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90-448: In 2017, Goodlatte presided over a GOP effort, conducted in a secret session, to weaken the independent Office of Congressional Ethics , a move widely criticized by House leaders and the opposition party. The proposal passed by a 119 to 74 vote, but it was withdrawn the following day after widespread public criticism. On November 9, 2017, Goodlatte announced that he would not seek reelection in 2018 . In February 2020, Goodlatte registered as

180-688: A Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia , received in 1977. In his early professional career he served as a staff aide for 6th District U.S. Congressman M. Caldwell Butler from 1977 to 1979. Goodlatte went on to work as a lawyer in private practice from 1980 to 1993. Bob Goodlatte received the Republican nomination at the Republican District convention after Democratic Party candidate Jim Olin opted not to run for reelection in 1992. In

270-714: A lobbyist representing the Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability, a nonprofit. Goodlatte was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts , the son of Doris B. (née Mentzendorff) and Robert Swan Goodlatte. His paternal ancestry includes English and Irish and his maternal grandfather was a Baltic German from Riga . Goodlatte grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts . Goodlatte received a B.A. in political science from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine in 1974. He also holds

360-475: A special election to fill the remainder of her husband's congressional term. She was then reelected to two more terms in her own right. Burton became ill with cancer in late 1986 and decided not to run for reelection in 1988. She wanted Pelosi to succeed her, guaranteeing Pelosi the support of the Burtons' contacts. Burton died on February 1, 1987, one month after being sworn in for a second full term. Pelosi won

450-596: A "horrible approval rating with the rest of America". Bresnahan wrote that Pelosi's leadership and the legislative agenda she advanced had significantly contributed to the party's loss of its House majority, citing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as an example of legislation that hurt the Democrats electorally in 2010. Bresnahan also believed that, ahead of the 2010 elections, Pelosi had "disastrously" misread public opinion, and that Pelosi had been

540-575: A gay man as her congressional office's director of AIDS policy. In her first floor speech, Pelosi promised that she would be an advocate in the fight against what she called "the crisis of AIDS." With great stigma around the subject, some in her party privately chastised her for publicly associating herself with it. Pelosi co-authored the Ryan White CARE Act , which allocated funding dedicated to providing treatment and services for those impacted by HIV/AIDS. President George H. W. Bush signed

630-517: A high level of political polarization in the United States. In November 2010, Brian Naylor of NPR opined that: During Nancy Pelosi's four years as speaker of the House, Congress approved the health care overhaul—widely considered the most significant piece of domestic legislation since Medicare—along with an $ 800 billion measure to stimulate the economy and a multi-billion-dollar rescue of

720-461: A large number of campaign volunteers, and fundraised prolifically for her campaign. Pelosi has continued to represent approximately the same area of San Francisco for her entire congressional career, despite the boundaries shifting marginally in decennial post- reapportionment redistrictings . This area has been represented in the House by Democrats uninterruptedly since 1949, and is strongly Democratic-leaning (as of 2006, 13% of registered voters in

810-680: A portion of their Social Security withholding into stock and bond investments. Pelosi strongly opposed the plan, saying there was no crisis, and as minority leader she imposed intense party discipline on her caucus, leading them to near-unanimous opposition to the proposal, which was defeated. In the wake of Bush's 2004 reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue impeachment proceedings against him , asserting that he had misled Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and violated Americans' civil liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps . In May 2006, with an eye on

900-540: A press conference in which she endorsed Murtha's proposal. Some critics believed that Pelosi's support for a troop withdrawal would prevent the Democrats from winning a House majority in the 2006 elections . During her time as minority leader, Pelosi was not well known to much of the American public. Before the 2006 elections, Republicans made a concerted effort to taint public perception of her, running advertisements assailing her. Advertisements demonizing Pelosi became

