WASHINGTON, DC - U.S.
Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today enjoyed the high honor of being among
the five House Democrats to officially speak in support of Congresswoman Nancy
Pelosi’s nomination to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. As
part of the House Democratic Caucus’s official nominating process for leadership
positions, Schakowsky had the opportunity to deliver a statement to second the
nomination of Pelosi.
“The best is yet to come. And,
America, we offer you our best, as we nominate Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of the
House of Representatives,” said Schakowsky.
Schakowsky’s complete statement,
as prepared for delivery, follows:
“This is a moment about which I
will tell my grandchildren, so they can tell theirs.
“I want them to know I had the
unique, historic honor of seconding the nomination of a great American leader,
my treasured friend, Nancy Pelosi to become the first woman in the United States
to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. And, think of it, when she
takes that gavel, she will become the most powerful woman in the world.
“January 4th will be
a great day for our Caucus, a great day for Democrats, but more importantly, it
will be a great day for the single mom, off to her job as a waitress, struggling
to care for her child on $5.15 an hour; it will be a day of hope for the frail
old woman who learned her life-saving medicine is not covered by her Part D
plan.
“The mother who kisses her
beloved son goodbye as he heads to Iraq will be praying that Speaker Pelosi
succeeds in leading us in a new direction; the women and children in refugee
camps suffering from poverty and violence, and the millions dying of AIDS – if
they knew, would rejoice that a mother and grandmother who cares about them has
arrived on the world stage.
“For the majority of Americans
who said, for the first time ever, that they believe their children will be
worse off than they are, we say ‘NO, the best is yet to come.’ And America, we
offer you our best, as we nominate Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of the House of
Representatives.” |