Pelosi Remarks at Unveiling of New Retirement Security Pillar of ‘When Women Succeed, America Succeeds’
Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks today at the unveiling of the new retirement security pillar of ‘When Women Succeed, America Succeeds' economic agenda. Below are the Leader's remarks:
"Thank you very much, Teresa. Thank you, everyone, for being here to witness ‘Mission Possible'. I'm honored to be here with Teresa Younger, with Shelby Ramirez-Martinez, with Onetha McKnight, with Charlotte Brock, with Rebecca Geller, and with my colleagues: Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, the Ranking Member on Small Business, a leader for women in the Congress; Congresswoman – whom you'll be hearing from – Doris Matsui, the co-chair of the bipartisan Women's Task Force; Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky who along with Congresswoman Doris Matsui heads up our, shall we say, our senior women's initiative in the Congress. And to all of you, thank you – men and women alike, families of America.
"As Teresa indicated, When Women Succeed, America Succeeds. It's a fact, not just a slogan, or a motto, or a call to action. It is a fact. It is a truth that reverberates throughout our society and our history. And today, the success of women is more important than ever to the strength of working families and the future of the American economy.
"Today, women make up almost half of all of America's workers. Forty percent of working women are the primary breadwinners in their families. Therefore, we must address the very real challenges that still exist for women and families – and more needs to be done to unleash their full and boundless potential for our economy and our society because: When Women Succeed, America Succeeds. It's a statement of fact. It's the title of our agenda.
"Our economic agenda stands on four pillars of progress for America's women and working families: fair pay – raise the minimum wage and provide women the respect of equal pay for equal work; work and family balance – paid sick leave and paid medical and family leave for men and women across the country; affordable, quality child care – the linchpin of a working mother's success in the workplace; retirement security – today, in our presentation, we are emphasizing retirement security, the newest part of our economic agenda; implied in all that we have said, but really now carved out a path to ensure secure and enjoyable retirement for women entering their older years. Thanks to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Doris Matsui for their leadership.
"This year we mark the 80th anniversary of Social Security and the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, and we're excited to be adding this Retirement Security pillar. We are tackling a long-standing set of challenges facing women burdened by a lifetime of – see, this is all connected. Lower wages and earnings lost while they were caring for their children or not getting equal pay for equal work has an impact on retirement and also an impact on what we women can do for our families.
"So we've come here together to show the energy of our cause because people will be talking about different aspects of it. First, I talked about the first four because we are ready to undertake this ‘Mission Possible' to pass legislation that empowers women and hard working families across America. And many of these initiatives help dads, help men and families in the workplace as well. Together, we will set the foundation for a strong, vibrant and resilient economy that will define the future of our country. Together, we will ensure that every generation of American women – younger, moms, younger grandmoms, more senior [women] – have equal rights, equal treatment, and equal opportunities that we all deserve. Together we will empower women, and America to succeed. It is our mission and it is possible.
It is now my honor to recognize Shelby Ramirez-Martinez who will share her story and her priorities with us."
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