990-507: A relatively short period of time—approximately three months at most. The OCE review process requires approval of the board at each step. In order to open a preliminary review, lasting no longer than 30 days, there must be "reasonable cause to believe allegations," according to the OCE. In order to proceed to a second phase, or further review, there must be "probable cause to believe allegations." The second phase must be completed within 45 days, with

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1080-407: A routine part of Republican advertising in subsequent elections. For instance, during the 2022 election cycle, Republicans ran more than $ 50 million in ads that negatively characterized or invoked Pelosi, and in the 2010 cycle, they spent more than $ 65 million on such ads. In the 2006 elections, the Democrats took control of the House, picking up 30 seats, the party's largest House seat gain since

1170-462: A speech a few days later), Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid condemned the plan. They sent Bush a letter reading: [T]here is no purely military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain.   ... Rather than deploy additional forces to Iraq, we believe

1260-544: A statement after the vote, saying: "I'm concerned that this version will lead to a much bigger government fueled by more taxes. Spending is the problem, yet this version of the Balanced Budget Amendment makes it more likely taxes will be raised, government will grow, and economic freedom will be diminished. Without a limit on government spending, I cannot support this Amendment." Goodlatte supported President Donald Trump 's 2017 executive order to impose

1350-600: A statement in 2010, "keeping the public informed is a paramount responsibility for the OCE" and "providing information to the public, improving transparency, is a central element of the OCE's mission. The office's launch and first two years were led by Leo Wise, who prior to joining the OCE, earned top honors at the United States Department of Justice where he was a member of the Enron task force that successfully prosecuted Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling and

1440-415: A temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries . He stated that "The primary duty of the federal government is to keep Americans safe. Today, President Trump has begun to fulfill this responsibility by taking a number of critical steps within his authority to strengthen national security and the integrity of our nation's immigration system." Goodlatte is the co-chairman of

1530-608: A volunteer for the Democratic Party in the 1960s. After years of party work, rising to chair the state party, she was first elected to Congress in a 1987 special election and is now in her 19th term. Pelosi steadily rose through the ranks of the House Democratic Caucus to be elected House minority whip in 2001 and elevated to House minority leader a year later, becoming the first woman to hold each of those positions in either chamber of Congress. In

1620-567: Is a nonpartisan, independent entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and their staff and, when appropriate, referring matters to the United States House Committee on Ethics . The OCE's mission is "to assist the House in upholding high standards of ethical conduct for its Members, officers, and staff and, in so doing, to serve the American people"; within that framework it strives to foster transparency by keeping

1710-578: Is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online gambling . In 2006, he sponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act . In September 2006, working with then Iowa Congressman Jim Leach , Goodlatte was a major House supporter of the Unlawful Internet gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The Act was passed at midnight the day Congress adjourned before the 2006 elections . Prior to it being added to

1800-730: Is an American politician who served as the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party , she was the first woman elected as U.S. House Speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress , leading the House Democrats from 2003 to 2023. A member of the House since 1987, Pelosi currently represents California's 11th congressional district , which includes most of San Francisco . She

1890-498: Is my representative" surged in the hours following the public unveiling of the mooted changes to the Office. Representatives received thousands of calls demanding they cease their support for the amendment. In less than 24 hours, Goodlatte and his fellow Republicans scrapped the proposal. One of Goodlatte's legislative initiatives was his constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget . Goodlatte wrote and put forward both

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1980-592: Is the dean of California's congressional delegation . Pelosi was born and raised in Baltimore , and is the daughter of mayor and congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She graduated from Trinity College, Washington , in 1962 and married businessman Paul Pelosi the next year; the two had met while both were students. They moved to New York City before settling down in San Francisco with their children. Focused on raising her family, Pelosi stepped into politics as

2070-516: The 1974 elections held in the wake of the Watergate scandal . The party's House majority meant that as the party's incumbent House leader, Pelosi was widely expected to become speaker in the next Congress. On November 16, 2006, the Democratic caucus unanimously nominated her for speaker. Pelosi supported her longtime friend John Murtha for House majority leader, the second-ranking post in

