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Nancy Pelosi





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Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 12th District of California.

Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) serves as the current Speaker of the House. She has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and has lived there since 1969.

Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House. She is also the first Californian and first Italian-American to hold the post. As Speaker, Pelosi is second in the line of presidential succession, following Vice President Joe Biden, which makes her the highest-ranking female politician in American history.[1]

Democratic National Convention Pitch

"Democratic leaders, including Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), pitched the idea of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to major donors at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016."[2]

"The chief political agent for progressive change nationally"

According to "progressive" San Francisco author Randy Shaw, writing in BeyondChron, March 22, 2010:[3]

When the history of the health care reform effort of 2009-10 is written, Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserves chief credit for making it happen. In fact, had Pelosi been given complete control of the health campaign from the start, a public option would have been included in the final bill (as was originally passed by the House).

President Obama did a tremendous selling job in recent weeks, and helped win the votes of wavering Democrats. But Obama spent several months talking about health care without a clear legislative strategy, placing passage in great peril. It took San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi--- channeling the spirit of the late, great arm twister Phillip Burton (whose seat she now holds), to bring the health care bill across the finish line...

It is clear that top credit for the health care victory goes to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who may have finally won over some in her district who have long argued that she was insufficiently progressive. It was Pelosi who stared down Rahm Emanuel when he argued for a scaled down health bill, and who even got in the President's face over his lack of legislative strategy.

Even as Pelosi began climbing up the House leadership, and was clearly the most progressive politician close to power in the 1990’s, she was not popular among San Francisco’s left...

I wrote a piece in August 2008 from the Democratic Convention titled “Pelosi a Star: Outside San Francisco,” which described the incredible outpouring of support Pelosi received from the convention crowd after she gave a very powerful speech. But Obama backers saw the future President, not the House Speaker, as the key to progressive success, and this view did not change until the past six months, when it became clear (a) it was Pelosi, not Obama, pushing the public option, and (b) it was Pelosi, not Obama, who knew how to get a health care bill done.

I’ve talked to progressives both locally and across the nation working on a broad range of issues. They overwhelmingly believe that Nancy Pelosi has become the chief political agent for progressive change nationally.

This perspective is backed by political facts. Since 2009, the House has passed the most wide-ranging series of progressive measures since the 1930’s, and this is not because Steny Hoyer is Democratic House Majority Leader.

Many of us mistakenly thought Barack Obama would be another Lyndon Johnson, in enacting a progressive domestic agenda. But it is now clear that Nancy Pelosi has the necessaryJohnson-type skills, as her upbringing as part of Baltimore's powerful D'Alesandro family (her father and brother served as the city's Mayor), and her long friendship with Phil and John Burton, imparted her with the skills in legislative infighting that the President is only beginning to grasp.

History will likely view Pelosi’s role in passing the health care bill as her greatest legacy. But a separate milestone is that after two decades, Pelosi may have finally won the appreciation of progressives in San Francisco.

[4]

JStreet

The two most powerful Democratic politicians in America, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, will headline the 2019 annual conference of JStreet, the leftist Israel lobby.

The conference, which drew 3,000 people last year, is among the most prominent leftist Jewish gatherings of the year. It will take place in late October, and Pelosi and Schumer will speak on the night of Oct. 28.

Schumer’s presence at the conference is especially notable because he has established a reputation as a traditional pro-Israel voice in the Senate. He is a perennial speaker at the annual conference of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, which is to the right of JStreet. He also voted against President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement in 2015, a deal that JStreet strongly supported.

JStreet advocates for an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, and has been a frequent Trump critic. Its affiliated political action committee, JStreetPac, raised $5 million for more than 100 Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections.

“At a time when many of our core values are under threat both in Israel and here at home, J Street is proud to stand with so many allies who are defending democracy and working towards a better future,” JStreet President Jeremy Ben-Ami said in a statement.[5]

Family and Education

Pelosi is Italian-American and was born Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest of six children of Anunciata M. ("Nancy") and Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., who was a Democratic Party U.S. Congressman from Maryland and a Mayor of Baltimore. Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also a Democrat, was mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971, when he declined to run for a second term.

From "She's The Boss":

Pelosi's mastery of the insider game most definitely took place beyond the classroom walls. Indeed, Pelosi possesses the political street smarts of a party boss harking back to the days of Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall or the Daley Machine in Chicago. And that's not surprising, since her father, "Big Tommy" D'Alesandro, Jr., ran his own well-oiled machine. She saw precinct party politics up close where the means to power was deal making, backroom bargains and, when necessary, strong-arm tactics and intimidation. New York Times reporter David Firestone writes, "The ability to make merry while reaching for the jugular is an essential characteristic for politicians, and friends say Ms. Pelosi learned it from one of the classic political bosses and characters of an earlier era, Thomas J. D'Alesandro, Jr., a congressman, mayor of Baltimore and doler of favors for Northeastern Maryland for 40 years.

Pelosi graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame, a Catholic all-girls high school in Baltimore. She then went on to graduate from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. in 1962. As a student at Trinity, Pelosi majored in political science and was active in the Political Affairs Club, International Relations Club, Dramatic Society and French Club.

Nancy Pelosi's husband is millionaire Paul Pelosi. They were married in 1963 and have five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra. They also have seven grandchildren. Alexandra Pelosi is a journalist who covered the Republican presidential campaign in 2000. She also made a film about her experiences on the campaign trail entitled, 'Journeys With George.' In 2007, Christine Pelosi published a book entitled, 'Campaign Boot Camp: Basic Training for Future Leaders.'[6]

The Pelosi family of San Francisco is politically well-connected. Her brother-in-law, Ron Pelosi, was a long-time member of the city's Board of Supervisors and a well-known personality on KQED, the city's educational television station.

The Pelosis live in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Their religious affiliation is Roman Catholic.

The Pelosi family has a net worth of over $25 million, mainly in 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. The couple also owns a vineyard in St. Helena, California, valued between $5 million and $25 million. Pelosi's husband also owns stock, including $1 million in Apple Inc. and is the owner of the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. Pelosi continues to be among the richest members of Congress.[7]

Pelosi is also a board member of the National Organization of Italian American Women. Additionally, Pelosi served for 13 years as a board member of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF).[8]

In 2007, she received the NIAF Special Achievement Award for Public Advocacy and continues to be involved in the Foundation today.

Click here to see Nancy Pelosi's political record and a list of controversies she has been involved in...

Affiliations

Committees

As the House Speaker, Pelosi does not belong to any committees.

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

Coalitions and Caucuses

Co-Chair, Democratic National Platform Committee, 1992

Chair, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, 1985

Co-Chair, AIDS Task Force of the House Democratic Caucus

Co-Chair, Biomedical Research Caucus

Chair, Congressional Working Group on China

Vice Chair, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Democratic Homeland Security Task Force

Democratic National Committee

Chair, Democratic Steering Committee

Vice Chair, Executive Committee, Democratic Study Group

Boards and other Affiliations

Midwest Academy

The Burton connection

After moving to San Francisco, Pelosi worked her way up in Democratic politics. She became a friend of one of the leaders of the California Democratic Party, 5th District Congressman Phillip Burton.

Phillip Burton died in 1983 and was succeeded by his wife, Sala Burton. In late 1986, Sala became ill with cancer and decided not to run for reelection in 1988. She picked Pelosi as her designated successor, guaranteeing her the support of the Burtons' contacts."[9].

