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

(December 12— December 18)

Sunday morning, Madam Speaker joined Brady Campaign, United Playaz, Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Healing 4 Our Families and Our Nation to honor the countless lives lost to senseless gun violence during the San Francisco Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence at Third Baptist Church nine years after the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

At the United States Capitol on Tuesday, Madam Speaker joined Members of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth and early childhood development advocates for a press event highlighting critical provisions in the Build Back Better Act that reduce economic disparity by investing in our children. Following the press conference, she joined parents and child care providers from across the country for a press event to highlight critical provisions in the Build Back Better Act that get ‘children learning, parents earning.’

Tuesday night, Madam Speaker joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members for a moment of silence in remembrance of the 800,000 American lives lost to COVID-19. Later, she made an impromptu stop at Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro’s office for a video recording to discuss the many benefits of the Build Back Better Act. After the House’s late night vote series, Madam Speaker signed legislation holding Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress for refusing to share key information on the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol.

The next morning, on Wednesday, Madam Speaker signed S.J. Res. 33 — a measure to address the debt limit, prevent a devastating debt default and protect the financial security of American families. She then held her weekly press conference at the Capitol Visitor Center. That afternoon, she met with Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, to discuss the Violence Against Women’s Act Reauthorization Act of 2021.

Saturday, Madam Speaker joined Bay Area Representatives Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, regional leaders, wildfire survivors and firefighters in Coffey Park, Santa Rosa, to discuss how the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act will make vital investments in wildfire prevention and healthy forests.

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

December 12

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

December 14

“If there were two words that describe Build Back Better, it would be: lowers cost. It lowers costs for health care. It lowers costs for education. It lowers costs for child care. It lowers costs for family home health care for more senior members of the family who need health care or siblings who may have disabilities and the rest.”

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

“Teachers are the custodians of our children for a large part of their lives and their days. They need to be respected and paid as well.”

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

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

December 15

“By signing this bill, we uphold the full faith and credit of the United States, prevent a devastating debt default, and protect American families from economic catastrophe.”

“It’s one thing to say, ‘Well, we’ll have a few votes against it to make a statement.’ It’s another thing to say we shouldn’t be doing it. And that’s what [Republicans] did yesterday, just so people know how it affects them. Of course, it has a big impact: millions of jobs lost, trillions of dollars of household wealth down the drain. As the Constitution says, ‘The full faith and credit of the United States should not be questioned.’”

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

December 18

“This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bipartisan, and that is part of its strength. But, the President said when he was advocating for this law: ‘This is great, it’s bipartisan, but I will not confine my vision for the country to that bill.’ So, there’s much more in the Build Back Better legislation that is being negotiated in the Senate right now and will be, imminently, the law of the land, and so much more will spring from that.”