Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008 - (Page 26)

Q &A NANCY PELOSI STATES HER POSITIONS ON IMMIGRATION, ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESS, THE WAR IN IRAQ, THE UPCOMING ELECTION AND THE FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. By Sandra McElwaine THE VIEW FROM THE SPEAKER’S SEAT N ancy Pelosi is the ﬁrst woman, ﬁrst Italian-American and ﬁrst Californian elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government and is second in line in presidential succession following Vice President Dick Cheney. A mother of ﬁve and grandmother of seven, Pelosi learned the art of politics at an early age, campaigning for her father Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. when he ran and served as U.S. congressman from Maryland and as mayor of Baltimore. Since 1987, she has represented the 8th congressional district of California, which encompasses most of the city and county of San Francisco, a Democratic seat considered one of the safest in the country. Her focus right now, she says, is to expand the Democratic majority in the House “because there is a great deal of work to be done once we have a new president next January—and that president will be a Democrat.” en work in a more collaborative fashion and bring a great respect for other voices and experiences. We understand that we each bring value to the debate, and that allowing for a diversity of opinions leads to better results. I am dazzled by many of our young women [congressional] members who are both raising families and pursuing their careers in politics. It is a balance that we are all trying to achieve. What I tell all the new House members is that politics can be an insatiable beast and that they need to take the time for their family. That time away from the ofﬁce and with your family renews you and makes you stronger at the job. allowing entrepreneurs to invest further in their ventures and create jobs. Democrats also worked to include beneﬁts for small businesses in our recent economic stimulus package. We have approved measures that will reduce the tax liability of small ﬁrms and will provide them with needed cash ﬂow. The measures that are in the House package are designed to provide targeted relief for small businesses to help them create new jobs and lift the economy. It will encourage immediate investment, increase productivity and further the prospects for long-term economic growth. HE: How important is Hispanic turnout in the next election? HE: Have you ever thought about running for President? NP: No. I’m quite happy with the job I have now. NP: Hispanic turnout will be crucial in this year’s election. In 2006, Hispanics turned out in great numbers and helped Democrats gain a majority in Congress. Hispanic voters will be a key part this year’s election and I believe that they will vote for Democrats again, because we are the party that best represents their values and is working to address their needs. HE: This Congress has not done a great deal for small business. In view of the economic situation, what are your plans for helping small business owners? NP: Well, I disagree with the premise of your question. Hispanics own a record 1.6 million small businesses with annual revenues of more than $221 billion. In April, the House passed legislation that lowers the cost of ﬁnancing for small businesses by modernizing SBA lending initiatives, HE: What are the challenges and the beneﬁts of being the ﬁrst female Speaker of the House? NP: I was not elected Speaker because I am a woman, but I believe women bring a unique perspective to leadership. Wom26 HE: How important are Hispanics and minorities to the Democratic Party? NP: Hispanics and all minorities are critical to our party. The Democratic Party has always been the party of inclusion, HISPANIC ENTERPRISE February/March 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008

Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008 Contents Briefcase: BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Briefcase: Trendsetters Briefcase: BIZTECH: Virtually Meeting BizLife: Travel: Madrid's New Attraction Q & A: Mi Case es su Casa Hispanic Commerce: The Agenda Cover Story: The Top 50 Corporations for Supplier Diversity Technology: Hispanic Web 2.0 Success & Motivation: Sweetening the Deal Politics & Government: The Rescue Generation Managing: The Method Franchising: The Hispanic Face of Franchising Chamber Focus: It's Showtime Movers & Shakers: Open for Business Finance & Investing: Getting Your 401(K) on Target

Hispanic Enterprise - February/March 2008

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