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Scale your business on TV at wonder ads.com It's all! Hi everyone from New York Magazine in the Vox Media Podcast Network. This is on with Cara Swisher and I am Cara Swisher. My guest today is one of those powerful women in American political history, Speaker Emerada Nancy Pelosi. I met her a long time ago. She was my representative in San Francisco since I lived there decades ago.
We met in San Francisco where I would complain about various things to her and got to know her along the way as well as her husband. I love having Nancy Pelosi as my representative and I think she's made an astonishing speaker. She really has that, did have that caucus in control when she was running it.
She has really made it as strong as it's become over the years. Speaker Pelosi has had a story career in politics obviously and it's all in a memoir she has coming out tomorrow August 6th called The Art of Power. It's a very befitting title if you ask me. She's been a representative in Congress for more than 35 years in 2007. She became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House who is second in line to the presidency.
In 2019, she took back the gavel during Biden's first state of the union to women were sitting on the days behind the president. And if it's up to Pelosi, next time it will be a woman, vice president Kamala Harris giving that address. The speaker knows the art of power indeed and I feel a little bit that she rolled over me in this interview, but it will be another one going forward.
And there are a lot of questions recently though about how much power she wielded in President Biden's decision to step out of the race. I asked her about all of that when this episode was recorded live at the future caucus summit at Georgetown University on July 25th about the party's sudden pivot her comments about favoring a competitive open primary and her hope for vice president Kamala Harris who is by the way also from San Francisco. San Francisco is having a moment.
Our question day comes from the Veepe no not Kamala Harris the TV Veepe the one and only and also a former guest on on Julia Louis dryface. Yes, sometimes life does imitate art. All right. Oh God, what's new Nancy? Lord and heaven you keep creating news. Good morning. Good morning. Okay. All right. Is it Emma rata? Emma rata or Emma rita? If I were man, you would be calling me speaker speaker.
That's it. Then I sat. Then I sat speaker Nancy. For life Nancy Pelosi. Thank you. Thank you. Do I more is the position the title is okay speaker for life again Nancy Pelosi. Thank you so much for being here and speaking with me at future caucus for a live episode of on with Karen swisshert. I can't imagine a better time or person to talk about effect how to be an effective leader how to maintain integrity in Washington and what it means to get and keep power as a woman in politics.
Let's go. We ready. All right. When you are we've spoken many times before over decades I would say we've known each other for a very long time. We're having a conversation at the end of pretty much an incredible month for American democracy an incredible year a couple of years in history in the span of seven days we've witnessed an attempted assassination of a former president and Republican presidential candidate and then a nearly unprecedented exit from the race of his opponent sitting president Joe Biden.
You've been in government for more than thirty five years we've known each other that entire time I think can you remember a time that felt this chaotic or would you use another word for well I think it apart from the assassination attempt which is horrible thing has no political violence has no place.
And as one who has been a victim of it I can say it has to stop because it's just not what we are about as a country but apart from that this is a pretty exciting time it's about the future it is a care time but it's about possibilities of president made a beautiful speech I thought about his decision to move forward. He has always said for his known as I've known him in it's about forty years more than I've even been in Congress when I was chair of the party in California and this or that.
He's always said the word that he identifies with America is possibilities and I thought that what he talked about last night with the possibilities that he fulfilled in the beautiful agenda that has made him one of the most consequential presidents of all time in American history.
And we'll see that more clearly once he gets out there not as a candidate but as a president not running for office a be possibilities about saying as he bragged about the accomplishments which I was very proud of too because our members had to take some pretty tough votes to make all of that happen so it's part of our legacy as well.
But in order for the progress to continue it was necessary to pass the George and that was quite remarkable and because he believed in the possibilities believed in the future and so we're pretty excited about it. It wasn't as chaotic as the press was making it sound. We're all fat. They went I said it's a media's fault you know it's not the media's fault but they didn't know what was happening so it's chaos.
No it wasn't chaos. It was a path and we are the Democratic Party. We are not a lockstep Republican Party that takes borders from anybody. We have our own spontaneity our own exuberance sometimes it's very exuberant but nonetheless with a goal with a purpose with a timetable with milestones and again as you see something that was accomplished for the future for more possibilities for America.
So let's talk about the specifics of that so you can talk about the non-chaos that seemed slightly chaotic to a lot of people watching from the media.
