Reports on Women's History Month

As I continue this series of columns saluting the contributions of outstanding American Women during Women's History Month, I must admit that it will be difficult to follow Rosa Parks as my first choice. As I concluded my last column, there is no doubt in my mind that Rosa Louise Parks deserved the title of "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement."

My next choice is an outstanding woman in her own right, though, with contributions to this nation that have been historic in nature. Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress.

As a graduate of Pepperdine College with a major in political science and journalism, I admire Congresswoman Pelosi as a master the "art of politics" in a male-dominated political environment. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Pelosi was for the second time sworn in as Speaker of the House of Representatives. A graduated from Trinity College in my hometown of Washington, D.C., Speaker Pelosi is a native of San Francisco. Since 1987, Pelosi has represented California's 8th District in the House of Representatives. The 8th District includes most of the City of San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and many other diverse neighborhoods.

I believe that the fact that Congresswoman Pelosi represents a racially diverse congressional district is a major factor contributing to her ability to build consensus within the House Democratic Caucus.

Thomas Mann, a Congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution, describes Pelosi "as one of the strongest and most effective speakers in decades." Focusing on the priorities of the American people, Pelosi has built an impressive record of accomplishment, enacting comprehensive energy legislation that raised vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years, and making an historic commitment to American home grown biofuels. With energy security as her flagship issue, Speaker Pelosi has pledged to pass legislation that calls for steps to address the global climate crisis and create green jobs.

Speaker Pelosi shepherded through a "100 Hours" effort that began a new direction agenda to make America safer, restore the American Dream, and restore civility and integrity to our government. She also spearheaded the Congressional effort to enact a bipartisan economic stimulus bill to provide help to Americans who are struggling in an uncertain economy. Additional key accomplishments under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include the following:

• The toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress.
• The first increase in the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years.
• The largest college-id expansion since the GI bill passed more than 60 years ago.
• The largest increase in veterans healthcare funding in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration, as well as a new GI education bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

But in my mind, one of Speaker Pelosi's most important accomplishments has been her work with President Barack Obama to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — widely known as the "stimulus package" — to provide relief for American families and to create or save 3.5 million American jobs.

Although Speaker Pelosi has made history as the first woman Speaker of the House in the United States, the first woman elected to the US Congress was Jeanette Rankin, of Missoula, Montana. Rankin won election to the US House of Representatives from Montana in 1917 — three years before women were guaranteed the Constitutional right to vote.

Among the many outstanding women now serving in the Congress of the United States are Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jean Carnahan (D-MO), Susan Collins (R-ME), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

As a mother of five grown children and seven grandchildren, Nancy Pelosi continues to be an inspiration to women and men in this nation. While Pelosi's career proves that truly "women have come along way, baby," the end of struggle for women equality in politics, government and the workplace is an ongoing challenge for this nation and the American people.

Ronald Ellerbe is editor of Hub City News and columnist for LA Beez.

Photo of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi from speaker.house.gov