2160-450: The 2006 midterm elections , Pelosi led the Democrats to a majority in the House for the first time in 12 years and was subsequently elected Speaker, becoming the first woman to hold the office. Until Kamala Harris became vice president in 2021 , Pelosi was the highest-ranking woman in the presidential line of succession in U.S. history, as the speaker of the House is second in the line of succession. During her first speakership, Pelosi

2250-548: The 2010 Tax Relief Act . Pelosi lost the speakership after the Republican Party retook the majority in the 2010 midterm elections , but she retained her role as leader of the House Democrats and became House minority leader for a second time. In the 2018 midterm elections , Democrats regained majority control of the House, and Pelosi was again elected Speaker , becoming the first former speaker to reclaim

2340-614: The Affordable Care Act , when it seemed doomed to defeat. After Republican Scott Brown won Democrat Ted Kennedy 's former Senate seat in the January 2010 Massachusetts special election , costing Democrats their 60-seat filibuster -proof majority, Obama agreed with his then chief of staff Rahm Emanuel 's idea to do smaller initiatives that could pass easily. But Pelosi dismissed Obama's compunction, mocking his scaled-back ideas as "kiddie care". After convincing him that this

2430-626: The House Appropriations Committee and the House Intelligence Committee . In 2001, Pelosi was elected the House minority whip, second-in-command to Minority Leader Dick Gephardt . She was the first woman in U.S. history to hold that post. Pelosi defeated John Lewis and Steny Hoyer for the position. A strong fundraiser, she used campaign contributions to help persuade other members of Congress to support her candidacy. In 2002, Pelosi opposed

2520-583: The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 , and the Respect for Marriage Act . In the 2022 midterm elections , Republicans narrowly regained control of the House for the new Congress, ending her tenure as speaker. She subsequently retired as House Democratic leader. On November 29, 2022, the Steering and Policy Committee of the House Democratic Caucus named Pelosi "Speaker Emerita". Nancy Pelosi

2610-702: The Institute of Notre Dame , an all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore. In 1962, she graduated from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University ) in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Arts in political science . Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) in the 1960s alongside future House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer . After moving to San Francisco , Pelosi became friends with 5th district congressman Phillip Burton and began working her way up in Democratic politics. In 1976, she

2700-470: The Iraq Resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq , which passed the House on a 296–133 vote. She said, "unilateral use of force without first exhausting every diplomatic remedy and other remedies and making a case to the American people will be harmful to our war on terrorism." In November 2002, after Gephardt resigned as House minority leader to seek

2790-602: The United States Navy Reserve . The OCE opened dozens of reviews, based on publicly available information, submissions from the public, press accounts and other sources of information. This included the multiple ethical and criminal violations stemming from, among others, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff , and former representatives Duke Cunningham , Tom DeLay , Bob Ney , Mark Foley and William J. Jefferson . Wise announced in October 2010 that he

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2880-558: The bill , the gambling provisions had not been debated by any Congressional committee . The bill was made sure to exclude online gambling. They claimed moral reasons for pushing for a ban on Internet gambling, but critics charge that it was due to campaign contributions from Microsoft and Steam. Goodlatte invoked surveillance abuse against Martin Luther King Jr. in the context of alleged surveillance abuses against Trump 2016 campaign advisor Carter Page. His last act as Chairman of

2970-475: The dean of the House of Representatives traditionally does. Pelosi was the first woman, the first Californian, and the first Italian-American to hold the speakership. She was also the second speaker from a state west of the Rocky Mountains . The first was Washington 's Tom Foley , the last Democrat to hold the post before Pelosi. During her speech, she discussed the historical importance of being

3060-417: The marble ceiling . For our daughters and our granddaughters, the sky is the limit, anything is possible for them. She also said Iraq was the major issue facing the 110th Congress while incorporating some Democratic Party beliefs: The election of 2006 was a call to change—not merely to change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country. Nowhere were the American people more clear about