You know years ago just a personal story with the speaker invited me to the Democratic clock is out now hotel in Virginia to talk about the internet many years ago and I brought my son who was a young at the time he's Michigan right now he's older and he watched everything and was very careful and he came up to the speaker and he said how do you run this chaos?
Because everybody was arguing with each other and she goes oh it's like a family it gets so long it looks more chaotic than it is but you said a similar thing we're not in lockstep. It's okay to disagree but she goes but when things need to happen I make them happen. I'm in charge. What do we all do? Yeah which I think you really are so let's talk about that your role.
First of all we're taking this a few days since President Biden's historic announcement. Have you spoken to him since last night? No. Not at all. And since the speech last night so you were not privy to what he's going to talk about. No. So a lot's been written about your role. There was one source that said Nancy made clear that we could do this the easy way or the hard way. Political. I didn't say that. I have said that about everything.
Okay. But I didn't say that about the president of the United States. It's not a little bit. Not this president. Not this president. I think that was just the hard way with him. But okay. When President Biden appeared on Morning Joe he had talked about leaps pushing him out of the race. Obviously you had been on Morning Joe a couple days before which was the most it was both funny and so deaf to watch you saying the time was running short for Biden. Now he had decided.
And a lot of people were like why is she saying he has to decide. I was like oh it's not the decision she wants that him to make. But talk a little bit about that because you became the center of a lot of what people felt was some people thought it was pushing out. Other thought it was the right thing to do to show leadership. I'd love you to clarify your role there. Well let me just say I love Joe Biden. I probably had one of the best relationships for however I don't know.
I cannot speak to all the situations. But for 40 years when I was starting all this I was grassroots activist and that became chair of the California Democratic Party. And California rotates north and south and when my term was up after years of being chair of the party and in the state they had a big thing and our convention with a thousand people at a dinner to celebrate. We had fun and it was great. Right in the first row the first table. 40 years, 41 years ago was Joe Biden.
So we really go back a long way. I had the enormous respect for his vision for our country that he's always had. His values that are fundamental to what he does. His knowledge of the issues. Which gives him great judgment on how to get things done and his strategic thinking. So this is the full package. Not only that, that's all in the head in the heart. The empathy that he has for the American people. He knows the respect that I have had for him.
For three generations my husband and I, my children and my grandchildren love Joe Biden. So and I just got the presidential medal of freedom from the president. I mean, I was stunned when he called the government. So now talking about campaigns. Campaigns are, you always are making strategic decisions. You're on a path, but you evaluate as you go along. And this was, okay. Let's have a reaffirmation of the decision of whatever it may be. Don't tell anybody I said this, okay.
I was completely focused and determined that what's his name would never be president of the United States again. Donald Trump, the threat to our democracy doesn't like when we say that. As a threat to our democracy. And if you look at the vision of the two parties that we just came from, repress comments for Kamala, her vision, Joe Biden's vision, our vision for America versus Project 2025 abolished the Department of Education and Head Start. I mean, it's 900 pages.
I won't go into the whole thing, but a different vision for America. But apart from that, in terms of integrity, in terms of values, in terms of patriotism, in terms of global respect, this man cannot set foot in the White House ever again. Was that too political? No. So anyway, that was my purpose now. When you want to win an election, and I know this is a bipartisan group, I'm talking about America. I'm talking about Democrats. I'm talking about America.
When you want to win a decision, you make a decision. It's a decision to win. And then you make every decision in favor of winning. Whether it's your mobilization and how you own the ground to get out that boat, because the rest of it's just a conversation, unless you do that, unless you have a message of discipline and non-menacing, but forward thinking bold as possible consensus message to put forth, money, the third one. But it's really about maintaining that.
Now, the most important part of a decision to win an election is the candidate. We're very proud of Joe Biden as president of the United States. I think we could have all done better and telling the public what we did with the rescue page, American Rescue Plan, shots, alarms, money in pocket, children in school safely, people back to work, child tax credit, the list goes on and on. Pensions for our union workers and that.
So all of that wasn't registering in terms of public's understanding, recognition, appreciation for what it was. And now, as I just said, it's one way that people don't vote for you for what you've done. They want to know what you're going to do. And nobody is rewarded for what they've done. But you can show you know how to get something done. That you have shared values that you can accomplish something that, and that's what we have to put out there. We have to finish the job.