Sala Burton died on February 1, 1987, just a month after being sworn in for a second full term. Pelosi won the special election to succeed her, narrowly defeating San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt on April 7, 1987, then easily defeating Republican candidate Harriet Ross on June 2, 1987; Pelosi took office a week later. [10].

Pelosi was also close to Phillip's brother, and sometime fellow Congressman John Burton. Cesar Chavez historian Randy Shaw tells how, n the midst of a legislative battle with the real estate industry in 1999, he told then-State Senator and now California Democratic Party head John Burton how impressed he was by his tenacity in fighting for our cause. Burton replied, “You think I’m tenacious? I’m a pussycat compared to Nancy.” Shaw says he "knew how proud Burton was of his protégé, Nancy Pelosi.."[11]

John Burton was Pelosi's campaign manager and advisor. [12]

Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee is a pro-socialist, pro-Castro Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 9th district of California.

Pelosi is a very close friend of Lee, who represents neighboring Oakland and Berkeley, California and is the most vocal apologist for Communist Cuba in Congress today. Lee, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, led a delegation to Cuba to meet with the Castro brothers to discuss normalization of relations.

She calls Pelosi “a magnificent woman” and “one of California’s greatest representatives.” Lee began her career in the California state legislature as a secret member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, a spin-off from the Communist Party USA. As a member of the staff of Rep. Ron Dellums, Lee was shown to have been collaborating with communist officials on the island of Grenada, according to documents captured after the liberation of that island nation. Lee also served as the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

But even more interesting than the Barbara Lee connection is Pelosi’s long-time friendship and association with Vincent and Vivian Hallinan, one of the most radical left-wing families in San Francisco over the course of five decades.[13]

Relationship to Hallinan Family

Nancy Pelosi has enjoyed a long and close relationship with San Francisco's Communist Party USA-aligned Hallinan family - especially their late matriarch Vivian Hallinan. The Hallinans were once under scrutiny by the California Senate Fact-Finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities for their pro-Soviet propaganda efforts.[13]

Pelosi called Vivian Hallinan, who openly held “socialist” views, a “pioneer” in “a wide range of progressive causes.”

These causes included support for Communists in Central America during the 1980s, when Soviet and Cuban-backed forces were subverting Central America through violence and terrorism and fighting for control of the region.

When Vivian Hallinan died in March 1999, Nancy Pelosi placed a tribute to her in the Congressional Record.[14]

I am very saddened to know that the leader of one of San Francisco's great Irish families, Vivian Hallinan, passed away last night.

Vivian and her family have deep roots in San Francisco and she has contributed immensely to the fiber of our community during her 88-year lifetime. Throughout her life, Vivian was devoted intellectually and passionately to many causes, well before they became popularly embraced. Her opposition to the war in Vietnam was an example of the courage she displayed in taking an early and fearless stand for her conscience and convictions.

Vivian was a pioneer, a mentor and a leader...

In an article from the San Francisco Examiner, also placed in the Congressional Record, Pelosi described Vivian Hallinan as "a role model for many of us..."[15]

Conn Hallinan, one of Vivian Hallinan's six sons, has said: "My mother and Nancy were pretty close..."

The San Francisco Examiner article described Vivian Hallinan as 'a very committed radical socialist,' and detailed how in the 1980s she had "opposed U.S. policy in Central America" and befriended Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua's Sandinista leader. She also met with Fidel Castro.

From the Canadian Free Press:

The names of the Hallinans, including some of their sons, are included in the annual volumes of the California State Senate Fact-Finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities. The subcommittee was a well-regarded investigative body which examined not only communist activities in California but right-wing groups such as the John Birch Society and the Minutemen.

In the case of the Hallinans, there was a lot to examine. Vincent Hallinan, a lawyer who died in 1992, was a founding member of the San Francisco chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, officially designated a front of the Communist Party USA, and defended secret Communist Party USA member and labor leader Harry Bridges.

In addition, he was a self-described “roaring atheist” who specialized in attacks on the Catholic Church. In one case, according to the New York Times, he “sued the Roman Catholic Church for fraud, demanding that it prove the existence of heaven and hell.”

Vincent Hallinan also ran for president on the ticket of the Progressive Party, “a creature of the Communist apparatus, and completely dominated by the Communist Party USA from start to finish,” the subcommittee said.

A 1961 subcommittee report says that Vincent Hallinan traveled to the Soviet Union with his wife to vouch for the legitimacy of the communist show trial of Francis Gary Powers, the American U-2 pilot shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers’ mission had been to document the Soviet missile build-up. It adds, “[Vincent] Hallinan’s glowing accounts of the Soviet Union and favorable comments concerning the fairness accorded Powers at his trial were sold in great quantity by the Communist Book Stores both in San Francisco and in Los Angeles.”

A 1953 edition of the report states that Vincent Hallinan was a participant in a meeting of the Committee to Secure Justice in the Rosenberg Case, a “Communist front organization.” The Rosenbergs were Communists executed for committing atomic espionage against the United States on behalf of the Soviet Union.

A wealthy woman, Vivian Hallinan had contributed financially to one of Pelosi’s campaigns. Her only other political contributions on the federal level, as recorded by the Federal Election Commission, went to Senator Barbara Boxer and Reps. Barbara Lee and Ron Dellums.

Sheinbaum connection

For House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton is the woman she met 35 years ago (2016) , a young mother cradling her infant daughter at a dinner party at the home of Hollywood activist Stanley Sheinbaum.

“I was expecting to meet this formidable, firm woman,” she said in an interview. “When the door opened ... there was Hillary Clinton off to the side holding Chelsea in her arms. There she was as a mom.”[16]

Fred Ross, Jr. connection

New York rep. Louise Slaughter was also the first Congressmember whose election was assisted by Neighbor to Neighbor, the national grassroots organization opposed to U.S. military aid to Central America headed by United Farmworkers veteran Fred Ross, Jr. Ross learned from the UFW how to target swing districts and representatives, and his group helped build the grassroots field campaign that brought Slaughter her narrow victory.

Less than a year after Slaughter’s election, Ross and other UFW alums helped elect Nancy Pelosi to Congress. Ross and Paul Milne used “house meetings,” a strategy that Fred Ross, Sr. taught to Cesar Chavez, who then used it to build the UFW. Pelosi attended 120 house meetings in only 60 days, and after taking office joined Slaughter in leading the fight against military aid to El Salvador’s right-wing government, and to Nicaragua’s contra rebels. (Pelosi and Ross, Jr. are pictured at a Neighbor to Neighbor meeting in my Randy Shaw's book , Beyond the Fields), and Ross later became Pelosi’s district chief of staff. [17]

The Ganz connection

After leaving the UFWA in 1981, Marshall Ganz began working on California political campaigns -- directing field programs, training organizers, and leading strategic planning for such candidates as Nancy Pelosi for Congress, Alan Cranston for Senate, Tom Bradley for governor, and governor Jerry Brown. He also worked on campaigns of such unions as the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE), Service Employees International Union , and the Screen Actors Guild. In 1987 he formed and served as executive director of two groups to develop organizing programs, Services for Organizing and Leadership, and The Organizing Institute. He led voter registration, get-out-the-vote, and organizer training, and conducted research on voting, leadership development, and community organizing.[18]

Fred Ross award campaign

In early 2013, mainly Democratic Socialists of America aligned activists, together with many elected officials across the United States came together to urge President Barack Obama to award posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the legendary organizer, Fred Ross, Sr.. The Saul Alinsky trained radical was the first to organize people through house meetings, a mentor to both Cesar Chavez and DSAer Dolores Huerta, and a pioneer in Latino voter outreach since 1949 when he helped elect Communist Party USA affiliate Ed Roybal as Los Angeles’s first Latino council member, "Ross’ influence on social change movements remains strong two decades after his death in 1992".

