Following is an overview of Pelosi’s policy positions and voting record on key pieces of legislation during her years in the House of Representatives:
Abortion and the Rights of the Unborn: In November 1995, September 1996, March 1997, April 2000, June 2003, and October 2003, Pelosi voted against legislation to ban (except where the mother’s safety might require it) the late-term abortion procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion. In September 1995 she voted against banning the use of federal funds for abortions at U.S. military facilities. In June 2000 she voted in favor of permitting federal funds to pay for abortions at U.S. prison facilities. In February 2004 she voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which proposed to make it an added criminal offense for someone to injure or kill a fetus while carrying out a crime against a pregnant woman. In April 2005 she voted against notifying the parents of minors who have obtained out-of-state abortions. In December 2006 she voted NO on the Abortion Pain Bill, which sought to ensure that women seeking an abortion are fully informed regarding the pain experienced by their unborn child.
In an August 2008 appearance on the television talk show Meet the Press, Pelosi was asked when she believed human life begins. She responded:
“I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition … St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose.”
Pelosi is rated 100% by NARAL, indicating an uncompromising pro-choice voting record.
Marriage: In July 1996 and July 2006 Pelosi voted against bills defining marriage strictly as a legal union between one man and one woman. In September 2004 she voted NO on a bill to prohibit same-sex marriage.
Welfare: Pelosi voted against the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, which ultimately succeeded in moving large numbers of people off of public assistance and into jobs.
Education: In November 1997 and August 1998, Pelosi voted against the implementation of voucher programs designed to help low-income families send their children to private schools if they wished. In November 2001 she voted NO on allowing voluntary prayer in public schools. Pelosi has received a rating of 100% from the National Education Association (NEA), America’s largest labor union.
Crime: In April 1994 Pelosi voted YES on replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment. In June 2000 she voted YES on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.
Illegal Immigration: In February 2005 Pelosi voted against funding for “Real ID” legislation mandating higher standards for State drivers’ licenses and identification documents. In September 2006 she voted against a bill authorizing the construction of 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S. and Mexico. That same month, she voted against a bill that sought to affirm the inherent right of state and local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws. Pelosi is rated 0% by the U.S. Border Control, signifying that her voting record reflects an open-borders stance.
Fossil Fuels: In February and August 2001, Pelosi voted to keep Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) closed to oil drilling. As Speaker of the House in 2008, she refused to permit this issue to be debated on the House floor. Explaining her unwavering opposition to oil exploration, she said, "I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet." In October 2005 and June 2006, Pelosi voted against the construction of new oil refineries in the U.S.
Taxes: In March 2000 Pelosi voted NO on $46 billion in tax cuts for small businesses. In April 2001 she voted NO on eliminating the “death tax.” The following month, she voted against a tax cut package of $958 billion over 10 years. In October 2001 she voted NO on a $99 billion economic stimulus package. In April 2002 she voted against making President Bush’s 2001 tax cuts permanent. In May 2004 she voted against making permanent an increase in the child tax credit. In September 2004 she voted NO on providing a series of tax relief measures. In December 2005 she voted against retaining reduced tax rates on capital gains and dividends.
Patriot Act: In October 2001 Pelosi voted to pass the Patriot Act anti-terrorism legislation. However, in July 2005, December 2005, and March 2006, she voted against bills reauthorizing and extending the Act.
Military Affairs: Though she supported the Clinton administration's military measures in Haiti, Kosovo, and Bosnia, Pelosi opposed the 1991 and 2003 wars in Iraq (both of which were led by Republican presidential administrations).
In October 2002 Pelosi voted against the joint congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq. “This is about the Constitution," she declared. “It is about this Congress asserting its right to declare war when we are fully aware what the challenges are to us. It is about respecting the United Nations and a multilateral approach, which is safer for our troops.”
In October 2006 Pelosi said: "If we [the U.S. military] leave Iraq, then the insurgents will leave Iraq, the terrorists will leave Iraq." On another occasion she elaborated: "If the President wants to say the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror, he's not right…The war on terror is the war in Afganistan…. The jihadists in Iraq [will] stay there as long as we're there. They're there because we're there."
In May 2007 Pelosi voted in favor of an amendment to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 90 days. In May and June 2008 she voted NO to funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Military Commissions: In September 2006 Pelosi voted against a bill authorizing the President to establish military commissions to try detained enemy combatants in the war on terror.
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/NancyPelosisVotingRecord.html
