[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H127-H128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO THE NEW MINORITY WHIP, NANCY PELOSI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, it is really a privilege and a joy to be on 
the floor this evening and rise to honor our colleague, the gentlewoman 
from California (Nancy Pelosi).
  I want to make my remarks tonight really in the form of a story. I do 
not have any notes in front of me, but I would like to hearken back to 
over 25 years ago. So that is more than a quarter of a century, which 
certainly says something about my age, but that is how long I have 
known Nancy Pelosi.
  Neither one of us were in elected public service at the time, but she 
was very well known throughout the State of California for the work 
that she was doing in her beloved adopted city of San Francisco, having 
been brought to San Francisco by a great San Franciscan, Paul Pelosi. 
And out of that marriage, that wonderful, wonderful marriage, have come 
five magnificent children.
  First, let me say something about Paul. We all love him and respect 
him. He is one of the most gentle individuals, who always has a smile 
on his face and has done so much for so many of us. It is his singular 
joy to welcome us to his home to do for each one of us over the years. 
So this is a great party celebrated around the two of them and not just 
Nancy.
  Five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, Jr., and 
Alexandra. Two magnificent sons-in-law, Jeff Prowda and Michael 
Kenneally; and five extraordinary grandchildren, Alexander, Liam, 
Madeleine, Sean, and Ryan. So you can see that there is both the Gaelic 
and the garlic that has been blended in this magnificent family.
  Nancy Pelosi is recognized a leader not only in her own community but

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throughout the State of California. She has been a leader in the 
Democratic Party, and that came to her from her magnificent mother and 
father, whom I think tonight and tomorrow and all days are watching 
Nancy and guiding her from heaven.
  Her father served in this House of Representatives. He served as a 
member of the Committee on Appropriations, as his daughter does today. 
And her mother was a champion for housing, for the underemployed, for 
the unemployed, for those that did not have a voice in our society. Her 
father went on to become Mayor of Baltimore. Her brother, Tommy, has 
served as Mayor of Baltimore.
  So as we Californians like to say, Nancy Pelosi was born and bred for 
public service and understanding what the best of it represents. Her 
devotion, her family's devotion to a party to give birth to ideas and 
to bring people forward for the best of our Nation is the tradition not 
only of the D'alesandro family, but the Pelosi family as well.

                              {time}  1945

  Mr. Speaker, tonight we rise to pay tribute to her. Not only on the 
occasion of becoming elected whip, but how proud we are as Californians 
that we have helped to bring forward this woman for this post. She has 
always, always been respected by everyone here on both sides of the 
aisle. The gentlewoman always has a friend in her voice. The 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) does not make enemies. Why? 
Because she knows what is at stake, and what is at stake is the 
business, the blessed and very precious business of our Nation and a 
better world.
  We are so proud that this woman has created another first. We saw her 
do it in California, and we see her do it here all over again. Whether 
Members supported her in the race for whip, all of that has really gone 
away. Tomorrow we present our gift as a caucus to the Nation, and how 
proud we are that she is yet another first. I think that we have helped 
to create and present as a party not only a gift to the House of 
Representatives, to the Congress, but to our Nation, because that is 
why we are here. I think Americans will come to know her and respect 
her as we do for what she believes in, for the faith that shapes all 
that she believes in, because she is a deeply spiritual and faith-
filled woman.
  Mr. Speaker, the commute across the country every week is not the 
easiest, but I could not wait to get up this morning to make that 
flight across the country and join my colleagues and so many other 
Californians who have flown across the country, who have come here to 
witness the swearing in and the celebration of the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Pelosi) becoming the whip of the Democrats and a gift 
to the Nation.

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