[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 20, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LET US FIND AREAS OF COMMON GROUND

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we observed the celebration of 
the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. He talked about 
engagement for the American people, for jobs, for justice, for peace, 
and it was pretty exciting to see the response across the country at a 
time when all of these issues are in the forefront.
  Tonight we will hear from the President of the United States. From 
what I hear about what he will present, it will reflect what we have 
seen across the country in terms of what he said last year reflected 
across the country: about when women succeed, America succeeds; about 
college affordability; about child care; about sick leave; all the 
kinds of issues that enable families--not just women, but families--to 
succeed. Hopefully it will reflect what we talked about on opening day: 
better infrastructure, bigger paychecks.
  As we all know, despite all of the economic gains and all the 
indicators that tell us that progress has been made in our economy--
and, indeed, it has--it isn't reflected in the paychecks of America's 
working families.
  So what we hear tonight, I know, will be in furtherance of increasing 
that paycheck, starting from the middle, starting from initiatives that 
benefit the middle class and those who aspire to it, all of it a 
reflection of the American people's thinking, all of it about 
engagement for policies that Reverend Martin Luther King talked about, 
all of it hopefully that we are able to do in a bipartisan way.
  Let us find the areas in which we have common ground. Let us work 
together to get that done, build confidence between us in this body, 
among the American people, and keep America number one in education, 
innovation, and justice and a factor for peace in the world.

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