[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E82]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING NANCY PELOSI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 5, 2002

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in honoring my 
esteemed colleague, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, and 
celebrating her election to the post of Democratic Whip of the House.
  This is not just an important moment for Representative Pelosi, it is 
an historic moment for this great body, and a deciding moment for women 
in our country.
  This year, we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the swearing in of 
Jeannette Rankin of Montana to the Congress. Representative Rankin, the 
first woman elected to Congress, and a leader of the women's suffrage 
movement, would, indeed, be pleased and proud to see Nancy Pelosi 
ascend to her position of leadership in the House. And she probably 
would have asked, ``What took you so long?''
  We've never had a woman whip. We've never had any woman in one of the 
top leadership positions in either house of Congress.
  In the race, Nancy got encouragement from unexpected places. The 
elevator operators, the high school pages in the hallways, the wait 
staff in the dining room, were whispering, ``Go Nancy, Go'' as she 
walked past.
  They cheered because they saw in her a little bit of themselves--
people who, traditionally, have no seat at the table or in the back 
room. Every time a woman or a person of color or a person with a 
disability enters the halls of power, they bring with them the 
multitudes of people whose voices, typically, are not heard.
  By being in those halls, in those Chambers, in those boardrooms and 
backrooms, and on the podium, we make those places look a little bit 
more like America.
  As women we bring our life experiences to the job. We can effect 
change because we prioritize issues as we know them, as we understand 
them. And because of that, having a seat at the table matters. Having a 
seat at the head of the table matters even more.
  Nancy Pelosi brings a woman's perspective to the House leadership and 
it is long overdue. She also brings her keen intelligence, her 
political savvy, her deep-seated principles, her energy, and her desire 
to make our world more decent and democratic.
  Nancy Pelosi now makes the leadership of our great House of 
Representatives look a little bit more like America and we are all 
better for it.

                          ____________________