Congressional endorsers of the proposal included Nancy Pelosi.[19]

Democratic Socialists of America connection

Democratic Left, Jan./Feb. 1996, page 16

On November 11 1995, more than 300 Bay Area residents turned out for a public hearing on jobs and economic insecurity in San Francisco. Co-sponsored by San Francisco Democratic Socialists of America and the Full Employment Coalition, the event featured Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Ron Dellums as keynote speakers. Testifiers included Bertram Gross, co-author of HR 1050, "A Living Wage, Jobs for All Act" as well as representatives from the San Francisco Labor Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action, the San Francisco Private Industry Council, the Coalition for Economic Equity, and the American Friends Service Committee.[20]

CAPSA

In 1990 Brendan Carroll, and Maria Laxo San Francisco State University , contributed to the March 19 issue of Unity, newspaper of the League of Revolutionary Struggle, on their work on the committee organizing the 4th annual conference at SFSU of the California Progressive Student Alliance . Speakers included reps. Barbara Boxer, and Nancy Pelosi.

DSA endorsement

In July 1996, the Democratic Socialists of America Political Action Committee endorsed Nancy Pelosi, California 8, in that year's Congressional elections.[21]

Progressive Majority Advisory Committee

In 2003 Rep. Nancy Pelosi served on the Progressive Majority Advisory Committee.[22]

Take Back America Conferences

Nancy Pelosi was on the list of 114 speakers (which included George Soros) at the 2004 Take Back America conference, which was organized by the Institute for Policy Studies, and Democratic Socialists of America dominated Campaign for America's Future.[23]

She was back in 2006.

America's Future Now!

Nancy Pelosi was one of the 148 speakers who addressed the 2010 America's Future Now Conference. The Conference was hosted by the Institute for Policy Studies, and Democratic Socialists of America dominated Campaign for America's Future, and held from June 7 - 9 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street, Washington D.C.[24][25]

The Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First

Nancy Pelosi is on the list of Congressional Representatives who have participated in hearings/briefings since 1998, with the very radical Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First, founded by Frances Moore Lappe (Democratic Socialists of America, Institute for Policy Studies) and Joseph Collins (Institute for Policy Studies), authors of the book "Food First".[26]

Supported by Council for a Livable World

The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security," primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Nancy Pelosi in her successful House of Representatives run as candidate for California.[27]

"Is the Pentagon Budget Increase Needed?"

February 3, 1999 Council for a Livable World convened a seminar in Rayburn House on "Is the Pentagon Budget Increase Needed?"

Participants were;

Drinan Award

The Father Robert F. Drinan National Peace and Human Rights Award was established in 2006. The award is annually presented by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and Council for a Livable World to individuals who exemplify the late Father Drinan's commitment |to peace and human justice".

The award broadly focuses on U.S. politics, political science, physical science, biology, peace studies, and peace and human rights activism.

Tribute to Carlton Goodlett

On February 11, 1997, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi addressed Congress, paying a tribute to Lenin Peace Prize winner and life-long Communist Party USA member, Carlton Goodlett.[30]

In 1950 he joined with my predecessor, the great Representative Phillip Burton, in founding the San Francisco Young Democrats. He put his heart into supporting the campaigns of candidates he believed in, like Phillip Burton, John Burton and Willie Brown, our current mayor of San Francisco.

Dr. Goodlett’s presence was deeply felt. His absence will be felt equally. He was a man who did many things, all of them well. As we celebrate Black History Month, we need look no further for inspiration than Dr. Carlton Goodlett. He was a renaissance man who mobilized the intellectual resources of his area to fight for civil rights. He was a healer, a mentor, a courageous leader, an activist and advocate and truly a citizen of the world.

As the world will mourn his loss, we must remember that he is an inspiration to us all.[31]

Praising Communist Harry Bridges

Nancy Pelosi's Hero Communist Harry Bridges - Air date: 02-10-10 Nancy Pelosi's Hero Communist Harry Bridges - Air date: 02-10-10

In 2001, Nancy Pelosi took to the pages of the Congressional Record to effuse her sentiments on the hundredth anniversary of Communist Party USA leader Harry Bridges' birth.

Here is what she said: "Harry Bridges [was] arguably the most significant labor leader of the twentieth century," who was "beloved by the workers of this Nation, and recognized as one of the most important labor leaders in the world." She added: "The International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union [was] the most progressive union of the time." In other words, this Communist-run union was more admirable than all of the anti-Communist unions.

Pelosi delivered this encomium a full nine years after Bridges's membership in the Communist Party USA Central Committee had been revealed. And this was not just a singular incident. As recently as this February, she visited ILWU headquarters to deliver this homage: "It is very special to me, any occasion that I can come to the ILWU hall and acknowledge the leadership of this great union..." In addition to her tribute to Bridges, she delivered a similar encomium to another prominent Bay Area socialist, Vivian Hallinan, whose husband Vincent Hallinan was Bridges' lawyer and the 1952 candidate for president of the Communist-front Progressive Party. "Vivian," she enthused, "was devoted intellectually and passionately to many causes, well before they became popularly embraced."[32]

Honoring Harry Bridges

The Committee for Harry Bridges Plaza is a 501(c)3 non-profit that first began in 1998 as an ad hoc group of citizens dedicated to the belief that the ideals and deeds of Harry Bridges and the working men and women of 1934 should occupy a prominent position in San Francisco’s civic history and never be forgotten.

To that end the Committee took on a two-part plan: First, to have the plaza then under construction in front of the Ferry Building between the north- and south-bound lanes of the Embarcadero named after Harry Bridges, and second, to erect a monument of Harry on the site. The idea quickly gained the enthusiastic support of organized labor, past and present mayors of San Francisco, the Board of Supervisors, the Port Commission, and from elected state and federal representatives. Harry Bridges Plaza officially came into existence on July 27, 1999.

The official christening fell on July 28, 2001, Harry’s 100th birthday. The Committee worked with the Mayor of San Francisco and the Governor of California to proclaim the date “Harry Bridges Day.” In celebration, tributes to Harry were read into the Congressional Record by Senator Barbara Boxer and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.[33]

Endorsers of the project included Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Daniel Inouye, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Congresswoman Jackie Speier.[34]

On July 30 2001, a ribbon cutting ceremony for the dedication of Harry Bridges Plaza in San Francisco. Mayor Willie Brown led the event. Joining him on the platform were Rep. Nancy Pelosi, County supervisor Adam Peskin, Port Commission vice chairman and former ILWU president Brian McWilliams and Bridges' widow Nikki Bridges Flynn.

Messages came from Gov. Gray Davis, SenatorDianne Feinstein and Assemblyman Kevin Shelley.[35]

Honoring Cesar Chavez

There was a major march through the streets of San Francisco on March 24, 2002 to mark the 75th birthday of United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez. Parade Grand Marshalls included two UFW founders Dolores Huerta, and Cesar's brother Richard Chavez, as well as Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

At the march rally UFW member Arturo Rodriguez spoke of the continuing legacy of Chavez.