We have to get it all done. And there's many more things, especially about women in the workplace, family and medical lead, child tax credit and all that. I got it. Okay. So talk about why, I mean, what you were seeing in that morning, Joe interview was Joe make a different decision than the decision, because he had made a decision, right? You felt the candidate wasn't getting through, Joe Biden candidate, even if he had in the past and everything else.
Well, I was, what I was saying that day is there was some unease about what was not registering in the public. Plus the debate performance. Plus the debate performance. Yeah. Well, that was one night, but it wasn't a good night. Well, let's say that. Is this an episode or is this a condition? You know, that we need to know that. People need to know that.
But the president had 31, himself making 32 heads of state coming together in Washington for a NATO summit, a very big deal under his leadership working together with people, other heads of state, the strength in NATO to be a true security force that has been designed to be and what it had been. And grew it by two states, Finland and Sweden. This was remarkable. And here they were coming together for the 75th anniversary of NATO.
And so I was saying that day to, if you have something to say, let's just wait until the NATO summit is over. Don't do that when you have 31 heads of state. And that's really what, actually, I was on the show for a completely different reason. We had signed up for that, was NATO related, because the woman who had won to be president of Belarus, just a beautiful, wonderful leader, asked me if I would do a not bad with her, which I did. Go on morning, Joe, with her. Right. Which I did.
You know, we did all these things. Sure, but, and so when we got there, all they wanted to talk about was debate. Well, obviously. It is news, news is news, and it was a terrible performance. But your words were particular. Can you talk about that from a lead? You had to know how it would be seen, correct, from a leadership perspective. Because here you are, a very close ally of Joe Biden.
At the same time, you were giving him a gentle nudge in the direction of, perhaps you should reconsider the decision you made, correct? Well, not necessarily. I mean, the point is, as I said earlier, campaigns have to restrat- adjust their strategy as they go along. So we have to win. This man can never go near the White House, no matter of miles, again, Trump. But, but, I'm sorry if you're offended by that, but this is so different. I mean, I have disagreed with the Trump, with the Bush family.
I love them, but we disagree on the war in Iraq and those kinds of things. But their patriots, you just have disagreed with it. This is a different story. You felt it was too critical to have any weakness in the campaign. So let's either get this campaign where it needs to be. That was really more about, let's get this campaign where it needs to be. Did you think him stepping down was the only solution in that case? No, no, no, I did not. No, at that time, no. I did not.
I thought that we've just, but you know what? I feel like I'm almost a victim of all this because I love them so much. I've had such a history, I have a full appreciation of what he has accomplished. His specific knowledge of things, he's just one of, as I say, one most consequential presidents. So for me, have this turned out this way and people thinking, but they made their own decision. Does he think that? Do you think? I have no idea. Nothing's spoken. How are you going to approach him now?
I want you to talk about Obama called President Biden the Patriot of the highest order for stepping down. A lot of people are saying similar things. How do you look at what he's done here? And if he blames you or elites or anyone else, how are you going to dialogue that with him? And you also have given up the gavel, obviously. You did step down. So talk, how do you empathize with Biden? How hard was it for you to bow out? And how do you... It wasn't for me to bow out except I wanted to win.
And so we're going to get... We want how came Jeffries as Speaker of the House in about five months. In about five months. Now, I ran again in order to... My only decision was, I know I'm going to bow out, but even if we won, I would bow it out. But would I stay? But I had to stay to make sure that Donald Trump never steps foot in White House again. We've got that message. Yeah, but I don't usually like to say his name. Any Catholics in the room?
See, when I grew up, if you said a curse word, and I got run over by a truck, you would go to hell because you had used a curse word. Okay. So I consider it a bad word to use. Okay. And that kind of a way. Okay. So I usually don't use it. But I don't want to move all down about which president I'm talking about. All right. But talk about that idea of what he did here. Whether you get, saying Nancy pushed him out or whatever, what did he do here from your perspective?
He did a great patriotic thing. There's nothing that the public appreciates more than selflessness. He did a selfless thing for our country. For our country. As he said, for more progress to me, it's necessary to pass the torch. And Kamala was completely ready for that. We're so proud of her. She's a determined, strong person committed to getting the job done. And we see, just for one example, freedom, a woman's right to choose, the freedom that is the democracy issue that that is.
Personally, I've known her forever. And she is a person of great faith and great commitment to public service in a very unselfish way. And then politically, make no mistake, this is a sharp, politically astute person. She is prepared to lead us to victory. So I'm excited about that. So when he, there were those of us who thought, let's have an open convention and do this. And I always thought that would be the case. But she wrapped it up right away.
