Press Releases
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
01/04/2007
Pelosi Calls for a New America, Built on the Values that Made Our Country Great
Washington, D.C. – Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi will speak this afternoon during the opening session of the 110th Congress immediately following her election as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Below are her remarks as prepared:
"Thank you, Leader Boehner.
"I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not
partisanship, and look forward to working with you on behalf of the American
people.
"After giving this gavel twice on the opening days of the
last two Congresses, I wanted someone else to have the honor this time.
"In this House, we may belong to different parties, but we
serve one country. We stand united in our pride and prayers for our men and
women in the armed forces.
"They are working together to protect
"In this hour, we need and pray for the character, courage,
and civility of a former Member of this House – President Ford. He healed the country when it needed
healing. This is another time, another
war, and another trial of our American will, imagination, and spirit. Let us honor his memory, not just in eulogy,
but in dialogue and trust across the aisle.
"Let us express our condolences and appreciation to Mrs. Ford
and the entire Ford family for their decades of service to our country.
"With today’s convening of the 110th Congress, we begin
anew. I congratulate all Members of
Congress on their election, especially our new Members.
"The genius of our Founders is that every two years, new
Members bring to this House their spirit of renewal and hope for the American
people. This Congress is reinvigorated
by your optimism, your idealism, and your commitment to our country. Let us acknowledge your families, whose
support has made your leadership possible.
"Each of us brings to this new Congress our shared values,
our commitment to the Constitution, and our personal experience.
"My path to the Speakership began in
"My parents taught us that public service was a noble
calling, and that we had a responsibility to help those in need. My parents worked on the side of the angels
and now they are with them.
"I am so proud that my brother Tommy, also a Mayor of
Baltimore, is here with my D’Alesandro family today.
"43 years ago, Paul Pelosi and I were married. We raised our five children in
"And I thank my constituents in
"It is in that spirit that I was sent to Congress.
"And today, I thank my colleagues. By electing me Speaker, you have brought us
closer to the ideal of equality that is
"This is an historic moment – for the Congress, and for the
women of this country. It is a moment
for which we have waited more than 200 years.
"Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of
struggle to achieve our rights. But
women weren’t just waiting; women were working.
"Never losing faith,we worked to redeem the promise of
"The election of 2006 was a call to change – not merely to
change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country.
Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction
than in
"The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a
war without end. Shortly, President Bush
will address the nation on the subject of
"Let us be the Congress that rebuilds our military to meet
the national security challenges of the 21st century.
"Let us be the Congress that strongly honors our
responsibility to protect our people from terrorism.
"Let us be the Congress that never forgets our commitment to
our veterans and first responders, always honoring them as the heroes they are.
"The American people also spoke clearly for a new direction
here at home – they desire a new vision, a new
"Our Founders envisioned a new
"This vision has sustained us for more than 200 years, and it
accounts for what is best in our great nation: liberty, opportunity, and
justice.
"Now it is our responsibility to carry forth that vision of a
new
"A new
"A new
"A new
"A new
"The American people told us in the election that they expect
us to work together for fiscal responsibility, with the highest ethical
standards and civility.
"After years of historic deficits, this new Congress will
commit itself to a higher standard: pay as you go, no new deficit
spending. Our new
"In order to achieve a new
"Let us join together in the first 100 hours to make this
Congress the most honest and open in history.
"This openness requires respect for every voice in the
Congress. As Thomas Jefferson said, “Every difference of opinion is not a
difference of principle.” My colleagues elected me to be Speaker of the House –
the entire House. Respectful of the
vision of our Founders, the expectations of our people, and the great
challenges we face, we have an obligation to reach beyond partisanship to serve
all Americans.
"Let us all stand together to move our country forward,
seeking common ground for the common good.
"We have made history, now let us make progress for our new
"May God bless our work, and may God bless
"For all of