- Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker, as we gather here,
we stand on sacred ground,
The chamber of the United States House of Representatives,
the heart of American democracy.
I will never forget the first time I saw the Capitol.
It was on a cold January day when I was 6 years old.
My father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.
was about to be sworn in for his fifth term in Congress
representing our beloved home town of Baltimore.
I was riding in the car with my brothers
and they were thrilled and jumping up and down
and saying to me, "Nancy, look.
Nancy, look! There's the Capitol!"
And every time, I'd say "I don't see any capital.
Is it a capital A, a capital B, or a capital C?"
And finally, I saw it --
a stunning, white building with a magnificent dome.
I believed then as I believe today,
this is the most beautiful building in the world
because of what it represents.
The Capitol is a temple of our democracy,
of our constitution, of our highest ideals.
On that day -- [ Applause ]
On that day, I stood with my father on this floor
as he took the sacred oath to support
and defend the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
All of us who have served in this House
have taken the hollowed oath of office.
And it is the oath that stitches us together
in a long and storied heritage.
Colleagues who served before us are all our colleagues.
Colleagues like Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Webster,
Shirley Chisholm, Patsy Mink, and our beloved John Lewis.
Personally, it binds me as a colleague to my father,
a proud new-deal congressman
and one of the earliest Italian-Americans
to serve in the congress.
And this is an oath we are duty-bound to keep,
and it links us to the highest aspirations of the ages.
In this room, our colleagues across history
have abolished slavery, granted women the right to vote,
established social security and Medicare,
offered a hand to the weak, care to the sick,
education to the young, and hope to the many.
Indeed, it is here, under the gaze of our patriarch,
George Washington,
and the people's house that we have done the people's work.
My colleagues, I stand before you as Speaker of the House,
as a wife, a mother, a grandmother,
a devout Catholic, a proud Democrat,
and a patriotic American,
a citizen of the greatest republic
in the history of the world.
[ Applause ]
Which President Lincoln called "The last best hope on earth."
Indeed, in the words attributed to another of our colleagues,
the legendary Daniel Webster, he said, "Hold on, my friends,
to the constitution of your country
and the government established under it.
Miracles do not cluster.
That which has happened but once is 6,000 years
cannot be expected to happen often."
Indeed, American democracy is majestic,
but it is fragile.
Many of us here have witnessed it's fragility first-hand,
tragically in this chamber.
And, so, democracy must be forever defended from forces
that wish it harm.
Last week, the American people spoke
and their voices were raised in the defense of liberty,
of the rule of law, and of democracy, itself.
[ Applause ]
With these elections, the people stood in the breach
and repelled the assault on democracy.
They resonantly rejected violence and insurrection,
and in doing so,
"gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."
[ Applause ]
And now, we owe to the American people
our very best to deliver on their faith,
to forever reach for the more perfect union,
the glorious horizon that our founders promised.
The questions before this congress
and in this moment are urgent.
Questions that the ideals that this house is charged
by the constitution to preserve and protect,
establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility,
provide from the common defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity, our posterity, our children.
Babies born today will live into the next century.
And our decisions will determine their future
for generations to come.
While we will have our disagreements on policy,
we must remain fully committed
to our shared fundamental mission,
to hold strong to our most treasured democratic ideals,
to cherish the spark of divinity in each and every one of us,
and to always put our country first.
In their infinite wisdom,
our founders gave us their guidance,
e pluribus unum, from the many, one.
They could not have imagined how large our country
would become or how different we would be from one another,
but they knew we had to be united as one.
We, the people, one country, one destiny.
It's been with great pride in my 35 years in the house
I have watched this body grow more reflective
of our great nation, our beautiful nation.
[ Applause ]
When I came to the congress in 1987,
there were 12 Democratic women,
now there are over 90, and we want more.
[ Applause ]
The new members of our Democratic caucus
will be about 75% women, people of color,
and LQBTQ, and we have brought more voices
to the decision-making table.
When I entered leadership in 2002, there were eight of us.
Today, there are 17 members of the leadership.
When I first came to the floor at 6 years old,
never would I have thought that someday
I would go from homemaker to House Speaker.
In fact, I never -- [ Applause ]
In fact, I never intended to run for public office.
Mommy and Daddy taught us through their example
that public service is a noble calling
and that we all have a responsibility to help others.
In our family, our brother Tommy
then became mayor of Baltimore, also.
But it's been my privilege to play a part in forging
extraordinary progress for the American people.
I have enjoyed working with three presidents
achieving historic investments in clean energy
with President George Bush,
[ Applause ]
transformative healthcare reform with President Barack Obama,
[ Applause ]
and forging the future from infrastructure,
to health care, to climate action with President Joe Biden.
[ Applause ]
Now we must move boldly into the future grounded
by the principles that have propelled us this far
and open to fresh possibilities for the future.
Scripture teaches us that for everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under heaven.
My friends, no matter what title you all,
my colleagues, have bestowed upon me, Speaker, Leader,
Whip, there is no greater official honor for me
than to stand on this floor
and speak for the people of San Francisco.
This I will continue to do as a member of the house,
speaking for the people of San Francisco,
serving the great state of California,
and defending our constitution.
And with great confidence in our caucus,
I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership
in the next congress.
For me, the hour has come for a new generation
to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.
And I'm grateful that so many are ready
and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.
Madam Speaker, standing here today,
I'm endlessly grateful for all of life's blessings,
from out Democratic colleagues, who's courage and commitment
with the support of your families
have made many of these accomplishments possible.
I fact, it could not have been done without you.
For my dear husband Paul,
who has been my beloved partner in life
and my pillar of support, thank you.
We're all grateful for all the prayers
and well wishes as he continues his recovery.
Thank you so much.
[ Applause ]
For our darling children Nancy Corinne,
Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, and Alexandra,
and our grandchildren Alexander and Madeline,
Liam, Sean, and Ryan, Paul and Thomas, Bella and Octavio.
They are the joys of our lives
and we are so very, very proud of them
and a comfort to us at this time.
[ Applause ]
And for my brilliant, dedicated, and patriotic staff.
Under the leadership of Terri McCullough,
together, working together,
the finest group of public servants
the House has ever known.
Thank you all so much.
[ Applause ]
And again, for those who sent me here,
for the people of San Francisco,
for entrusting me with the high honor
of being their voice in Congress.
In this continued work, I will strive to honor
the call of the patron saint of our city, Saint Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
In this house, we begin each day with a prayer
and a pledge to the flag.
And everyday I am in awe of the majestic miracle
that in American democracy.
As we participate in a hallmark of our republic,
the peaceful, orderly transition from one congress to the next,
let us consider the words of, again,
President Lincoln spoken during one of America's darkest hours.
"He called upon us to come together,
to swell the chorus of the Union,
when once again touched,
as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature.
That, again, is the task at hand."
A new day is dawning on the horizon and I look forward
and always forward to the unfolding story of our nation.
A story of light and love, of patriotism and progress,
of many becoming one and always an unfinished mission
to make the dreams of today the reality of tomorrow.
Thank you all.
May God bless you and your families,
and may God continue to bless our veterans
and the United States of America Thank you all so much.
[ Applause ]