And we said, you'll be stronger if you're part of a convention. You talk about that. Why that happened that way? Why? Because you had said, and you told, allegedly, you fell on delegates from California by next to the race. You'd favor a competitive open primary. Obviously, the Republicans are using it as a talking point. They've all repeated over again. I get that. I understand that. But who cares is the answer? Now, you can't go as slow as their pathetic bank rupt of ideas ship.
This is about a bandwagon that's leading the station. You think they're the fact that there's not an open competitive? No, there was. Anybody could have jumped in. She just overwhelmed, overwhelmingly. Why? They had 44,000 African American women on a Zoom. 44,000. Now, I have always said, and my members can tell you, the smartest voters in America are African American women. They know. They can tell the difference. So, talk about that speed, because she raised a whopping 81 million and 24 hours.
Everyone jumped on board. How did that happen so quickly, given some people, even you, President Obama said, it should be open and competitive. But then it happened. What happened from a... Well, that was open and competitive, and she won. It wasn't in 24 hours. It just happened. And I thought that she would be stronger if there was competition, and she won. But she took care of that right from the start, as I say, a very astute call. How do you think that happened from your perspective?
I think it was a... I think it was young, new generation, new fresh thinking, entrepreneurial in every way. Beautiful diversity of our country, a woman, not only a woman, a woman of color. It was just so she... She has been in the background, though, as Vice President. And much pilloried, really, for her term as Vice President. That's what Vice Presidents are. Background. Right, back to the... So, it's nothing different to that. So, what gives you the confidence?
And what challenges do you think she and the campaign face going forward? They're obviously trying to cast her as too liberal elite from California, which you have undergone. You are used to be the scary leftist communist for many years. How do you overcome that criticism? It has worked before that idea. So, what do you think her best assets are, and her as a leader, and the one thing you would advise her, the challenge she'll face, given you underwent the same thing?
Well, it's very important for people to know this is not a personal possession. This is the nomination of the Democratic Party, and again, a reflection of the people that we all represent. So, there has to be a consensus message. It can't be a menacing message of always wanting to do this. No, what is... you have to govern from the center. Now, I'm a left-wing San Francisco liberal, but you have to govern from the center.
And people have to feel that their voices will be heard and valued in the rest. And of course, you want the boldest, most progressive position that is non-menacing, well, governing from the center. And you're the president of the United States. And you listen, you learn, you bring it together in the way that it meets the needs of the American people. It always goes to the kitchen table, not the corporate table, not the cabinet table, not the speaker table.
The kitchen table is the dominant force in America. What is it that we're doing to create jobs, to educate children, to protect their environment, and the safety of it, to have a country at peace so that people can thrive in the rest? Women's right to choose as an economic kitchen table issue, the size, the timing, and if you're going to have a family. Why should that be up to the Mago courts or the politicians in Washington DC?
The consensus, not the weakest position, the boldest position that has the consensus to go forward, but is again reflective of the barriers, as I always say, what works in Michigan as a message works in San Francisco. What works in San Francisco may not work in Michigan, so why don't we go where we can win? The advice you give is to go more toward the center or think about appealing to lots of Americans. Here's my advice, and this is not just for her, it's for all of you. Be yourself.
Be yourself. Be who you are. Know your why. Know your why, because this is not for the faint of heart. This is a rough arena to be in, says I. And so it's not about somebody else telling you what to do. It's what is inside of you. And that's what all of you's doing. Know your why. Have the confidence of you. Be ready, because you never know. And here she is, ready. We'll be back in a minute. Support for On with Caros We Shirt comes from NetSuite.
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Go to Coda.io slash Kara today and get six free months of the team plan. That's c-o-d-a dot i-o slash Kara to get started for free and get six months free of the team plan. Coda.io slash Kara. So let's talk about the obvious though, is a woman of color. Some of the attacks are leftist. That's one of them that I've been seeing. The other is she's a woman of color. She's running against a candidate who's made countless races and sexist remarks over his political career.
Was found liable of sexual abuse by a civil court. Hair is called Trump a sexual predator fraudster and a cheat at her first rally presidential candidate in Wisconsin. You have called him deranged, unhinged, and dangerous in the past. I think that's the next. That was her euphemisms. Yeah. So. He had a starling number of Americans not only accept that kind of behavior from Trump, but they embrace it. Do you worry about the impact? This is historic. Another historic situation.