3150-479: The special election to succeed her, defeating Democratic San Francisco supervisor Harry Britt on April 7, 1987, and Republican Harriet Ross in a June 2 runoff. Pelosi took office a week later. In the primary, Britt, a gay man, had courted San Francisco's sizable homosexual population by arguing that he would be better than Pelosi at addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pelosi had held many campaign events, amassed

3240-550: The "clean" Balanced Budget Amendment which had a higher chance of actually passing the House and the Senate as well as a version that makes it harder to increase taxes by requiring a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to raise taxes. However, Representatives Paul Ryan , Justin Amash , David Dreier and Louie Gohmert voted against the "clean" amendment because it could have allowed taxes to be raised on Americans. Ryan released

3330-425: The "earliest predictable date". Pelosi initially declined to commit to supporting Murtha's proposal. Speaker Dennis Hastert soon brought to the floor a vote on a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of troops, seeking to trap Democrats into taking a more radical stance. Pelosi led Democrats in voting against the resolution, which failed in a 403–3 floor vote. Roughly two weeks later, Pelosi held

3420-519: The 1992 November general election, Goodlatte defeated Democratic candidate Stephen Musselwhite, who had defeated Olin's preferred choice at the district Democratic convention, with 60% of the vote. Goodlatte has been reelected ten times, often running unopposed. His most substantive Democratic opposition was in 1996, when he faced Jeff Grey, and again in 1998, when Roanoke mayor David Bowers challenged him. In an overwhelmingly conservative district, Goodlatte turned back these challenges, with 67% and 69% of

3510-399: The 2008 election, she withstood a challenge for her seat by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan , who ran as an independent primarily because of Pelosi's refusal to pursue impeachment. Before the midterm elections, Pelosi announced that if Democrats gained a House majority, they would push through most of their agenda during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress. The "first hundred hours"

3600-467: The 2010 elections on anti-Pelosi advertisements. Pelosi has continued to be a fixture of Republican attack. Ads demonizing her have been credited with fostering intense right-wing ire toward her, and have been seen as one of the top factors in her unpopularity with the public. Shortly after being reelected in 2004, President Bush claimed a mandate for an ambitious second-term agenda and proposed reforming Social Security by allowing workers to redirect

3690-574: The Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election , Pelosi was elected to replace him, becoming the first woman to lead a major party in either chamber of Congress. In the campaign to succeed Gephardt as the House Democratic Caucus 's leader, Pelosi was challenged by Harold Ford Jr. and Marcy Kaptur . Kaptur withdrew her candidacy for the position before the November 15, 2002, caucus vote, and Pelosi defeated Ford 117–29 in

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3780-509: The House majority in 2006, in her second term as minority leader Pelosi worked to criticize the Bush administration more effectively and to contrast the Democratic Party with it. As part of this, Pelosi voiced even harsher criticism of Bush's handling of the Iraq War. In November 2005, prominent congressional Democrat John Murtha proposed that the U.S. begin a withdrawal of troops from Iraq at

3870-475: The House. His competitor was House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer , who had been Pelosi's second-in-command since 2003. Hoyer was elected House majority leader over Murtha by a margin of 149–86. On January 4, 2007, Pelosi defeated Republican John Boehner of Ohio, 233 votes to 202, in the election for speaker of the House. Rahm Emanuel , the incoming chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, nominated Pelosi, and her longtime friend John Dingell swore her in, as

3960-1008: The Judiciary Committee before leaving in December 2018 was to block Savanna's Act , a bill introduced by Heidi Heitkamp and which had passed without opposition in the Senate. The bill, previously known as S.1942, was nicknamed after Fargo, North Dakota resident Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was brutally murdered in August 2017 as an example of the horrific statistics regarding abuse and homicide of Native American women. Committee assignments Caucus memberships *Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, write-ins received 160 votes. In 1994, write-ins received 189 votes. In 1996, write-ins received 71 votes. In 1998, write-ins received 66 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 948 votes. In 2008, write-ins received 262 votes. In 2010, write-ins relieved 2,709 votes. **In 1992, Bob Goodlatte received