Other speakers included;

Fred Ross, Jr./Marshall Ganz - Cesar Chavez Connection

Fred Ross, Jr. and Marshall Ganz were considered in the 1980s to be among the country's premier political organizers. Both men are brilliant political strategists who hail from Cesar Chavez's Farm Labor Movement. Ross's father mentored Cesar Chavez. Ross and Ganz worked within Pelosi's congressional team collecting tons of votes by mail and by herding enough volunteers together to cover every precinct. Both men are still working in the Progressive/Democratic arena. Until recently, Ross was busy working for SEIU and Ganz was a counselor for L.A.'s Camp Obama during the summer of 2007. He taught key state organizers to share personal narratives and create compelling politics around human experience and emotion, rather than around issues. Classical political manipulation of the masses.[37]

Fred Ross, Sr.

On the occasion of his 80th birthday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, “Fred Ross Sr. left a legacy of good works that have given many the courage of their convictions, the powers of their ideals, and the strength to do heroic deeds on behalf of the common person.”.[38]

"Living Wage, Jobs for all Act"

In 1995, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, David Bonior, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Cynthia McKinney, Maurice Hinchey, Major Owens, Nydia Velasquez, John Conyers, Bob Filner, Alcee Hastings, Lane Evans, Edolphus Towns, Jim McDermott, supported Democratic Socialists of America member rep. Ron Dellums' "Living Wage, Jobs for all Act"

In October 1997, Nancy Pelosi became the 54th sponsor of the Communist Party USA backed Martinez Jobs Bill (HR-950).[39]

Softening on China

In 2000, U.S. lawmakers publicly accused the China Ocean Shipping Co. of being a front for espionage and blocked plans to expand its Long Beach, Calif., port terminal over fears that Chinese spies would use it to snoop on the United States.

By 2009, Congress was seeing the state-owned Chinese behemoth in a far kinder light. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) authored a resolution applauding the company for employing thousands of Americans and helping keep the waters of Alaska clean. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) hailed the firm on the House floor, calling its chief executive "a people's ambassador" to the United States after it rescued Boston's port -- and thousands of jobs -- when a European shipping line moved out.

In 1991, Rep. Nancy Pelosi traveled to China and unfurled a banner on Tiananmen Square in remembrance of those who died during the 1989 crackdown on pro- democracy demonstrators. Last year, as speaker of the House, Pelosi returned to China, and although she continued to raise human rights issues, she focused far more on climate change and, as a congressional staffer said, "minded her P's and Q's."[40]

Planned Parenthood

Pelosi received $1,000 in lobbying funds from Planned Parenthood in 2008.

El Salvador connection

El Salvador was a breeding ground of sorts for witting and unwitting congressional support for foreign extremist groups that targeted American military and civilian personnel and U.S. interests. The country's bitter guerrilla war in the 1980s attracted a score or more of U.S. lawmakers to assist FMLN propaganda, civic-action and fund-raising operations.

Most of the congressmen seemed otherwise ignorant of El Salvador and unaware that the groups they were supporting were FMLN fronts. But some, including Conyers, signed direct-mail fund-raising letters to raise money for FMLN fronts -- in Conyers' case, a group called Medical Aid to El Salvador, which channeled medicine and first-aid supplies to FMLN-controlled groups and regions. Insight has a copy of the Conyers letter, which the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador at the time, Edwin Corr, assailed in a long cable as being full of FMLN disinformation about the nature of the conflict and of U.S. involvement.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), now House minority leader and the most powerful woman in Congress, signed many letters on behalf of FMLN causes in the 1980s. Among the letters, copies of which Insight obtained, are requests to the U.S. Embassy and to the Salvadoran military and civilian leadership urging them to grant safe-conduct passes to radical American activists into FMLN-controlled regions.

A former Salvadoran ambassador to the United States tells Insight that his government felt intense pressure to grant the passes demanded by U.S. lawmakers, even though authorities knew the activists were with FMLN support groups and that their activities provided material support to the communist guerrilla forces and their civilian infrastructure. [41]

Clinton/Pinochet letter

On October 21, 1998, many Members of Congress wrote a letter to President Bill Clinton, urging him to release information to a Spanish judge investigating former Chilean President Pinochet for alleged crimes committed during and after the overthrow of the Marxist Allende government.

Dear Mr. President:

The October 17 arrest of General Augusto Pinochet in London is a good example of how the goals you outlined in your anti-terrorism speech at the United Nations can be put into practice. Indeed, when the rule oflaw is applied to combat international lawlessness,humanity's agenda gains...we call upon you to ensure that the U.S. government provides Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon material related to Pinochet's role in international terrorism -- material and testimony that the U.S. government has thus far withheld.

Signatories included Rep. Nancy Pelosi.[42]

Clinton/Chile letter

February 24, 2000, 31 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to President Clinton requesting full U.S. cooperation with the Spanish case against former Chilean General Augusto Pinochet, a thorough investigation into the car-bomb assassination of Orlando Letelier and American citizen Ronni Moffitt, and the release of all U.S. documents pertaining to human rights abuses in Chile.

Dear President Clinton,

We would like to take this opportunity to commend your Administration's recent activity concerning the ongoing investigation into former Chilean General Augusto Pinochet's role in the 1976 car bombing of Orlando Letelier and Ronni Moffitt in Washington D.C. We also appreciate your efforts to release documents pertaining to human rights abuses in Chile.

Signatories were George Miller (D-CA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), John Conyers (D-MI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Pete Stark (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Tim Roemer (D- IN), Howard Berman (D-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Mel Watt (D- NC), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Patsy Mink (D-HI), Marcy Kaptur (D- OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Tierney (D-MA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Martin Sabo (D-MN), and Bob Filner (D-CA).[43]

“Contract, Yes! Government intervention, No!”

“Contract, Yes! Government intervention, No!” was the message of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the AFL-CIO, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and many mayors at rallies up and down the West Coast, Aug. 12. Thousands took to the streets in protest of a threat by the Bush administration to take over ports militarily in the event that the union decides to strike.

“I’m here because I think you are right on track. The stakes could not be higher,” Daschle said to the Portland, Ore., rally. “I say this administration is wrong, wrong, wrong, and you’ve got every right to fight, fight, fight!”

“We will be with you until the last day to see that you get what you deserve,” Daschle said as he pledged that Democrats nationwide would defend the union’s right to strike.

Backing that message were other prominent Congressional Democrats including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), who joined Daschle in Portland; Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) and House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sent strongly worded messages to the rallies. [44]

George Soros

Nancy Pelosi hired George Soros' right hand man - Joseph Onek, to be her Senior Counsel, thereby linking her office to the Greek billionaire.[45]

From Freedom's Zone:

And just how far to the left will amaze you. By placing her trust in Onek, she is essentially working with the Senior Policy Analyst for George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI), one of the world's major financiers of the political far Left and a member of the benignly named Peace and Security Funders Group, an association of more than 50 foundations that earmark a sizable portion of their $27 billion in combined assets to leftist organizations that undermine the war on terror in several interrelated ways, including:

... characterizing the United States as an aggressively militaristic nation that exploits vulnerable populations all over the globe.

... accusing the U.S. of having provoked, through its unjust policies and actions, the terror attacks against it, and consequently casting those attacks as self-defensive measures taken in response to American transgressions.

... by depicting America's military and legislative actions against terror as unjustified, extreme and immoral.

... by steadfastly defending the civil rights and liberties of terrorists whose ultimate aim is to facilitate the annihilation of not just the United States, but all of Western civilization.

Colombia Support Network letter

In 2002, the Colombia Support Network organized a :dear colleague" letter to President Andres Pastrana Arango, of Colombia, through Ned Steiner, a staffer in Rep. Sam Farr's office.

