Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Bill Enrollment Ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Members of Congress and advocates for marriage equality held a bill enrollment ceremony for H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. As our colleagues gather, may I thank you all, not only for being here, but being there on this issue for such a long time. At last, we have history in the making. But not only are we on the right side of history, we're on the right side of the future, expanding freedom in America. So I'm honored to be here with Leader Schumer, who's on his way, Representative – you'll be hearing from Representative Cicilline, Senator Baldwin, Rep. Nadler and our wrap up. We're honored to welcome over on the House side, Senator Collins. Thank you, Senator Collins. As we, shall we say, anticipating Leader Schumer, may I just introduce some of our Members: Sharice Davids of Kansas, Angie Craig of Minnesota –
[Applause]
The newly engaged Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.
[Applause]
Ritchie Torres of New York.
[Applause]
Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee Mark Takano of California.
[Applause]
David Cicilline I mentioned already, the Chair – one of the Chairs of the Equality Caucus, the sponsor of the Equality Act, which we have yet to do, Mr. Cicilline, thank you. Of course the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler. Thank you, Jerry.
[Applause]
And our Member of the Leadership from New York, Sean Patrick Maloney.
[Applause]
When they said he was on his way, I thought they meant from his office – oh he's here!
[Laughter]
I didn't know whether it was from Brooklyn or from the Senate side or what.
[Laughter]
And let us welcome back to the House side our former colleague here, one we're so proud of, Mr. Leader, Chuck Schumer.
[Applause]
This is an emotional day for many of us here. I see some of my neighbors from San Francisco here. And as I spoke on the Floor, I referenced – you can come up here now.
[Laughter]
If you wish, or you can sit or –
Leader Schumer. We're about the same height.
[Laughter]
Speaker Pelosi. We've been working together for a long time so –
[Laughter]
What passes for humor on the Senate side, not necessarily –
[Laughter]
Leader Schumer. It took me twelve years to get her to laugh at my jokes.
[Laughter]
Speaker Pelosi. He said plural, I'm not sure about that.
[Laughter]
Not sure about plural. But anyway, it is a happy day. As I said on the Floor, I had the picture of Phyllis and Del, just wonderful, two San Franciscans who were the first to be married in San Francisco when Mayor Gavin Newsom, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom instituted this in our City. And I also want to mention Jim Hormel, who was the chair of my campaign when I ran for Congress, and I officiated at his wedding. The three of them are shining down on us from heaven.
Today, Congress sends the Respect for Marriage Act to the President's desk: a glorious triumph of love and freedom. Let us salute those who have legislated and advocated relentlessly to make this bill the law of the land. Mr. Chairman, Jerry Nadler. Equality Chair David Cicilline and all of his tireless Co-Chairs of that Caucus on the House side.
Leader Chuck Schumer.
[Applause]
They all applauded earlier so –
[Laughter]
Senator Tammy Baldwin, formerly of the House as well.
[Applause]
And again, to welcome to the House side, Senator Collins.
[Applause]
Again, her presence here is a statement to the bipartisan, bicameral support this legislation has.
Today, we stand against an urgent threat, and we succeeded for the values that our nation holds dear. Since the monstrous Dobbs decision, right-wing forces have set their sights on more of America's personal freedoms, including the right to marry the person you love. Our history has always been about expanding freedom until that decision.
We are privileged to be joined by Judith Kasen-Windsor, the loving wife of iconic trailblazer, the late Edith Windsor.
[Applause]
Wave the book, wave the book. There's the book.
[Laughter]
Thank you for honoring us with your presence and for serving us with your courage. And we miss Edith. And here we are. Now this time should make it work.
Edith once – Edith Windsor once said of marriage, ‘For anybody who doesn't understand why we want it – we need it – it is magic.' She said it is magic. This legislation honors that magic, protecting it from bigoted extremism, defending the inviolability of the same-sex and interracial marriages.
The Respect for Marriage Act takes key steps to uphold marriage equality under federal law. This is what we're celebrating. Tearing down the Defense of Marriage Act, taking it off the books for good. Enshrining married couples' right to equal protection. Requiring that every state recognize all valid marriages out of state as long as it is recognized in theirs, in the state of their marriage. The legislation reflects Democrats' belief in the dignity, beauty and divinity of every person.
And you may know the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell was one of my final – Chuck, I was saying this to – one of the final bills that I signed as Speaker the first time around. December 2010, was the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. So you can just imagine how exciting it is, at this point at the end of this term as Speaker, to be signing the Respect for Marriage Act.
And with that, I want to yield to our former colleague in the House, a champion on these issues. Remember when we did HOPWA? Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS? So many years of service to the community, for our country, for freedom. The distinguished Leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer.
***
Thank you very much, Senator Collins. Not only were those Republican votes necessary to pass the bill, it makes it even more special that we're doing so in a very strong, bipartisan way. Thank you for your leadership, your ongoing leadership from Don't Ask Don't Tell.
Now, in case you are wondering, the bill isn't here. It's coming in a minute. And in the meantime, I just want to acknowledge some of our colleagues who have – see, what happens, after you pass the bill, there's all this parchment paper, there's a whole process here that usually goes like this. And hopefully, it'll be just a moment.
[Laughter]
But in the meantime, let me acknowledge the distinguished Majority Leader of the House, Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
[Applause]
Tammy acknowledged her Congressman, our Congressman, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.
[Applause]
And I know we're all thrilled to see Barney Frank here.
[Applause]
Barney – I was chatting with Barney earlier, and we said at the beginning, we did the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but before that, one the first bills we did, and we would not have been successful without Barney's leadership sharing his personal story, when we had the hate crimes legislation, which was fully inclusive, including LGB'T.' They just said you can pass this in a minute if you take out transgender. I said we won't pass it in 100 years unless we have transgender in there, so thank you, Barney Frank, for your leadership.
[Applause]
Now that I see the bill alive, is arrived and alive.
[Laughter]
I'll scale back my next 20 minutes by saying this –
[Laughter]
I mentioned on the Floor, Phyllis and Del, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. Pioneers, icons and all this. I mentioned Jim Hormel, such a champion, the first openly gay ambassador of our country, appointed by Bill – he was appointed by Bill Clinton. But I – people say to me all the time, ‘It's easy for you to do all this, because you're from San Francisco and people there are so tolerant.' I say, ‘Don't use the word tolerant.' Jackie will attest to this. ‘Tolerance is a condescending word to us. This isn't about tolerance. This is about respect. This is about taking pride.'
[Applause]
As Senator Collins mentioned, and others have mentioned, it was all of you who made this possible. Inside maneuvering can only go so far without the outside mobilization. But I do, in closing, want to acknowledge some of my constituents and neighbors who were here. Three generations of the Dolby family. Thank you for your leadership.
And now, and now, and now, we will sign the bill and send it to the President's desk.