4050-535: The OCE from independently releasing statements publicly on pending or completed investigations. This move was immediately met with criticism by Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate , with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , claiming that "ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress", and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying that the GOP had failed to keep their promise to " drain

4140-484: The OCE to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then- House Minority Leader John Boehner . The Sunlight Foundation stated at the time: "More than anything else the Office of Congressional Ethics has helped to reveal to the public the patent absurdity of the self-policing oversight that members provide through the House Ethics Committee ." On January 2, 2017, one day before the 115th United States Congress

4230-617: The Republican nomination at the Republican District Convention. Prior to 2012, Goodlatte had never faced a primary challenge throughout his 20-years in Congress. Goodlatte has been married since 1974; he and his wife have two children. He is a Christian Scientist . Office of Congressional Ethics The Office of Congressional Ethics ( OCE ), established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008,

4320-445: The banks. It is a legislative legacy that rivals the accomplishments of any speaker in modern times. In November 2010, after Democrats lost their House majority, Politico writer John Bresnahan called Pelosi's record as speaker "mixed". He opined that Pelosi had been a powerful speaker, describing her as wielding "an iron fist in a Gucci glove" and having held "enormous power within the House Democratic Caucus", but noting that she had

4410-594: The bill into law in December 1990. In March 1988, Pelosi voted for the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (as well as to override President Ronald Reagan 's veto). Pelosi helped shape the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act , working with California Senator Dianne Feinstein and New York Congressman Chuck Schumer . It became law in 1994. Pelosi also held chairs on important committees , such as

4500-697: The bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus, Chairman of the House Republican High-Technology Working Group, and Co-Chairman of the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus. In 1997 he sponsored the No Electronic Theft Act which criminalized several kinds of non-commercial copyright infringement , in response to the decision for the court case United States v. LaMacchia (1994). Goodlatte

4590-418: The board to hire the office’s staff for the entire session within 30 calendar days of the rules package passing. Any new hires would require the approval of at least four board members." According to Forbes , "the term limits would immediately remove three of the four Democratic members from the office’s board, but none of the four Republican board members would be dismissed. (Although members of each party chose

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4680-562: The board’s members, they are supposed to perform their duties independently of their affiliation.) It could be difficult to fill the newly vacated spots within 30 days, which might leave the board with just five members. That would, in turn, make it harder to hire new employees, as four votes would be required to extend a job offer. The change also would leave Republican-appointed members with almost total control of staffing decisions. Even at full strength, hiring personnel sometimes take months." The Guardian stated that "though seemingly innocuous,

4770-427: The boundaries of Pelosi's district were Republican). It has not seen a serious Republican congressional contender since the early 1960s. Pelosi has been reelected to the House 18 times without any substantive opposition. Unlike in her 1987 campaign, Pelosi has not participated in candidates' debates in her reelection campaigns. In her first seven reelection campaigns (from 1988 through 2004), she won an average of 80% of

4860-598: The changes appear to have been drafted to strike at the principal vulnerabilities of OCE and defang its investigative powers for at least the next two years." Various government watchdog groups, like Campaign Legal Center , Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Accountable.US, pushed back on the GOP move. The current membership Former board members include: Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( / p ə ˈ l oʊ s i / pə- LOH -see ; née   D'Alesandro ; born March 26, 1940)

4950-479: The closed-door vote of caucus members. Critics of Pelosi characterized her as too liberal to be a successful House leader. As minority leader, Pelosi sharply criticized the handling of the Iraq War by President Bush and his administration, in 2004 saying Bush had demonstrated areas of "incompetence". In a relative surprise, the Democratic Party lost three seats in the 2004 House elections , which coincided with Bush's reelection as president . Focused on retaking

