Democratic House and Caucus Leadership

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker

On January 6th, 2009, Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the second time. She will lead the 111th Congress to work for the common good to strengthen America’s future.

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi took a historic step forward, becoming the first female in history to be sworn in as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Committee Chair

In December 2008, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will serve in an expanded role as Chairman of the DCCC and Assistant to the Speaker for the 2009-2010 election cycle. This marks Chairman Van Hollen's second term leading the DCCC.

In 2008, Chairman Van Hollen successfully guided House Democrats to expanding their Congressional Majority just two years after winning it. Under his leadership, Democrats gained 24 seats in the House in 2008. This marked the first time in history that a party won back-to-back wave elections.

Speaker Pelosi has described him as "a first-rate thinker and political strategist who knows the policy, politics, and people that are essential to House Leadership." The Washington Post described him as "an astute lawmaker" who has "distinguished himself as a shrewd legislative player in Congress." The Baltimore Sun and Roll Call newspapers have called him a "rising star" in Congress and the Democratic Party.

In addition to leading the DCCC and serving as Assistant to the Speaker, Chairman Van Hollen serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee as well as the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is a strong advocate for investing in green energy, strengthening education, and restoring accountability and transparency in the legislative process. He is the Vice Chairman of the bipartisan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, Co-Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Task Force on Budget and Tax Policy.

Chairman Van Hollen has received numerous awards for his leadership. He was honored as "Outstanding New Member of the Year" from the Committee for Education Funding (CEF). He also received the "Outstanding Leadership Award" from the American Lung Association, for efforts to strengthen the Clean Air Act and discourage youth smoking.

Chairman Van Hollen represents Maryland's 8^th District, which includes the Washington DC suburbs of Bethesda, Potomac, and Rockville. He lives in Kensington, Maryland with his wife, Katherine, and their three children, Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander.