When was pelosi speaker

In continuing to push for accountability and transparency in government, under Speaker Pelosi, the House passed the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress, including the creation of an independent ethics panel, and increased accountability and transparency in House operations, including earmark reforms. Additional key accomplishments signed into law under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include: an increase in the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years; the largest college aid expansion since the GI bill; a new GI education bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; and increased services for veterans, caregivers, and the Veterans Administration.

In the FY omnibus, Pelosi won the permanent authorization of the World Trade Center Health Program and a massive five-year extension of expiring wind and solar renewable energy tax credits. Pelosi comes from a strong family tradition of public service. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D. It was the first vote of the new Congress, which convened Sunday with COVID guidelines requiring testing and face coverings for lawmakers.

There was widespread mask-wearing and far fewer legislators and guests in the chamber than usual, an unimaginable tableau when the last Congress commenced two years ago, before the pandemic struck. They say more aid is needed to bolster efforts to vaccinate the public, curb the virus and restore jobs and businesses lost to the pandemic.

In addition, cooperation with Republicans could be made more difficult as many in the GOP are continuing to demonstrate fealty to the divisive Trump, backing his unfounded claims that his reelection loss was tainted by fraud.

Many House and Senate Republicans say they will contest the validity of some of those votes, but their efforts are certain to fail. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-nominated justices.

Republicans will control it unless Democrats win both Senate runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday. There were two vacancies in the member House, and whatever happens Democrats will have the smallest House majority in two decades. With little margin for error, Pelosi suffered only a handful of Democratic defections in her latest display of her ability to line up support, and no opponent challenged her for the job.

Democrats starting the th Congress with just seats provided Pelosi and her opponents little room to maneuver. The math this year was further complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, since any members sidelined by the virus and unable to attend the proceedings would affect the majority threshold. Ultimately, however only one Democrat, Florida Rep. Alcee L. Hastings , missed the speaker vote. Hastings has pancreatic cancer and has not been present in the Capitol for months as he undergoes treatment.

Pelosi put her hand over her heart when the clerk called his name. Three others — Jeff Fortenberry , R-Neb. Wilson , D-Fla. They voted in the speaker election from a plexiglass-enclosed area of the House gallery. Proxy voting will be reauthorized in the House rules package for the th Congress that the chamber will consider Monday. The speaker election lasted nearly three hours.