5040-413: The ethics office... because it has been fulfilling its mission to put life into the lawmakers' own stultified ethics process, to penetrate the murk of misbehavior and keep the public better informed." Given these threats, a number of outside government groups, watchdogs and editorial writers campaigned that year to ensure the survival of the OCE into another session of Congress. They sent letters supporting

5130-496: The first woman to hold the position of Speaker: This is a historic moment—for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren't just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today, we have broken

5220-734: The gavel since Sam Rayburn in 1955. During her second speakership, the House twice impeached President Donald Trump , first in December 2019 and again in January 2021 ; the Senate acquitted Trump both times. She participated in the passage of the Biden administration 's landmark bills, including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 , the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , the CHIPS and Science Act ,

5310-440: The general election and defeated him with 66% of the vote. The American Conservative Union gave him a 94% evaluation. During a secret meeting on the night before the start of the 115th Congress , Goodlatte led an attempt by House Republicans to reduce the reach of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics . The Office was created in 2008 after numerous infractions involving Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff , resulting in

5400-579: The greatest in U.S. history, highlighting the passage of the Affordable Care Act ("a measure with far-reaching implications for our nation's health care policy"). He also praised Pelosi for occasionally allowing House passage of measures that had majority overall House support but were opposed by the majority of the Democratic House Caucus. He noted that she had occasionally allowed bills to move forward in such fashion despite

5490-445: The imprisonment of House member Bob Ney . The proposed amendment to House Rules, spearheaded by Goodlatte, gave the House Ethics Committee - made up of partisan elected officials - oversight of what would be the renamed Office and power to stop inquiries that had the potential to lead to criminal charges. It would have also blocked the Office's staff from speaking with reporters and other news media members. The amendment passed during

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5580-557: The left. As they had in 2006, Republicans continued to run advertisements that demonized Pelosi. Before the 2010 House elections, the Republican National Committee prominently used a "Fire Pelosi" slogan in its efforts to recapture the House majority. This slogan was rolled out hours after the House passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . Republicans spent $ 65 million ahead of

5670-451: The most powerful woman in U.S. history and among the most powerful speakers of the previous 100 years. In March 2010, Mark Shields wrote, In the last four months, [Pelosi] has not once, not twice but on three separate occasions done what none of her predecessors—including legendary giants [ Tip O'Neill and Sam Rayburn ]—could ever do: persuade the House of Representatives to pass national health-care reform. Pelosi has proved herself to be

5760-545: The most powerful woman in U.S. political history. Later in 2010, Gail Russell Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor opined that Pelosi was the "most powerful House speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago", adding that she had also been "one of the most partisan". Scholars favorably assessed Pelosi's first speakership. In late 2010, Norman Ornstein , a congressional scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute , opined that despite polarized public opinion of Pelosi, "she's going to rank quite high in

5850-409: The need for a new direction than in Iraq. The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end. As speaker, Pelosi remained the leader of the House Democrats, as the speaker is considered the leader of the majority caucus. But by tradition, she did not normally participate in debate and almost never voted on the floor, though she had the right to do so as a member of the House. She

5940-405: The office "has taken its mission seriously." Although the office does not have subpoena power, it has played a significant role in 2010 investigations concerning alleged ethics violations by Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and former Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) The OCE was created by House Resolution 895 of the 110th United States Congress in March 2008, in

6030-488: The office, which requires reauthorization at the beginning of each new Congress. "The extent and level of ethics scrutiny the OCE has brought is unprecedented in the House," according to The Hill newspaper, in a Sept. 8, 2010 article on the future of the office. At least 20 of the OCE's referrals on sitting members of the House of Representatives were published on its website in its first Congressional session of operation—a demonstration, according to The Washington Post , that

6120-432: The pantheon of modern speakers", declaring that the only speaker of the previous 100 years he would rank higher than Pelosi was Sam Rayburn . Catholic University of America political scientist Matthew Green opined that the 111th Congress had "been remarkable in its productivity—in both the number of bills enacted and their scope—and Pelosi shares much of the credit." Green considered Pelosi's tenure as speaker to be among