The letter called on President Pastrana to end a military blockade on the Colombian town of San Jose de Apartado, a sister community of Madison Wisconsin, where the Colombia Support Network is based.

We write to you to bring your attention to the humanitarian crisis facing the civilian population of the Peace Community San Jose de Apartadó and its outlying settlements.

We urge the appropriate authorities of your government to dismantle the paramilitary checkpoint on the road between San Jose and Apartadó, ensure the continued safety of the road, and fully investigate recent threats and attacks on the Peace Community.

The Peace Community San Jose de Apartadó and its settlements, including the village of La Union, receive the permanent accompaniment of international organizations.

These include Peace Brigades International (PBI), as well as the U.S. Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), which currently has two US citizens in La Union. We support the work of these two respected organizations as well as the Peace Community in its effort to build a non-violent alternative to the conflict.

Representatives who signed the Colombia Support Network inspired letter in 2001 included Nancy Pelosi. [46]

Phillip Burton Award

Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives California’s 5th Congressional District, was the recipient of the Phillip Burton Award, at the 1990 Phillip Burton Immigration & Civil Rights Awards, from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, in the Bay Area.[47]

Apollo Alliance

In July 2009, Senator Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Apollo Alliance Board Chair Phil Angelides, the former Treasurer of the State of California, to serve as chairman of the newly created Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.[48]

The Apollo Alliance is very closely connected to the Democratic Party as a whole.

ACORN

When federal funding for ACORN was up for debate, Pelosi actively obstructed and prevented the debate from moving forward. After Pelosi imposed a gag rule only 22 minutes into the debate of Republican amendments by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Rep. Steve King (R-VA) to stop funds for ACORN, Bachmann released the following statement:

ACORN is celebrating its 39th birthday and as a gift from its friends in the House leadership two amendments that would keep ACORN from getting federal funds through the Census and other federal programs have been denied debate.

I am disappointed the Democrat leadership has once again violated their own promise for an open and honest debate and denied the opportunity for Members of Congress to go on the record about whose side they are on: ACORN or the American taxpayer.

When families are struggling to make ends meet, Congress should be held accountable for how they spend $64.3 billion of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. The American people deserve better.[49]

La Raza

Pelosi has been affiliated with La Raza for many years. Speaking at banquets and in their favor whenever possible. La Raza gave Pelosi a rating of 100 in 2004.[50]

Nancy Pelosi was honored in 1998 by La Raza for her commitment to Hispanic issues:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is to receive the National Council of La Raza's Congressional Award at the Ninth Annual Congressional Awards Dinner this evening. "I am honored by the National Council of La Raza's recognition of my work on behalf of the Latino community and all people who seek respect and fair treatment from our government. In San Francisco, the culturally rich Latino heritage adds so much to the diversity of our city. The Hispanic community's commitment to family and democratic values helps to make our nation a better place," Pelosi said.

The award is presented to the legislator who has shown unqualified support for issues of concern to the Latino community. According to Raul Yzaguirre, NCLR President: "Representative Nancy Pelosi is well known for her outstanding record on human and civil rights, as well as her work to preserve access to benefits for legal immigrants. She has been equally courageous as one of the few members of Congress to uphold a fact-based and respectful debate on immigration policy."[51]

Pelosi also accepted the Instituto Laboral de la Raza 2007 Congressional Leadership Award from La Raza's Executive Director, Sarah Shaker on February 9, 2007.

Center for American Progress

The third annual 2007 Campus Progress National Student Conference for the Center for American Progress was held in Washington on June 26, 2007 and featured Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Other confirmed speakers included Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin (who has introduced key legislation to redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq), journalists Seymour Hersh and Asra Nomani, public interest leaders Wade Henderson, Van Jones, Maria Teresa Petersen and hip-hop artist M1.

The theme of 2007’s Campus Progress conference was “Our Time Is Now,” highlighting increased youth participation in setting the course for the country.

From Wikipedia:

Campus Progress, launched in February 2005, is the Center for American Progress’s comprehensive effort to help young people make their voices heard on issues and to empower new generations of progressive leaders. Campus Progress is active on over 500 U.S. campuses and in communities across the United States.

Campus Progress has five main components:

From The Nation: “For the first time ever, campus progressives convened, conversed and organized at their own national conference ― something right-wing groups have done annually since the 1970s.... The conference left students, from Young Democrats to radical activists, energized and teeming with hope. Almost everyone I spoke with left the conference believing that a real, thriving and broad-based progressive student movement was overdue, necessary and most importantly, possible.”

David Halperin, former speechwriter to President Bill Clinton and to 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean, has served as the Director of Campus Progress since its inception.

Borosage connection

Campaign for America's Future leader Robert Borosage boasts of close relationship with top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin.

"I'd say we are the bridge," Borosage said. "We are attuned to the grassroots and in touch with the progressive leadership in Congress."[52]

Campus Progress Conference

Emira Woods, Matthew Yglesias, Fellow, Center for American Progress, Reuben Brigety, Director, Sustainable Security Program, Center for American Progress, Jamie Fly, Executive Director, The Foreign Policy Initiative and Heather Hurlburt, Executive Director, National Security Network were speakers on the Threat Assessment: How the U.S. and the global community should deal with terrorism, rogue states, and nuclear proliferation panel at the Campus Progress Conference held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., July 8, 2009.

Other speakers at the conference included President Bill Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Van Jones, former Special Advisor for Green Jobs, White House Council on Environmental Quality.[53]

CAPAC Press Conference on Illegal Immigration

Jung Bin Cho

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus hosted a press conference for illegal immigration in September 2017.[54] The speakers included Jung Bin Cho, Judy Chu, Chirayu Patel (founder of DACA network), Nancy Pelosi, and Pramila Jayapal.

Chicago Climate Exchange

In April 2009, Climate Exchange CEO Neil Eckert and Pelosi's son, Paul Pelosi, Jr., were speakers at the Milken Institute Global Conference. Climate Exchange PLC owns the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX).[55]

America's Future Now!

Nancy Pelosi spoke at America's Future Now! 2010.

Progessive bridge

Campaign for America's Future leader Robert Borosage boasts of close relationship with top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin.

"I'd say we are the bridge," Borosage said. "We are attuned to the grassroots and in touch with the progressive leadership in Congress."[56]

Blue Green Alliance

The Blue Green Alliance sponsors the annual Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference. The 2010 conference was held from May. 4-6, 2010.

Conference speakers included:[57]

Syria visit

Nancy Pelosi with Bashar Assad

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader, April 2004, despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel.

The meeting was an attempt to push the Bush administration to open a direct dialogue with Syria, a step that the White House has rejected. Congressional Democrats insist the U.S. attempts to isolate Syria have failed to force the Assad government to change its policies.

Rep. Tom Lantos, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who was in Pelosi's delegation, said the meeting "reinforced sharply" the potential benefits of talking to Syria. "This is only the beginning of our constructive dialogue with Syria and we hope to build on this visit," he told reporters.

President Bush denounced Pelosi's visit to Syria, saying it sends mixed signals to Assad's government. "Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," Bush said.

Washington says Syria is fueling Iraq's violence by allowing Sunni insurgents to operate from its territory. It also accuses it of backing terrorism because of its support for the Hezbollah and Hamas militant groups and of destabilizing the Lebanese government.

"We came in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace," Pelosi told reporters after her talks with Assad.

Pelosi said she and her delegation "expressed our concern about Syria's connections to Hezbollah and Hamas" and discussed the issue of militant fights slipping across the Syrian border into Iraq.

"These are important issues not only in the fight against terrorism but important priorities for us for peace in the Middle East," she said.

