#ChiStories Podcast: Nancy Pelosi Rules
How do you win the speaker’s gavel twice? One vote at a time.
On this week’s episode of “Chicago Stories” podcast, Mayor Emanuel had the honor of sitting down with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a wide-ranging discussion on politics and power, leadership and public service, and why after over 30 years in public life she’s still going strong.
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“I had no intention of running for any office ever.”
Speaker Pelosi has represented the residents of San Francisco for over three decades, and been active in California politics even longer, but her story began in Baltimore as daughter of its legendary mayor and passionate New Deal Democrat, Thomas “Big Tommy” D’Alesandro Jr.
As she told Mayor Emanuel, her family’s home was an “open house” for residents of all walks of life who would stop by seeking assistance, support, or even just a warm meal — which her parents readily provided.
“My parents instilled in us that public service was a noble calling and that those of us who were engaged in it and their families had to be open to the public,” Speaker Pelosi said, “and so people would come knocking on the door for anything.”
“These people have to pay a price, not get rejected by the House of Representatives and then get cleared by the Senate.”
It’s that same sense of service that has guided Speaker Pelosi through her historic career as the nation’s first female Speaker of the House, and continues to guide her today as she stands up against President Trump’s divisive and dangerous agenda.
“The urgency of the situation that we are in demands that we put aside everything — politics, Democrats, Republicans — and just be patriotic and save our country,” Speaker Pelosi said. “I do think here he is an aberration and in fact such an aberration that when you hit rock bottom the only place you can go is up, and we have to take advantage of that.”
It’s for that reason Speaker Pelosi has been unwavering in mission to deliver on issues like affordable health care, 21st century infrastructure, anti-corruption, and environmental protections. It’s also why she has also been steadfast in her refusal to embark on a protracted and fraught impeachment effort — which she believes the Trump administration itself is trying to goad her into.
“I have said when people keep after me on impeachment is he’s not worth it. He’s not worth it because he wants us to go to that place so that we’re not focusing on whatever else,” Speaker Pelosi said. “He’s just messing with the wrong person.”
“Our values unify us and our main priority — our imperative — is to be there for America’s working families.”
But while the Democrats may not have control of the White House or Senate — yet, what Speaker Pelosi does have as a dynamic, talented new freshman class in the House of Representatives ready to work together to deliver results for the American people.
“This class is a fabulous class. They’re so fabulous, and what’s so wonderful about them is they have diversity. Whether they’re from the military, whether they’re from the academic world, whether they’re from the business community, whether they’re from state legislators, whether they’ve never ever been participating in public life before,” Speaker Pelosi said. “And I say to them our diversity is our strength, our unity is our power.”
It’s also a class that — as Speaker Pelosi said — in many ways she has President Trump to thank.
“He’s one of our best organizers, fundraisers, and mobilizers and recruiters of candidates than we’ve had in a long time,” Speaker Pelosi told Mayor Emanuel. “At his State of the Union address he wanted to take credit for the number of women who were in Congress, well maybe so.”
“Our members understand that we have to win because they see on a daily basis what the Republicans would do to children in need.”
Ultimately, whether she is fighting against President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell on behalf of the American people today, providing funding for AIDS research in the early 1990s, retaking the House in 2006, or passing the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Speaker Pelosi’s core mission has always been the same.
“I always say to people when they want to get involved — why? What is your purpose, what is your vision, how do you want to get things done,” Speaker Pelosi said. “My ‘why’ is the 1-in-5 children that live in poverty in America. That’s why I get up in the morning, eat nails for breakfast, don a suit of armor and go in and fight them off on what they’re going to do to children in our country.”
Be sure to listen to the rest of the episode as Speaker Pelosi shares her message to Republicans, what she wants out of her infrastructure deal with President Trump and why after years of legislating she decided to seek the party leadership (hint: she got sick of seeing the party lose.)
Listen to the full episode as Speaker Pelosi and Mayor Emanuel discuss:
0:40 — From Baltimore’s First Daughter to Speaker of the House
6:57 — The Urgency Created by President Trump
10:50 — Balancing Legislative Priorities and Investigatory Responsibilities
16:11 — Congress’s Freshman Class
24:25 — The Big Picture
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