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Pelosi Remarks at Virtual Women’s History Month Event Honoring America’s Educators with Special Guest First Lady Jill Biden

March 18, 2021
Contact: Speaker's Press Office,
202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted a Virtual Women's History Month event honoring America's Educators with special guest First Lady Jill Biden. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. Hello. As Speaker of the House, it is a joy to join our First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, colleagues, friends and guests as we celebrate Women's History Month and honor our nation's extraordinary educators.
We now begin with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by the students at Benjamin Banneker Elementary School in Milford, Delaware. Please stand as you are able.
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This year, we are excited to once again mark this annual celebration of Women's History Month with the most diverse House of Representatives in history – with a record-shattering 122 women. Let me salute our bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, Co-Chairs Madeleine Dean and Jenniffer González-Colón.
This month, we applaud the contributions that women have made to our nation throughout our history, we recognize the great progress that women leaders continue to forge today, and we look to inspire future generations of brave women to build on the progress we have made.
While we honor all our educators every day, this month we take a moment to recognize a profession that is overwhelmingly made up of spectacular women.
In that spirit, it is an honor to join First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden to highlight the incredible work that she and all of America's educators are doing to lift up our nation's young people. Dr. Biden is a trailblazer for all women, and the first First Lady to work full time while in the White House. Her career as a community college professor, now returning to Northern Virginia Community College, and her dedication to public service is an inspiration to countless women and girls.
As a teacher, Dr. Biden understands firsthand the incredible commitment of America's educators to their students. She is dedicated to lifting them up as they ensure that, despite the challenges they face, our children continue to have access to a quality education.
Our nation is truly blessed by our wonderful educators, and now, it is my distinct privilege to present a teacher and a lifelong champion for education and our children, First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden.
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Our teachers, our teachers, our teachers. We have just seen how America's educators are indeed America's heroes. They are the custodians not only of our children, but of our future, as they empower and inspire generations of students to achieve their potential.
During past history months for women, Congress has gathered in the Capitol to honor trailblazing women, from Dolores Huerta to NASA's Hidden Figures to the women of the Supreme Court. And in 2016, we had the opportunity to celebrate with Dr. Biden and then First Lady Michelle Obama, when we honored women veterans and the pioneering Air Force Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, godmother of the National Women in Military Service Memorial.
This year, while we gather virtually, we proudly join Dr. Biden once again to build on this legacy of excellence, as we honor the resilient spirit of America's educators, who inspire us with their creativity, compassion and commitment to building a brighter future for children.
When we asked to pay tribute to Dr. Biden, she said only if we are honoring all our educators. Hearing that, Dr. Biden, I recalled seeing you speak at NOVA in 2010 for the signing of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. It was clear then from the rapport between you and the students, the immense respect that you all had for each other. Dr. Biden, we are all in awe of your extraordinary advocacy for educators, and grateful for the opportunity to join you in paying tribute to our heroes.
Whether working in early childhood education, K-12, higher education or lifelong learning, our teachers have been dazzling, particularly throughout the pandemic. For over a year, they have been asked to do the impossible, using their ingenuity and imagination to develop innovative solutions to ensure that our children can continue to learn and grow.
With the historic American Rescue Plan – signed into law just last week by President Biden – Congress secured the resources to re-open schools safely, get vaccines in arms and provide educators with the tools they need to empower our students to thrive. We applaud the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the first women Vice President in American history, for putting us on the path to providing the first dose of the vaccine to millions of educators and child care workers by the end of this month.
This Congress has been blessed by the leadership and vision of more than 80 educators, including you, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, the first former National Teacher of the Year to serve. These Members bring their experience in the classroom to the critical work of the House to advance progress For The People, For The Children.
In closing, thank you, all, for joining us for this special celebration. Let us say thank you to today's artists, Andra Day, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir, for their beautiful music.
Thank you, also, to the students of Benjamin Banneker Elementary School, and educators Sarah Milianta-Laffin, Turquoise Parker, Antoinette Abeyta and Kate Sundeen for sharing your stories and moving us with your passion and brilliance.
A special thank you to a lifelong educator and champion for our students, our new Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona.
And thank you, especially, to First Lady Jill Biden for making this a memorable Women's History Month celebration.
Today, and every day, we continue to fight for our educators' success, because when women succeed, America succeeds. Happy Women's History Month.
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