She said she brought a message to Assad from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel was ready for peace talks with Syria. Assad gave assurances that "he's ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel," Pelosi said. She later left Syria, heading for Saudi Arabia, the next leg of a Mideast tour.

At a meeting Sunday, Olmert asked Pelosi to take a message to Assad that Israel would be interested in peace if Syria stops its support for terrorism. Assad has repeatedly said in the past year that Damascus is willing to negotiate with Israel, insisting the talks must lead to the return of the Golan Heights, seized by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War.

In the talks with Assad, the delegation raised the issue of Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas and conveyed "the importance of Syria's role with Hamas in promoting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Pelosi said.

Bush said Pelosi's trip signals that the Assad government is part of the international mainstream when it is not. "A lot of people have gone to see President Assad ... and yet we haven't seen action. He hasn't responded," Bush told reporters soon after Pelosi arrived in Damascus on Tuesday.[58]

Congressional Delegation Visit China and Tibet

November 14, 2015 Press Release:

Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today issued the following statement after leading a historic Congressional delegation to Tibet, Beijing and Hong Kong:

TIBET:

“Our delegation was grateful for the opportunity to travel to Lhasa, Tibet to observe, learn and listen about life on the Tibetan plateau.

“We engaged in candid talks with the Secretary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), Chen Quanguo; Vice Party Secretary of TAR, Baima Chilin; and Party Secretary of Lhasa, Qi Zhala regarding the importance of respecting Tibet’s autonomy, its ecology, and the human rights and religious freedom of its diverse people.

“Ours was the first Congressional delegation to enter Tibet since the 2008 unrest marked by protests, demonstrations and violence. The delegation recognized China’s commitment to building infrastructure across China, including in Tibet, and addressing climate change. We expressed concerns regarding freedom of religion and expression for the Tibetan people; the preservation of Tibet’s unique cultural, religious and linguistic heritage; and diplomatic and public access to Tibet.

“We also conveyed to the Chinese government officials the strong, bipartisan support the Dalai Lama enjoys in the Congress of the United States and among the American people.

BEIJING:

“In Beijing, the delegation met with the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Keqiang; National People’s Congress Chairman, Zhang Dejiang; and National People’s Congress Vice Chairman, Zhang Ping.

“The delegation and Chinese officials discussed the importance of building upon President Obama and President Xi’s agreements on climate change, protection of cyber space and countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“The delegation reiterated the imperative of respect for religious freedom and expression in Tibet; autonomy and democracy in Hong Kong; and respect for human and women’s rights across China. The delegation also expressed specific concerns related to the recent arrest and detention of human rights lawyers and activists.

“At Peking University, the delegation participated in a climate change forum with students who shared their determination to address the climate crisis.

HONG KONG:

“While in Hong Kong, our delegation met with Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung and discussed the imperative of preserving Hong Kong’s autonomy and the importance of the US-Hong Kong bilateral relationship.

“The delegation also met with Pan-Democratic, Labor and Liberal Party legislators. Our discussions with these legislators, civil society activists and student leaders, focused on the imperative of preserving Hong Kong’s autonomy, advancing democracy, and protecting the rule of law and human rights.

CONCLUSION:

“Our purpose for this trip was to deepen our understanding, increase our mutual respect and further strengthen US-China ties. Throughout the trip, we engaged in respectful and candid discussions on issues of importance and look forward to continuing our dialogue.

“The delegation is grateful to U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus, US Counsel General Clifford Hart, and the US country teams in Beijing and Hong Kong for their leadership and service.”

In addition to Leader Pelosi, the Members of the delegation are:

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Member, Agriculture Committee, Rules Committee

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Appropriations Committee

Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN), Armed Services Committee, Agriculture Committee, Veterans Affairs Committee; Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Member, Financial Services Committee

Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Foreign Affairs Committee, Natural Resources Committee; Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), Budget Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China[59]

Hu Jintao dinner

In January 2011, Chinese president Hu Jintao visited Washington DC for a high-profile summit. He had a red carpet rolled out for him and was greeted by Vice President Joe Biden at the airport. Highlights of the visit included a private dinner with President Barack Obama one night and a big state dinner the next.

Among those of Chinese descent that were present at the dinner were the newly inaugurated Chinese-American mayors of San Francisco and Oakland, California — Edwin Lee and Jean Quan — Energy Secretary Steven Chu, California Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress. Other members of Obama's Cabinet with seats at the table included Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was the only top congressional leader to accept an invitation. [60]

Committee of 100 2013 conference

The Committee of 100 convened its 22nd Annual Common Ground Conference April 24-25 2013 in Washington, D.C. The Conference Co-Chairs were Howard Li, Theodore Wang, and Benjamin Wu. The Platinum Sponsors for the Conference included J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation, represented by Ming Hsu, and Wells Fargo, represented by Nancy Wong.

The conference events began with the Opening Reception, held at the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building. Congress woman Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Representative of the 8th District of Illinois, welcomed C-100 participants to the historic space and discussed the contributions of C-100 to strengthening U.S.-China relations.

On April 25, the Annual Conference and Gala took place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The conference addressed four issues central to U.S.-China relations: building strategic trust in the bilateral relationship; economic cooperation and competition; Chinese investment in the United States; and media portrayals of China in U.S. political campaigns. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor (1977-1981), and Gao Xiqing, Vice Chairman and President of the China Investment Corporation, presented keynote addresses. The Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and Senator Bob Corker presented remarks.[61]

IAPAC money

Cogressional candidate Nancy Pelosi received money from the Iranian American Political Action Committee during the 2006 election cycle.[62]

NIAC connection

Egyptian visit

"Just weeks" after the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Keith Ellison traveled to Egypt as part of a congressional delegation.

The March 2012 delegation met with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and other high-ranking Egyptian government officials. While in Egypt, Nancy Pelosi and Members of Congress also met with civil society and religious minority leaders.

In addition to Leader Pelosi, other Members of the Congressional delegation were: Congressman George Miller of California, Congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, and Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota.[63]

National Muslim Democratic Council

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi headlined a Democratic Party fundraiser with leaders of Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood front groups in May of 2012.

The invitation-only fundraiser was sponsored by Reps. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.; Andre Carson, D-Ind.; and Steve Israel, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and took place on the evening of May 16, 2012, at the W Hotel in Washington D.C.

In attendance were about 20 members of a Syrian dissident group and 10 officials representing Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas front groups. Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Nihad Awad was perhaps the most prominent attendee and played a key role in organizing the event.

CAIR, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007-2008 Holy Land Foundation Hamas money-laundering trials, was described in FBI testimony as having been created by Hamas. In a 2007 federal court filing, prosecutors described CAIR as conspiring with other branches of the Muslim Brotherhood to support terrorists.

The FBI officially severed relations with CAIR in 2008 because of its ties to Hamas.

Awad has openly championed Hamas and defended suicide bombings as "legitimate resistance."

Also in attendance was Jamal Barzinji, a founding father of the Muslim Brotherhood in America and co-founder of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), an incubator for Islamic radicalism in North America. MSA was the forerunner of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT).

Barzinji was named in a federal affidavit as being closely associated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. His name appears in a global phone book of Muslim Brotherhood members recovered by Italian and Swiss authorities in Nov. 2001 from the home of Al-Taqwa Bank of Lugano founder Youssef Nada, one of the leaders of the international Muslim Brotherhood.

During the fundraiser, Pelosi sat at the same table with Awad and Barzinji.

