WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, delivered a speech nominating Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives for the 117th Congress. Full remarks as delivered are below.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES: “Madam Clerk, I rise today at the direction of the House Democratic Caucus to place the name of the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Representative-elect from the great state of California, by way of Charm City, into nomination for election to the position of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.  

Nancy Pelosi believes in the power of American exceptionalism. Nancy Pelosi believes in the goodness of the American people. Nancy Pelosi believes that our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power. Nancy Pelosi believes that the House is fundamentally the institution best equipped to reflect the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of everyday Americans. Nancy Pelosi believes that our sacred mission is to continue America’s long, necessary and majestic march toward a more perfect union. 

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once observed that the true measure of a leader is not how one fares in moments of comfort or convenience, but how one fares in moments of challenge and controversy. Nancy Pelosi has passed that test with flying colors over and over and over again. As a result of her tremendous leadership during a moment of great turbulence, House Democrats ended the longest government shutdown in American history, addressed the humanitarian crisis at the border, negotiated a historic trade agreement that protected good-paying American jobs, held the president accountable because no one is above the law, passed progressive legislation to transform policing in America as part of our effort to deal with systemic racism, ended the egregious practice of surprise billing because health care is a right, it is not simply a privilege and confronted the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic with a comprehensive, compassionate and continuing congressional response that at the end of the day will crush the virus and supercharge our economy. That is the Nancy Pelosi track record. 

Nancy Pelosi is a champion of the children, a defender of the disenfranchised, a voice for the voiceless, a fabulous facilitator, a notorious negotiator and a legendary legislator for such a time as this. This is a moment of great challenge here in America filled with trials and tribulations and a lot of pain and suffering and death, but America is a resilient nation. House Democrats are a resilient Caucus. Nancy Pelosi is a resilient leader. 

Brighter days are ahead in the United States of America. This is a day of great renewal in the House of Representatives. This is a day when House Democrats will begin our work with the next President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and his partner, Kamala Harris, so we can Build Back Better For The People. This is a day when once again, Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi will become the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. I proudly place her name into nomination, and when it’s all said and done, history will record that today was a good day. God bless Nancy Pelosi. God bless the Congress. God bless the United States of America.”