Personal Life

Speier’s personal life has been filled with tragedies and successes. Jonestown left heavy scarring on her body that led her to a long process of self-acceptance.

“You cannot live your life as some disfigured, frightened victim who has to hide. You have to embrace that this is exactly who you are,” Speier said.

Speier met Dr. Steven Sierra, an emergency-room doctor at San Mateo General Hospital, and they were married in 1987. In 1988, the couple had their first child, Jackson.

During their time together, Speier had to overcome the pain of losing two pregnancies to miscarriage, one of which faced a medically necessary abortion. She also had to face the loss of an adopted child. These losses pained Speier, but she stayed strong for her son, Jackson.

“I needed to reflect strength and hope to my 5-year-old son, I had to pick him up from kindergarten with love and hope to give,” Speier said.

In 1994, Speier finally got pregnant again. Two months into the pregnancy, Speier’s husband tragically died in a car accident. This left Speier in a difficult position: she was a single mother, pregnant, and close to bankruptcy.

“Like most people, I have endured spans of time when I felt like life was only dealing hardship. But there were always means of coping,” Speier said.

Eventually, Speier gave birth to her second child, Stephanie, in 1994. Seven years after the death of her first husband, Speier married again.

The tragedies in Speier’s life helped guide her policy-making and gave her viewpoints on issues that would aid women in California and the United States.