6210-653: The possibility of a 14-day extension. Following completion of the second-phase review, the OCE board votes to refer a matter to the House Ethics Committee with a recommendation for or against further review by the committee. The recommendation comes in the form of a report which must be released to the public, unless the OCE recommendation was against further review. Consequently, the OCE has published nearly two dozen reports on members believed to have violated House rules—leading to cheers from government watchdog groups and to calls by some in Congress for gutting

6300-649: The public and referring them, if appropriate, to the Committee on Ethics." House Republicans reversed their plan to gut the OCE less than 24 hours after the initial vote, under bipartisan pressure from Representatives of both parties, their constituents and the President-elect, Donald Trump . In addition to negative Trump tweets , criticism was widespread including from Judicial Watch , the Project on Government Oversight , former Representative Bob Ney , who

6390-426: The public informed of its activities. With its online presence, it aims to “give the public a 'window' into ethics enforcement in the United States House of Representatives.” The office is governed by an eight-person Board of Directors, composed of members who are private citizens and cannot serve as members of Congress, or work for the federal government. The OCE lacks subpoena power and must complete each review in

6480-420: The secret meeting, but its fortunes were reversed once news of the measure leaked out. The proposed changes immediately drew strong criticism from prominent figures on both sides of the aisle, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , President-elect Donald Trump , and even Abramoff himself. Additionally, social media catalyzed a swift reaction from constituents, with Google reporting that searches for "Who

6570-522: The swamp ", referring to the frequent use of the phrase by President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican leaders during the 2015 campaign. The 119–74 vote reflected the frustration of many lawmakers who questioned the non-partisanship of the OCE. In a statement, Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) defended pushing the rules amendment because it "builds upon and strengthens the existing Office of Congressional Ethics by maintaining its primary area of focus of accepting and reviewing complaints from

6660-540: The tobacco litigation team that successfully prosecuted the civil racketeering case against the cigarette industry. He joined the United States Department of Justice through the prestigious Attorney General's Honors Program after graduating from Harvard Law School . Wise is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies . He is also an officer in

6750-599: The upcoming midterm elections—which offered the possibility of Democrats taking back control of the House for the first time since 1994—Pelosi told colleagues that, while the Democrats would conduct vigorous oversight of Bush administration policy, an impeachment investigation was "off the table". A week earlier, she had told The Washington Post that although Democrats would not set out to impeach Bush, "you never know where" investigations might lead. After becoming speaker in 2007, Pelosi held firm against impeachment, notwithstanding strong support for it among her constituents. In

6840-470: The vote, respectively. In 2008, he was challenged by Democratic candidate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke. Goodlatte garnered 62% of the vote. In 2010, Goodlatte was challenged by Independent Jeffrey Vanke and Libertarian Stuart Bain. Goodlatte won with 76.26% of the vote. In 2009, Goodlatte was appointed to serve as the co-lead impeachment manager (prosecutor) alongside Adam Schiff for the impeachment trial of Judge Samuel B. Kent . The following year, Goodlatte

6930-481: The vote. At the time that Pelosi entered office, there were only 23 women in the House. When Pelosi entered office, the AIDS epidemic was at a dire point. San Francisco was greatly affected; its large population of gay men was the epidemic's initial epicenter. Beginning in her first term, Pelosi became a prominent congressional advocate on behalf of those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Shortly after she took office, she hired

7020-421: The wake of across-the-board Democratic victories in the 2006 elections. It was created under the leadership of then- Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi as part of her effort to clean up what she called the "culture of corruption" in official Washington, which had garnered so much attention in the preceding congressional sessions. According to OCE Communications Director Jon Steinman, in

7110-453: The way forward is to begin the phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months while shifting the principal mission of our forces there from combat to training, logistics, force protection, and counter-terror. Pelosi was named Permanent Chair of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver , Colorado. Pelosi has been credited for spearheading Obama's health care law,

