by Gloria Edmonson Nelson

Created on: August 24, 2009   Last Updated: September 02, 2009

Our House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is doing a great job. She has been at the forefront on women's issues and has secured funding to double the budget to the National Institute of Health for health research.

As the first woman to lead a major party in the United States Congress, the job she holds is a very complex position. Mrs. Pelosi's twenty years of political experience prior to becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives qualifies her to do this job. She was the Representative for the 8th Congressional District; (San Francisco, China town, Hunter's Point, etc.) before moving to Washington.

She blocked the proposed bill to reduce funds for international family planning and passed legislation to assist nonprofit organization's funding for AIDS and HIV. Nancy Pelosi also worked to get legislation passed so that military commanders would be provided with accurate intelligence to protect U.S. forces to succeed in combat to prevent mass destruction and global terrorism. Speaker of the House has worked on environmental issues for changes in the United States and abroad called the The Pelosi Amendment.

She has been an advocate on human rights, working to free people of Tibet, serving as liaison to China regarding economics, etc., stating China must do better regarding its human rights in order for the United States and other countries to be able to do trade with them. She has also worked with the Ethics Committee to investigate improper banking procedures.

Nancy Pelosi is a "no-nonsense" type person and shows this when she frequently uses the gavel to assert her authority to get attention when things are out of hand. It has been said that she realizes she is unpopular, but says she just wants to be trusted. Although her style might be quite intimidating to those looking on or who work with her; Nancy has to assert authority in this manner in order to have ultimate respect from those looking on.

She supports President Obama's health care bill and, in fact reiterates the "public option" portion must remain as part of this proposition. People must be able to make the final choice regarding their health.

Let's face it: The Speaker of the House has a difficult role; for example, she is not liked by the Republicans and some of her own party disagree with her regarding her passing legislation for more funding of the war.

Because she has always been around politics: her father and brother were both Mayors of Baltimore, Maryland; she understand that you will get both negative and positive commentary from time-to-time. She states her purpose is to do her job in a trustworthy manner. As long as she does her job with integrity and by keeping human rights and the safety of the United States as her goal; she cannot be concerned about negative media.

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