Speaking to the attendees in her 10-minute address, she said the Democratic Party should become the natural home of Muslim-Americans, because Republicans fan the flames of "Islamophobia." She focused exclusively on Islamophobia, a term devised by radical Islamists and their apologists to silence critics, while avoiding any mention of terrorism carried out by Islamists in the United States.

Also speaking were Israel, Ellison, Carson, and Reps Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn. Israel and Murphy were said to have been the most vehement among the members of Congress in attendance in terms of their incendiary accusations of Republican-incited Islamophobia. One observer said that it was striking that "there was not a scintilla of comments in defense of U.S. national security." However, they welcomed each of the Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood front groups represented at the event into the "Democratic community" without any mention of their well-documented terror links.

Following the speeches, a prominent attorney, Mazen Asbahi publicly rose to announce the creation of a new organization called the National Muslim Democratic Council (NMDC). Asbahi was Barack Obama's 2008 Muslim outreach director but was forced to step down when his prior association with a radical Muslim cleric, Jamal Said, became public. Said was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial.

The NMDC seeks to "maximize American Muslim support for Democratic candidates and policies."[64]

ARA Legislative conference

September 14, 2011, Nancy Pelosi and Xavier Becerra addressed the Alliance for Retired Americans 10th anniversary legislative conference.

ARA endorsements

The Alliance for Retired Americans Political Action Fund endorsed Nancy Pelosi in 2012, 2014.[65]

CPC San Francisco Jobs forum

After weeks of Republican attacks on President Obama in rural Iowa, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Barbara Lee on Tuesday August 17, 2011, took to the pulpit of an African American church in Oakland to hear directly from voters and defend the president and Democrats on the most critical issue of the 2012 presidential race - jobs.

"It is a time in our country when the American people know ... that serious job creation must take place," said Pelosi, speaking to reporters before addressing a supportive crowd of hundreds at the Acts Full Gospel Church in East Oakland, one of California's staunchest Democratic strongholds.

"It is a sad time. ... There is no magic formula," Pelosi said. "But we know there are things we can do differently."

She called on both parties and the dozen members of the recently appointed bipartisan congressional deficit "Super Committee" to work together to solve the jobs problem.

"We are a civilized nation, we are not the law of the jungle," she told the often-vocal group gathered in the church's cavernous hall. "We are a civilized community. ... We have to take this to a higher ground."

The event, headlined "Speak Out for Good Jobs Now," aimed to take testimony from Americans on their concerns regarding the economy from an audience overwhelmingly made up of African Americans and labor union loyalists - the heart of the party base and among those hit hardest by the recession.

Dozens filed up to mikes to tell their stories of unemployment. The session, organized by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was at times raucous, with some heckling or angrily chanting that it is time to "tax the rich."

Barbara Lee, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, charged that Republicans, on the 224th day of their leadership in the House, had failed to produce a jobs bill or to deliver any solid proposals.

But both Pelosi and Lee, accompanied by Rep. Mike Honda of San Jose and Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, also aimed to draw sharp contrasts between Republican and Democratic agendas on jobs.

"They think the way to produce jobs is to reduce taxes for the very wealthy people in this country. ... They did that in the Bush administration," Pelosi said to lusty boos from the audience. By contrast, she said, Democrats want jobs with a "living wage" for American workers, and believe "the more you pay the workers, the more they can become consumers, the more they can take care of their families ... the better jobs you create." High unemployment

"Obama needs to address corporations not hiring the unemployed," said Joyce Gell, an executive recruiter who sat in the audience. "In 2008, a lot of talented people ended up on the market - and they're still there. ... Corporations aren't hiring, and it makes no sense. There's a lot of talent on the streets."

But Chris Thornberg, a chief economist for state Controller John Chiang, said that politicians on both sides of the aisle are promising voters what they can't deliver - a silver bullet for the unemployment problem, particularly for minority communities.

"First of all, nobody has a jobs solution," he said. "Under these circumstances, the party not in power is going to point at the party in power. But neither one of them can deal with it - and there's no quick fix."

One participant in Tuesday's forum, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green For All, an Oakland nonprofit that works for green jobs, said clean energy has the potential to alleviate poverty by bringing high-quality jobs to urban communities. 'The green economy'

"What's most exciting about the green economy is that it offers the possibility to have manufacturing again, to actually create things ... in both the private and the public sector," she said. "And the greatest growth sector right now is clean energy."

Ellis-Lamkins drew applause when she said that, too often, the focus of politicians is "about who is in the back of the room yelling the loudest."

"What the folks in Washington, D.C., would have us do is fight each other," she said. "I want to make sure the story of tonight is that people of color need jobs ... solutions and jobs."[66]

Honoring Dymally

The late Mervyn Dymally, a far left Los Angeles-based lawmaker for decades, was honored at a Dec. 12, 2012, memorial service in Washington DC.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) hosted the event, at the House Visitors Center, Room 215.

Among those slated to speak were Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Janice Hahn of San Pedro. [67]

In 2013 Progressive Democrats of America assigned activists to deliver their material to almost every US Congressman and Senator, Shirley Golub was assigned as the contact for Rep. Pelosi.In June it was Sylvia Corrales.[68] [69]

Phillip Burton Awards Committee

In 2013, the Honorary Phillip Burton Awards Committee, of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, consisted of;

Make Progress National Summit 2014

Generation Progress' Make Progress National Summit 2014 included speakers such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Filmmaker Andrew Rossi, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sec. of Labor Thomas Perez Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, Sen. Chris Murphy, Executive Director of Generation Progress Anne Johnson, President of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden, Policy Director at Generation Progress Sarah Audelo, Rep. Patrick J. Murphy, Former NFL player Donte Stallworth, Representative of House District 74 (TX) Mary Gonzalez, Mayor of Ithaca, NY Svante Myrick, Economic Policy Analyst Sarah Ayres, Educational Advocate Natalia Abrams, Executive Director of National Guestworker Alliance Saket Soni, Executive Director of the Energy Action Coalition Maura Cowley, Young Elected Officials Policy & Programs Director Dawn Huckelbridge, Filmmaker Tara Kutz, Student activist Ronnie Mosley, Roosevelt Institute Fellow Dorian Warren, Iraq War Veteran Tony Woods, Newtown High School graduate Sarah Clements.[71]

“When Women Succeed"

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic women rolled out a campaign on July 18th, 2013, called “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families.”

The campaign was announced at a press conference on the steps of the Capitol. Leader Pelosi was joined by several members of the House of Representatives and leaders of many organizations that address issues of working women. Amongst those present were the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the AFL-CIO, UFCW, the Feminist Majority, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Women’s Law Center, the National Partnership for Women and Families, the American Association of University Women, the National Council of Women’s Organizations and others. In addition to Leader Pelosi, Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT), Donna Edwards (MD), Nydia Velazquez (NY) and Doris Matsui (CA) participated in the press conference along with several women who told their stories.

The campaign agenda focuses on policies that address real economic needs facing women and families: ensuring equal pay for equal work, promoting work and family balance, and providing access to affordable child care.[72]

2015 Cuba visit

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi traveled with a congressional congregation to Cuba mid February 2015.

The trip is the first official House delegation to travel to the island nation since President Barack Obama announced late last year an easing of trade restrictions with the Castro regime.

“This delegation travels to Cuba in friendship and to build upon the announcement of U.S. normalization of relations and other initiatives announced by President Obama,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said. “This delegation will work to advance the U.S.-Cuba relationship and build on the work done by many in the Congress over the years, especially with respect to agriculture and trade.”

