy is not just a memory, but a living force that still asks every citizen to lead. And perhaps that is the most precious gift of all.” Kennedy’s presidency ushered in a new era of liberalism that attracted young activists.
Pelosi also recalled the chilly day at a talk at the JFK Library. Kennedy’s “beautiful” address reminded her of then-senator Barack Obama’s 2008 Berlin speech that rocketed him to international acclaim.
Politics run in Nancy Pelosi’s family
Political dynasties HAVE formed despite America’s rejection of monarchy and aristocracy at its founding. The Adamses, the Kennedys, and the Roosevelts, to name just a few, have delivered members of Congress and multiple presidents.
And while Pelosi’s family hasn’t exactly seen anyone reach anything comparable to Speaker of the House, they DO have their own political legacy.
According to The Washington Post, Nancy Pelosi is the only daughter of Thomas “Big Tommy” D’Alesandro Jr, a prominent Italian American in the Baltimore world of politics during the first half of the 20th century.
As a congressman from Maryland during World War II, D’Alesandro was initially a firm advocate of Franklin Roosevelt but ultimately broke ties with him over Jewish refugees: Peosi’s father was part of a group urging the administration to make more efforts in trying to rescue Jews from Hitler’s forces.
Nancy’s father became a three-time mayor of Baltimore, molding an example for his daughter of how politics work. Pelosi’s political career began when she moved to San Francisco, but her father’s Maryland power base was kept within the family.
His oldest child, Thomas D’Alesandro III, served on the Baltimore City Council and as mayor between 1967 and 1971.
Nancy Pelosi owns a vineyard
With an estimated net worth of $120 million, Nancy happens to be one of the wealthiest members of Congress. She and her husband own quite a few properties.
But one of their more impressive investments is a six-acre Napa Valley vineyard in St. Helena, California. According to the estate’s architect, it’s “inspired by Palladian villas.” It includes a guesthouse, a unique pool, and orchards that grow a Cabernet Sauvignon harvest.
Years ago, the Pelosi family acquired a permit to operate the grounds as a winery but haven’t been able to construct one yet. The land is used as a rental property and to grow grapes, earning the couple sums equalling anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million yearly.
This is a significant increase to past revenues in the $50,000 to $100,000 range they previously reported.
Nancy Pelosi blocked the impeachment of George W. Bush
Pelosi turned into the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives in 2002 and speaker of the House in 2007. In both roles, she had significant dealings with President George W. Bush.
But outside their expected differences on political issues, Nancy found the then President an ineffective leader at critical moments of the financial crisis and was sorely opposed to the Iraq War.
Intelligence letdowns in the lead-up to the war deteriorated her trust in the administration. But despite her personal hostility toward G.W. Bush, Nancy Pelosi was more than ready to work with him on legislation.
At times, they even had a more effective working relationship than President Bush had with Congressional Republicans. And when some Democrats began stirring to impeach Bush after taking the majority in 2006, Pelosi didn’t show any fervor for the matter.
Having witnessed the turmoil caused by the Republicans’ impeachment of Bill Clinton, she didn’t see anything to be attained in a political attack on Bush that was ensured to fail in the Senate. She repeatedly told her members and the press, “Impeachment is off the table!”
Among those who declared disappointment with Pelosi’s determination was Donald Trump, who told news outlets in 2008 that he was impressed with the speaker but felt Bush’s “lies” over Iraq merited impeachment.
His tune changed significantly, however, when he became president. And with all this, Nancy Pelosi wielded similar caution when it came to impeaching Trump, conceding only after Robert Mueller’s investigation.
…To learn more about the impeachment process, Amazon has a fascinating read on the matter. Check it out HERE!
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