Nancy Pelosi is an American politician and the first woman to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, a role she held from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, making her the 52nd Speaker overall.[1][4][6] A Democrat representing California's 12th District, including San Francisco, since 1987, she previously served as House Democratic Whip and led House Democrats for over 20 years as Minority Leader.[1][3][4] Born into a Baltimore political family, Pelosi is married to Paul Pelosi, with five children and ten grandchildren.[3] She broke barriers as the first female House Minority Whip in 2001 and Minority Leader in 2002, becoming the highest-ranking woman in U.S. government at the time.[6] Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2013, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden in 2024, the nation's highest civilian honor.[1][4][9] Pelosi architected major legislation across Democratic administrations, including the Affordable Care Act under Obama, which expanded coverage to millions and protected those with pre-existing conditions; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms; and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.[1][2][3][7] Under Biden, she drove the American Rescue Plan for pandemic relief, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act for drug costs and climate action, and CHIPS and Science Act.[1][3] Other achievements encompass gun violence prevention, children's health care expansion, minimum wage hikes, college aid expansions, veteran benefits, Medicare reforms, and opioid funding.[1][2][4][5] A skilled negotiator, she secured bipartisan wins like World Trade Center Health Program authorization and renewable energy credits amid GOP majorities.[1][4] Her leadership transformed San Francisco through HIV/AIDS funding, transit upgrades, housing, and environmental protections.[8] As of 2026, Pelosi remains a congressional veteran and influential Democratic figure.[1][7]