[71] In the wake of Bush's 2004 reelection, several leading House Democrats believed they should pursue impeachment proceedings against him, asserting that he had misled Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and violated Americans' civil liberties by authorizing warrantless wiretaps.

On January 5, 2007, reacting to suggestions from Bush's confidants that he would increase troop levels in Iraq (which he announced in a speech a few days later), Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid condemned the plan.

[79] After convincing him that this was their only shot at health care reform because of the large Democratic majorities in Congress, she rallied her caucus as she began an "unbelievable marathon" of a two-month session to craft the bill, which passed the House 219–212.

[84] In March 2010, Mark Shields wrote, In the last four months, [Pelosi] has not once, not twice but on three separate occasions done what none of her predecessors—including legendary giants [Tip O'Neill and Sam Rayburn]—could ever do: persuade the House of Representatives to pass national health-care reform.

[85]Later in 2010, Gail Russell Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor opined that Pelosi was the "most powerful House speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago", adding that she had also been "one of the most partisan".

[87] In November 2010, Brian Naylor of NPR opined that: During Nancy Pelosi's four years as speaker of the House, Congress approved the health care overhaul—widely considered the most significant piece of domestic legislation since Medicare—along with an $800 billion measure to stimulate the economy and a multi-billion-dollar rescue of the banks.

Pelosi used the tools at her disposal—committee assignments, campaign donations—to establish a balance among her party’s coalitions while also reminding everyone that her job was not simply to officiate and appease...But as Newt Gingrich learned the hard way two decades ago, an autocratic speaker is a short-lived one.

[101] In August 2016, Pelosi said that her personal contact information had been posted online following a cyberattack against top Democratic campaign committees and she had received "obscene and sick calls, voice mails and text messages".

She said Congress had "a moral duty to the brave women and men coming forward to seize this moment and demonstrate real, effective leadership to foster a climate of respect and dignity in the workplace".

[110] In February 2018, Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan about the proposed public release of a memo prepared by Republican staff at the direction of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.

[112] In February 2018, Pelosi broke the record for longest House speech using the "magic minute" custom when she spent more than eight hours recounting stories from DREAMers—people brought to the United States as minors by undocumented immigrants—to object to a budget deal that would raise spending caps without addressing the future of DACA recipients, who were at risk of deportation by the Trump administration.

"[148] Chris Cillizza of CNN wrote: Consider the challenge Pelosi faced with this infrastructure bill—starting with the fact that she had only a three-seat majority, meaning that even a handful of renegade Democrats could scuttle the entire thing.

[161] Amid concerns about President Biden's reelection prospects in the 2024 presidential election, Pelosi played a key role in the effort to pressure him to withdraw his candidacy before the Democratic National Convention.

[162] She personally warned Biden that she feared his faltering candidacy might not only result in Trump's victory but also have a coattail effect that could bring Democrats defeat in the coinciding House and Senate elections and give Republicans a government trifecta.

[186] In June 2018, Pelosi visited a federal facility used to detain migrant children separated from their parents and subsequently called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

[187] In July, Pelosi characterized the compromise immigration bill by the Republicans as a "deal with the devil" and said she had not had conversations with House Speaker Ryan about a legislative solution to the separation of families at the southern border.

[202] In 2002, while Pelosi was the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, she was briefed on the ongoing use of "enhanced interrogation techniques", including waterboarding, authorized for a captured terrorist, Abu Zubaydah.

[245] In 2008, she was rebuked by Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., for being "incorrect" in comments she made to Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press concerning Church teaching on the subjects of abortion of when a human life begins.

[251] She requested House Speaker Ryan and Republicans take action via consideration of legislation expanding background checks or authorizing researchers to use federal dollars to examine public health as it relates to gun violence.

"[274][275] Later that month, as the Trump administration continued to ignore subpoenas, refuse to release documents, and encourage or order current and former officials not to testify in Congress, Pelosi declared: "we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up.

"[293] On October 8, 2020, Pelosi announced that legislation was being introduced in the House of Representatives to advance the creation of a commission to allow the use of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to intervene and remove Trump from executive duties.

UC Berkeley political scientist Bruce Cain said Pelosi had to balance the demands of her anti-war constituency against the moderate views of Democrats in tight races around the country in her role as minority leader.

[335] In September 2008, Pelosi hosted a reception in Washington with Israeli Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, along with 20 members of Congress, where they toasted the "strong friendship" between Israel and the United States.

This UN Security Council Resolution called Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank a "flagrant violation" of international law and a major obstacle to peace.

[351] In February 2018, after the release of a Republican report alleging surveillance abuses by the Justice Department, Pelosi accused Trump of siding with Russian president Vladimir Putin at the expense of preserving intelligence sources and methods.

In a speech at the AIPAC 2005 annual conference, Pelosi said that "for too long, leaders from both parties haven't done enough" to put pressure on Russia and China who are providing Iran with technological information on nuclear issues and missiles.

[367] In mid-October 2007, after the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution to label the 1915 killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide, Pelosi pledged to bring the measure to a vote.

[372][373] After the drone strikes on aid workers from World Central Kitchen in April 2024, Pelosi, Mark Pocan, James P. McGovern, Jan Schakowsky, and 36 other Congressional Democrats urged President Biden in an open letter to reconsider planned arms shipments to the Israeli military.

[379] Critics have also depicted her as a symbol of liberal elitism, pointing to her strong opposition to populism and comments suggesting that some Americans reject Democratic policies due to their beliefs about "guns, gays, [and] God".

[376][380] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi was accused of hypocrisy when she had her hair styled at a salon that was supposed to be closed for indoor appointments due to health restrictions, with critics alleging she used her position to receive preferential treatment.