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

(April 25 — May 1, 2021)

Madam Speaker: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the U.S. Speaker of the House (April 25 — May 1, 2021)

On Monday, Speaker Pelosi swore in former commander of the Washington, D.C. National Guard, Major General William Walker, as House Sergeant-At-Arms. His historic appointment as the first Black American to serve in this post is an important step forward for this institution and our nation.

On Wednesday, Madam Speaker discussed President Biden’s historic First 100 Days and his Address to a Joint Session of Congress with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. Later that afternoon, Madam Speaker and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hosted anchors from major television networks for a roundtable, sharing how the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress are working together to address the major policy challenges facing the nation. That evening, President Joe Biden addressed a Joint Session of Congress and the nation to lay out his plan to Build Back Better for the American people. Check out more photos from the Joint Session of Congress in the next installment of ‘Madam Speaker.’

Speaker Pelosi on Thursday joined Gayle King on ‘CBS This Morning’ from Capitol Hill to discuss President Biden’s bold and ambitious agenda that he outlined in his address and celebrate his historic First 100 Days. Following the interview, the Speaker held her weekly press conference in the United States Capitol, where she reflected on President Biden’s speech and remarkable First 100 Days and emphasized the importance of Building Back Better through the transformative American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. In the afternoon, Speaker Pelosi virtually joined Cindy McCain in a conversation about leadership and public service for the Sedona Forum, a signature annual event by the McCain Institute.

Take a look at this week’s behind-the-scenes photos:

April 26, 2021

“The role of Sergeant-at-Arms is foundational to the functioning of Congress. Throughout his long, dedicated career in public service, General William Walker has proven to be a leader of great integrity and experience who will bring his steady and patriotic leadership to this vital role. His experience will be an important asset to the House, particularly in light of the January 6 insurrection.”

April 28, 2021

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

“I think it was a triumph for women, for families, for children, for all Americans,” Madam Speaker stated, reflecting on the historic moment and President Biden’s speech. “ It was the first time two women — the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of the House — sat behind the President as he delivered his address to the nation.”

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

April 29, 2021

Asked about moving forward on infrastructure legislation, Madam Speaker said, “we’ve always had compromise on infrastructure. That has been the least partisan initiative we can take over the years. All of a sudden now, of course, they’re saying, ‘Well, infrastructure is not workforce development.’ It is. If we want more women, minorities — if we want more of our veterans and everyone else involved in these — the constructions that the President was talking about, we have to have workforce development.”

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

“I got the [Golden State] Warriors’ colors on today.”

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC

The Forum “creates a platform for world leaders to have informal, face-to-face discussions about global issues.”

Behind-the-scenes photos of the week April 25 — May 1, 2021. United States Capitol, Washington, DC