A woman president, a woman of color president. Do you do you worry about the impact of sexism and racism on the race? I don't necessarily worry about it, but I recognize that is there. Let me just say I was fully ready to leave Congress and all the rest when Hillary Clinton became president of the United States. I knew the Affordable Care Act, which I feel very proprietary back would be safe in this or that.
I don't think that the people would vote for such a creature, but they did. And so what who are those people there to be respected their people vote in our country. Some of them we will never get they do not share our values and you know what I mean. In terms of sexism, racism, all of us.
I just don't want to pay tax. So got a lot of money. They poured into these campaigns millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars. They're not many of those rich people nationally, but there are a lot of money that funds the operation. And then you have people in the middle who generally have been fearful have been fearful about globalization, innovation, immigration, diversity women, and I'll be secure. People of color and the rest threatening their not threatening, but just.
Well, they have a certain insecurity about what it means for how they go forward. And that is to be respected. And that's why we want the Biden agenda Biden, have a agenda to be out there because it was about more education or jobs that do not require a college degree, which make $100,000 a year with trades and the rest of that.
And so that people knew that there was a place for them. You have a scientist who's doing research that takes PhD and this or that. But it also takes a carpenter. It also takes a plumber. It takes an electrician. It takes people to build all of that. And how do we go down these paths together and then the people want to get higher education. It's available to them. One of the things that I'm really worried about in their project 20 2025. He says he doesn't even know the people.
One of them always said, head of the office of management and budget for him in his White House. One was the head of personnel in this White House. He doesn't know them. Well, maybe he's getting a little. Forgetful himself. But in any event, I don't really believe that he knows who they are. And he knows what they're doing. And it's a vision for America. They call it a Christian nationalism.
I respect that part of it. But that's not what this is about. It's a Christian nationalism. It's a national xenophobia. It's a nationalist populism. It just has this cast to it. And it's different from what our founders had in mind. What are men and women in uniform thought to protect children, the right to rate. But he is ahead at this moment. Now she has brought the numbers up in a very quick flash poles. It looks like she's rising to the thing. He's still ahead. How do you explain that?
Well, here you are. You got all this power. You trust the American people. But he's ahead. Well, I believe in the goodness of the American people. And when they see the contrast in terms of the kitchen table, what does this mean to you? This isn't about what it means to be what does it mean to you? It means that you have freedom of choice that you have opportunity to get rid of the department of education. Well, I mean, this is cruel. This is what we're dealing with. You have no idea.
I want to talk about you and your role. So one of the things we've talked about is how women keep power. I'd love you to give. I have two more things. One is there's a show on Broadway that's coming in Lincoln Center called N-Slasche. It's about you and Alexandria, Acacia Cortez. I don't know what it's going to be about. In any case. I don't know. Nobody told me.
But it talks about it. It depicts you as a ruthless political operator just so you know. I don't know why they say ruthless. Well, OK. I would say very strong. Strategic. OK. I'm serious. One of the questions at this event is how to maintain integrity while navigating the complexities. And you said it's a rough game out there. I'd love you to talk very briefly. And then I have one more question from someone special I got to ask a question for you.
What do you think the key things of leadership of your leadership have been not leadership in general, but that you have done well? And what's something you would have improved upon yourself in your long career? Well, the accomplishment on proudest of is the affordable care act because it tens of millions more people have access to health care.
More families do not have to be subjected to not having access because of a preexisting medical condition. And many other benefits that went with it, including being a woman is no longer a preexisting medical condition. Well, women had to pay more than others. So what I would say is that it's all about respect and listening and integrity.
And I have honesty in all of this, honesty in terms of your personal integrity, you know, that you're being honest, but also honesty with how you're listening and how you are translating other people's concerns into something because it's a big country and everybody is a resource to you.
And I would say that you're not a weak in anyone because they are a potential vote for the next bill that tomorrow is another day. So the kaleidoscope requires respect and respect, not questioning people's motivation, but respecting the differences of opinion and who they represent.
The representative is the job title and the job description represented the other thing is I consider myself a weaver at a loon. And here's my caucus and I want to make sure they all know that when we're weaving the tapestry we're putting together is weakened if one person isn't it. It doesn't mean we all have to agree on everything we build consensus, not necessarily unanimity because that might be impossible to do, but it doesn't mean that we don't respect the diversity, whatever it is.