7200-752: Was a major opponent of the Iraq War as well as the Bush administration's attempts to partially privatize Social Security . She participated in the passage of the Obama administration's landmark bills , including the Affordable Care Act , the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act , the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act , the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , and

7290-481: Was a play on President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's promise for quick action to combat the Great Depression during his "first hundred days" in office. Newt Gingrich, who became speaker of the House in 1995, had a similar 100-day agenda to implement his Contract with America . On January 5, 2007, reacting to suggestions from Bush's confidants that he would increase troop levels in Iraq (which he announced in

7380-431: Was also not a member of any House committees, also in keeping with tradition. Pelosi was reelected speaker in 2009. During and after her first tenure as speaker, Pelosi was widely characterized as a polarizing political figure. Republican candidates often associated their Democratic opponents with her. Pelosi became the focus of heavy disdain by "mainstream" Republicans and Tea Party Republicans alike, as well as from

7470-493: Was appointed and served as a House co-lead impeachment manager in the impeachment trial of Thomas Porteous , again alongside Schiff. In 2011, Republican Karen Kwiatkowski of Mount Jackson , Virginia, announced that she would challenge Goodlatte in the Republican primary set for June 12, 2012. This was Bob Goodlatte's first contested Republican primary. Kwiatkowski earned 34% of the Republican primary vote, with Goodlatte winning 66%. He faced Democratic nominee Andy Schmookler in

7560-531: Was born in Baltimore , Maryland , to an Italian-American family. She was the only daughter and the youngest of six children of Annunciata M. "Nancy" D'Alesandro (née Lombardi) and Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. Her mother was born in Fornelli , Isernia , Molise , in Southern Italy , and immigrated to the U.S. in 1912; her father traced his Italian ancestry to Genoa , Venice and Abruzzo . When Pelosi

7650-553: Was born, her father was a Democratic congressman from Maryland. He became Baltimore mayor seven years later. Pelosi's mother was also active in politics, organizing Democratic women and teaching her daughter political skills. Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III , also a Democrat, was elected Baltimore City Council president and later served as mayor from 1967 to 1971. Pelosi helped her father at his campaign events, and she attended President John F. Kennedy 's inaugural address in January 1961. In 1958, Pelosi graduated from

7740-410: Was convicted of receiving bribes, and Jack Abramoff , the lobbyist who provided such bribes. After regaining a majority in the House of Representatives during the 118th United States Congress , House Republicans announced plans to change OCE rules, with the set of changes including "reinstat[ing] two four-year term limits for board members, which haven’t been enforced since 2014. It also could require

7830-751: Was elected as a Democratic National Committee member from California, a position she would hold until 1996. She was elected as party chair for Northern California in 1977, and four years later was selected to head the California Democratic Party , which she led until 1983. Subsequently, Pelosi served as the San Francisco Democratic National Convention Host Committee chairwoman in 1984, and then as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee finance chair from 1985 to 1986. Phillip Burton died in 1983 and his wife, Sala Burton , won

7920-557: Was leaving the OCE to join the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland following what OCE Chairman David Skaggs termed an "extraordinary job 'standing up' and managing OCE operations during its first two years." Calls to eliminate the office have come from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. The New York Times Editorial Board wrote in 2010 that "Grumblers on both sides want to gut

8010-474: Was scheduled to convene for its first session, House Republicans held a "surprise vote" to effectively place the OCE under direct control of the House Ethics Committee , therefore making any future review of potential violations of criminal law by members of Congress subject to approval following referral to the Ethics Committee or an appropriate federal law enforcement agency. These new rules also bar

8100-438: Was their only shot at health care reform because of the large Democratic majorities in Congress, she rallied her caucus as she began an "unbelievable marathon" of a two-month session to craft the bill, which passed the House 219–212. In Obama's remarks before signing the bill into law, he called Pelosi "one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had." By early 2010, analysts were assessing Pelosi as possibly

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