The delegation includes Democratic Reps. Eliot Engel of New York, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Anna Eshoo of California, Nydia Velazquez of New York, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Steve Israel of New York and David Cicilline of Rhode Island. Engel is the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The lawmakers will meet with Cuban government officials, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino and local community leaders.[73]

Pelosi and Israel met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, in Havana February 18, 2015.[74]

The delegates also met Cuban Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, marking the first time Cuba's heir apparent to power has received an official American delegation.

Nancy Pelosi and the eight other House Democrats concluded their two-day visit by meeting Diaz-Canel, 54, who is first in line to the seat of power held by brothers Fidel Castro and Raul Castro since 1959.

The nine Democrats, all supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama's policy change on the Communist-led island, were due to be escorted directly to the airport after the meeting.

Diaz-Canel and the Americans talked about Cuba's market-style economic reforms, bilateral relations and prospects of the U.S. Congress lifting the country's 53-year-old trade embargo of Cuba, official Cuban media reported.[75]

2016 Cuba visit

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and 16 other House Democrats will join President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Cuba March 20-22.

Obama will be the first president to visit Cuba in 88 years, and the trip is a symbolic next chapter in his attempts to normalize relations with the country.

The House members will attend along with several senators who previously announced they will make the trip.

The House delegation includes Reps. Karen Bass, Cheri Bustos, Sam Farr, Rosa DeLauro, Barbara Lee, Charles Rangel, Kathy Castor, David Cicilline, Steve Cohen, Jan Schakowsky, Peter Welch, Alan Lowenthal, Jim McGovern and Lucille Roybal-Allard. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra of California will also travel to Cuba along with Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and Tom Udall of New Mexico are slated to join the trip. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has been a leading advocate for normalizing relations with Cuba, will also attend. Additional House Republicans may also join.

Pelosi previously led the first official House delegation trip to the country after Obama announced the change in U.S. policy toward Cuba in 2014.[76]

2015 ARA National Legislative Conference

400 activists came to Washington, DC for the Alliance for Retired Americans’s 2015 National Legislative Conference in July . The activists reached more than 150 offices on Thursday’s Lobby Day, when they met with their Members of Congress and Senators and voiced their concerns about retiree issues. Alliance members lobbied their elected officials with very specific goals in mind, including: expand earned Social Security benefits; protect Social Security Disability Insurance; preserve Medicare and allow no cuts to it; and oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement.

Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, began the conference with a fiery speech on Tuesday. Several elected officials addressed the attendees: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Senators Bernie Sanders (VT), Debbie Stabenow (MI), and Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Representatives Keith Ellison (MN) and Ruben Gallego (AZ). On Wednesday evening, the President’s Award was presented to Judy Cato, Executive Vice-President Emerita, for her activism and years on the Alliance Executive Board.[77]

White House Summit on Worker Voice

At the White House Summit on Worker Voice October 2015 President Barack Obama declared: "If you're not at the table, you are on the menu."

He was quoting Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, one of many top union leaders attending the day-long session. Also participating were organizers of low wage workers, researchers, academics, several business leaders, Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Al Franken, D.-Minn., and Representatives Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, Gregory Meeks, D.-N.Y., and Frederica Wilson, D.-Fla.

Obama acknowledged that workers' rights have been weakened by anti-union laws and policies, but throughout the Summit he repeated his opinion that the main culprit has been "the combination of globalization and automation" that allows corporations "to do more with less." He said what's needed is a "refashioning" of the "social compact so that workers are able to be rewarded properly for the labor that they put in."

Obama suggested that employees and employers work together to create a new "culture" on the job that allows workers to have a voice.

President Obama closed the Summit on Worker Voice by saying, "I see this as the beginning of the conversation, not the end."[78]

CHIRLA connection

CHIRLA held 2 roundtables with supportive Congressional representatives and Chambers of Commerce. One was held on October 18th with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez. A second Roundtable was held between CHIRLA California Dream Network youth and Rep. Linda Sanchez at Cal State Fullerton on October 19, 2017.

September/October 2017, CHIRLA organized 3 public events and 2 business roundtables with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Rep. Nanette Barragan and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, as well as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), and the Carson Chamber of Commerce.[79]

San Francosco City Hall rally for Brandon Lee

Sfnewsfeed.us August 9, 2019 ·

With Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Eugene Bengan Gambol, Chrisanto Iska Ampar, Gordon Mar, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, Claye Sanders, Digong Duterte ng Pilipinas, Eric Mar, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Filamstar Newspaper, Ichrp Norcal, Bayan Norcal, Rody Duterte, Friends of Brandon Lee, ICHRP-Canada International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, Malaya Movement, ICHRP SoCal, ICHRP Northeast, BayanUsa NationalAlliance, ICHRP US International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, Anakbayan San Francisco.

Palestine delegation

Rep. Jimmy Panetta March 30 2018:

Our delegation held a roundtable with Palestinian youth in Jerusalem.

March 30, 2018 Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) returned today from a Congressional delegation visit to Afghanistan, Jordan, and Israel. The focus of the trip was on global and regional security and cooperation issues.

In Afghanistan, Congressman Panetta and the delegation traveled to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Lighting which is the temporary home to the Southeast Advisory Security Task Force under the command of Brigadier General David M. Hamilton. The visit to the FOB in the Paktia Provence allowed Congressman Panetta to talk to and thank the service members on the front line who are training and advising Afghan security forces. The delegation then traveled to Kabul and met with General John W. Nicholson, Jr., Commander, Resolute Support Mission and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, who briefed them on the current military strategy and security situation in Afghanistan. The delegation also met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah at the Presidential Palace.

In Jordan, the delegation met with His Royal Highness King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, as well as other senior defense and foreign affairs leadership who shared their insight into the challenges facing Jordan and the region.

In Israel, the delegation discussed U.S.-Israel relations, the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and regional security issues with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The delegation also met with Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv. Congressman Panetta and the delegation reiterated American support for a two-state solution and for peace in the region.

In addition to Congressman Panetta, the Members of the delegation included:

NAKASEC lobbying

HANA Center and NAKASEC leaders met in Nancy Pelosi's office, September 5, 2017.

DSA pressure on Yemen Bill

IE DSA - Inland Empire Democratic Socialists of America July 8 2019.

URGENT: Tomorrow, Tuesday 7/9, the House Rules Committee will consider whether to allow a floor vote on Rep. Ro Khanna's legislation to end US participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen (Amendment 339 to the National Defense Authorization Act.) The DSA International Committee urges members to call their reps in support.

The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121. You can say something like:

“I urge you to co-sponsor, speak out for and vote for the Khanna-Schiff amendment to end all U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen. Yemeni kids' lives are hanging on your vote.”

Key Congress members — If your Rep is on this list, please contact them immediately and urge them to cosponsor Amendment 339:

Pelosi, Hoyer, Engel, Smith, Lieu, Nadler, Lowey, Jim Himes, Ted Deutch, Brad Sherman, Meeks, Bass, Connolly, Susan Davis, Jim McGovern, Langevin, Moulton, Gallego, Houlahan, Cicilline, Slotkin, Mikie Sherrill, Luria, Spanberger, Wild, Malinowski.

Click here to see quotes from Nancy Pelosi...

Further Reading

Dabbous, Y., Ladley, A. (2010), "A spine of steel and a heart of gold: Newspaper coverage of the first female speaker of the house," Journal of Gender Studies 19 (2), pp. 181-194

Schweizer, Rochelle (2010), "She's The Boss"





Staff

The following people are either past or present staff:[81]