Diversity could be a opinion, it could be of anything that is there. And the respect, I think, is what people understood we were about listening, learning, respecting and I'm bringing people together. Every episode I get a question from an outside expert today we have a former vice president I'm going to play it.
Hi, Madame Speaker, it's your friend, Madame Julia Louis-Dreyfus here. I have two questions for you today. In your long and storied career in the politics game, you've served as the most consequential speaker of the house in the modern era.
My first question is this of all the people that you've worked with from across the aisle, who did you like the most? And here's my follow-up question. I've had the great honor and privilege of knowing you for a very long time now and working with you on some of the most critical issues of the day. My question is this, of all of my red carpet looks, which one did you like the very, very best?
That was the Selena Meyer question. Answer the first one. I don't want go to the red carpet. I don't watch as much TV as you might think. Sports, sports, I'm into sports, but I did love seeing you on the co-bear the other day. You were just sensational. Actually, your husband watched it twice because he just thought it was so great. If you haven't seen that, she's just remarkable, as always.
So you talked about not liking to your Edward Trump of the people you've worked with from across the aisle. Who did you like the most? It's kind of a contest without a winner. I completely disagreed with the bushes on the rock and the rock, as you can just imagine. But I have a great affection for the Bush family, mother and father, and then George W. Bush and Laura and the rest of that.
So I have great affection for them. Actually, it isn't a question of not liking them. It's a question of respecting their patriotism for our country. I mean, I'm a human rights person. That's part of what I came to Congress and thought the Chinese human rights, this human rights, that human. And here I have one, the hostage. This is for the hostages. The hostage.
So those kinds of things are bipartisan. I have many friendships over time working on some of those issues across the aisle. So I don't flatter anybody enough to say, I dislike you. I don't even think about you that much. But the ones that I respect and like are many. They're just many. I wouldn't want to name one over the other, but the most prominent name in Republican politics lately has been the Bush family.
I love them personally. I respect their patriotism. I disagree on many things with them. But that's not a question of whether you respect somebody. It's a question of, you have one thought. They have another thought. You read my book. You'll see. We'll be back in a minute. Support for the show comes from ramp. Attention finance leaders step away from your finance software. Because if you're not using ramp, you might be wasting your time on busy work.
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You're published by capital client group Inc. You officially step down from leadership and you said you don't want to be the mother in law in the kitchen making pointed comments. But you're obviously still in the kitchen making pointed comments. So. Well, they said to me, come on, be a mother in law in the kitchen. See what thing is, you know, other five children, 10 grandchildren, all that.
And you don't want to be saying. My son likes the stuffing this way. No, I make it this way. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. All right. So you don't want to be in the mother in law in the kitchen, but obviously you can stand the heat because you're still in the kitchen. So how how do you want to the rest of your career to go? What is your role if you had to pick one? What is my role? What is your role? The national what? Well, I had no idea that we'd be in the situation we're in now. So just.
It's about again, the vision of our founders. I'm very patriotic. I mean, okay, let me say it this way. I'm from Baltimore, all of 50 years in San Francisco. And the national anthem. Was written in Baltimore. And you know, you're at the game. You get toward the end or at the end of the national anthem. But before the end is my role in life. It says. Proof through the night that our flag was still there. Right now we're in the night that we have to prove that our flag is still there.
As we pledge every day with liberty and justice for all. So whatever the challenge is, and maybe there won't be any. We have to win the election. But in terms of other things that may come forward globally, you never know. In terms of our country, but we must prove through the night that our flag and all that that stands for the vision, the sacrifice, the aspirations of our founders are in women who are formed by our children with liberty and justice for all.
Liberty and justice for all a great at risk. The Supreme Court. Go and rogue. I don't know. Just go and rogue. I don't think that justice is there with them. And so people have to understand that race for president is the race. We are the first branch of government, the legislative branch. The second branch is the executive.
The third branch is the judiciary. The second branch appoints the third branch. So when you see the court saying what they're doing about, what is right to choose or the environment or this or that, you. You have to understand how important the election is. It's not just about a person in the White House and somebody as vice president. It's about liberty and justice for all. And that's what my proof is just proofs is a night. Where are you then in that scenario?
