Nancy Pelosi

New in her own life, really, but not in a resentful way, but just in an acknowledging way that women were so underutilized in our society, in our government, in every way, and that the president would be making these appointments. Yes. It was such a source of joy. And I remember telling some of those women, you made my mother so happy. You didn't know her.

She didn't know you, but you were a source of joy.

She didn't know you, but you were a source of joy.

Yeah. Yeah, always praying. Oh, my God. Prayer was a big part of our existence. So, yeah. But it is—here's the thing. Yeah. Again, we don't agonize. We organize. Women—and I speak to women all the time and just say— I know this is hard. This is not for the faint of heart. You put yourself out there, you become a target. That's just the way it is.

Yeah. Yeah, always praying. Oh, my God. Prayer was a big part of our existence. So, yeah. But it is—here's the thing. Yeah. Again, we don't agonize. We organize. Women—and I speak to women all the time and just say— I know this is hard. This is not for the faint of heart. You put yourself out there, you become a target. That's just the way it is.

But understand how necessary it is for you to do that. As you said earlier, this isn't to take the place of men. It's to be there at the table with that diversity. And I tell them the story of when I went to my first meeting at the White House as leader. And I wasn't nervous or anything because I'd been to the White House many times as an appropriator, as an intelligence leader, all that.

But understand how necessary it is for you to do that. As you said earlier, this isn't to take the place of men. It's to be there at the table with that diversity. And I tell them the story of when I went to my first meeting at the White House as leader. And I wasn't nervous or anything because I'd been to the White House many times as an appropriator, as an intelligence leader, all that.

And this was under George W. Bush. George W. Bush. And so when I went, the door opened into the room. And as soon as I saw the room, I knew that this was the first meeting of its kind that I had ever been to. In fact, it was the first meeting of its kind that any woman had been to because it was – The president, vice president, the leaders, House and Senate, Democrat and Republican.

And this was under George W. Bush. George W. Bush. And so when I went, the door opened into the room. And as soon as I saw the room, I knew that this was the first meeting of its kind that I had ever been to. In fact, it was the first meeting of its kind that any woman had been to because it was – The president, vice president, the leaders, House and Senate, Democrat and Republican.

It wasn't like a cabinet meeting, which is wonderful, but everybody is appointed by the president there at the president's will. I was there at the will of the House Democrats. So two different branches of government. And he recognized that. He said, you know, he started welcoming me. And here's the first time we've ever had a woman president.

It wasn't like a cabinet meeting, which is wonderful, but everybody is appointed by the president there at the president's will. I was there at the will of the House Democrats. So two different branches of government. And he recognized that. He said, you know, he started welcoming me. And here's the first time we've ever had a woman president.

at a meeting like this, and I know we're going to hear some new ideas. And as he's going on like that, I felt very crammed in in my chair. I couldn't understand why it never happened before or since. Very crammed into my chair. And all of a sudden, I realized it was Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul. Everybody was on that chair with me.

at a meeting like this, and I know we're going to hear some new ideas. And as he's going on like that, I felt very crammed in in my chair. I couldn't understand why it never happened before or since. Very crammed into my chair. And all of a sudden, I realized it was Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul. Everybody was on that chair with me.

They were right there. And I could hear them say, at last, we have a seat at the table. Yeah. And then they were gone. And my first response was, we want more. We want more women. We want more diversity and the rest. But the lesson, the reason I tell the story is I'm standing on their shoulders. Imagine they started in the middle of the 19th century for women to have the right to vote. Vote.

They were right there. And I could hear them say, at last, we have a seat at the table. Yeah. And then they were gone. And my first response was, we want more. We want more women. We want more diversity and the rest. But the lesson, the reason I tell the story is I'm standing on their shoulders. Imagine they started in the middle of the 19th century for women to have the right to vote. Vote.

It took a long time, and it's been a long time. I'm standing on their shoulders, all of us in Congress are standing on their shoulders, and others are standing on ours. When I first went to Congress, there were 23 women, 12 Democrats, 11 Republicans, out of 435 members of the House. What the hell? What is this?

It took a long time, and it's been a long time. I'm standing on their shoulders, all of us in Congress are standing on their shoulders, and others are standing on ours. When I first went to Congress, there were 23 women, 12 Democrats, 11 Republicans, out of 435 members of the House. What the hell? What is this?

So we made a decision on our side that we would reach out, that we would— We would fund. We would mentor, teach, all the rest of that. Some people self-recruited, and that was beautiful. In this Congress, we had 96 Democratic women, 96. The Republicans got up to 30-something, I think. But we had three times that. We want more.

So we made a decision on our side that we would reach out, that we would— We would fund. We would mentor, teach, all the rest of that. Some people self-recruited, and that was beautiful. In this Congress, we had 96 Democratic women, 96. The Republicans got up to 30-something, I think. But we had three times that. We want more.

And then, of course, we want to see women, whatever it is, whether it's security, whether it's corporate America, whether it's academia, whatever it is. Entertainment, whatever it is, we want to see more women in leadership roles making those decisions. I know. Think of it. This is in 2005. Right. More than 150 years since they started with a woman having the right to vote.