Madam Speaker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the U.S. Speaker of the House

(June 5–11)

On Tuesday, Speaker Pelosi joined former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Members of Congress and advocates to open a gun violence memorial on the National Mall, honoring Americans lost to gun violence and calling for action in the face of this worsening public health crisis. Next, she met with Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey and his partner Camila to discuss gun violence prevention legislation. In the afternoon, she joined a staff meeting with Dr. Lynn Mahoney, President of San Francisco State University, to discuss higher education priorities for the California State University system. That evening, Speaker Pelosi joined Congresswoman Grace Meng and Members of CAPAC to sign H.R. 3523, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act.

On Wednesday, Speaker Pelosi joined Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action for a “Don’t Look Away” gun violence prevention event on the Capitol Grounds. Shortly after, she joined Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Congressional Democrats for a press conference on a resolution condemning the “great replacement theory.” She later met with family members of those targeted in the hate-fueled mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.

On Thursday morning, Speaker Pelosi hosted her weekly press conference before traveling to Los Angeles to participate in the 9th Summit of the Americas, where she reaffirmed the Congress’ commitment to security, prosperity and Democracy in the Western Hemisphere. While in Los Angeles, Speaker Pelosi also delivered the keynote address at the 2022 undergraduate commencement ceremony at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Continue reading for this week’s behind-the-scenes content:

June 7th

“We owe the children of our country so much more than excuses to why we don’t have legislation. … You can’t vote for these bills because it’s a problem for you politically? Understand this: your political survival is nothing compared to the survival of our children. We must protect them.”

“Madam Speaker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the U.S. Speaker of the House”

“Madam Speaker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the U.S. Speaker of the House”

“Spearheaded by Congresswoman Grace Meng, this legislation will help share a richer, more complete telling of our nation’s history — celebrating the cultural vibrancy of our AAPI communities and recognizing their essential role in the American story.”

June 8th

“Our children are our future. President Kennedy said our children are our greatest resource and our best hope for the future. They are our precious treasure. We must not have them be afraid to go to school, or go to church or go to the movies or anything else.”

“Amid a surge of hate-fueled attacks, the House has a moral duty to condemn this abhorrent ideology for what it is: a call to racist violence. House Democrats remain committed to stamping out hate wherever and whenever it appears, and we will continue fighting to build a brighter, safer future for all of our children.”

June 9–10

“I’m very pleased that we’ll be bringing up the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which is a bill to address the supply chain shortages that we have. When supply is short, costs are up. That important legislation has already passed the Senate, so we will be passing it in the House.”

“Our Congressional delegation congratulated President Biden, Vice President Harris and Secretary Blinken on a productive and unifying Summit, recognizing the importance of strong bonds in the Western Hemisphere to America’s security and success.”