(She could count the votes. She knew where her members stood before a vote was taken)
A nemesis for George W. Bush, and a rescuer
She was the political nemesis not only of Trump but also of another Republican president, George W. Bush. As House whip, she was the highest-ranking Democrat to oppose the invasion of Iraq from the start.
But she also engineered Bush's rescue when the financial meltdown in 2008 threatened to bring down the U.S. and the world's economy. She played the crucial role in passing emergency financial legislation credited by economists with averting another Great Depression.
She was also the most influential legislative force behind enactment of Obama's signature law, the Affordable Care Act. She convinced reluctant White House aides to go big, then maneuvered the legislation to passage under odds many saw as impossible.
It was the biggest expansion of health care for Americans in a half-century and her proudest legislative achievement.
The historic bill was passed by the House after a 14-month political battle without a single Republican vote.
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