I mean, whatever it is, I mean, I'm ready. I'm ready. I know. I'm not looking for anything more to do. I wrote this book because some of it is stuff that is old about my work on China, my work on tarp, my work on the Iraq war, which I vehemently opposed. And so it was over a head chance to write it. I didn't have a chance to write it on speaker. But, but again, because it was had to be written, had to write about January 6th, an assault on our Constitution.
A day that the Constitution says we have to ratify the election of the president and vice president, an assault on the capital, the beautiful capital, and the symbol that it is to the world and an assault on the Congress of the United States. So you never know what the. All right, let me try to run away. What will they say in 100 years about Nancy Pelosi? They wouldn't even know. I don't even care. I know. No, I think that some of the things.
I think oh no. No, no, no. Well, I would want them to know that I believe that when women succeed, America succeeds and encourage women to what? I said, when they ask me if you ruled the world, when I was speaking, if you ruled the world, what one thing would you do? The education of women and girls? This is so important. And it's a threshold that we must cross in terms of having had the people in the world be represented in the decision making in the world.
Speaking of that, you think Kamal Harris has a good, excellent chance of winning and becoming the president of the United States. Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And the thing is, is that it says, say at the very beginning, you want to win an election, you make decisions, their decision to win. And one of the most important decisions, now I say this from my perspective as a grassroots organizer, as Chair of the California Party and all that, you must get out your vote.
Kill what they say. Get out your vote. Of course, you must persuade, but we know the enthusiasm is there. Get out your vote. Own the ground. Just own the ground. We fully intend to own the ground. And you see a reinvigoration. My members, my members, my colleagues tell me that in their districts, and I know in my own, but we never have a problem of enthusiasm in terms of that. That volunteers that are signing up in the small donor contributions that are coming in.
So it's, it's, we think we have a tremendous opportunity to make the distinction, to show the two different visions, to mobilize at the grassroots level with a message that captures that difference, but very positive about what Kamala Harris has to offer as president of the United States. And the Democratic Party, because it's our, our platform. And again, to have the resources mostly at the grassroots level.
So we, we have made our decision to win. We're making every decision in favor of winning. And some of that is to say, a person like me may have to curb my enthusiasm about certain things, because they may not be in furtherance of winning the election. So essentially, you're saying, do what it takes. You're essentially saying, do what it takes.
In a values based way, honoring our, the integrity, the integrity of our country. So that people feel that they are real, that this is a democracy and their vote counts. And that their vote is important as any big money donor and the rest of that. But in any case, it's going to be an exciting time. It's important to challenge. It's important to question. It is, that's not, we're not, that's why people say the Demo is okay. No, we listen, we learn, we're, we go into pace.
And respectful of the media, but they were quite frankly quoting me saying things that I never said. And I was like, I never said that. And if I thought it, I wouldn't tell you. So anyway, that, you ready for success? Be out there. And again, young people, the future belongs to them. And you all are, seem ready to take responsibility for it. And that's a good thing.
It's a great country. I just love America. I think it's great. I love Joe Biden. I think he's great. And I think that he did a great thing for our country to say, our progress will continue when we pass the torch. And Kamala Harris will be the next president of the United States. Okay. All right. Did you have time for two questions? Is that right? Did we have time? All right. I'll have to hear one of them from a woman.
That's true. You're still worse at least. Nancy, I'm way ahead of you. I'm way ahead of you on that one. What if you pick Nancy the two? No, no, that's a level of politics I would not get involved with. Okay. That's fine. A woman question from right here. Hello. Madam Speaker, thank you so much. My name is Sarah Locke. I'm an MPM student here. It's very easy for people outside of the democratic process to criticize what goes on inside.
But I wanted to know your perspective from your experience about the two party system and how you lead and navigate in the two party system moving forward to try and bring more bipartisan cooperation. Well, I appreciate your question. When I came to Congress, one of the great things was to be competitive in the arena of ideas to come with what you believed in. Recognize that you have to govern from the center to the extent that you can.
Sometimes it's a fight that you just must win. But other times it is a compromise that you must make. But in recent times now that has very much changed. They're just an attitude that they did not want the president to have any success. There's all the things we did in the rescue package. All the things we did in the IRA without one Republican vote without one Republican. So parties are a problem then. Should there be no other?
Well, there can be more if people organize and mobilize. But I'm not I'm a staunch Democrat. I believe in the Democratic Party because it believes in the grassroots people on the function of of working families in our country. Doesn't matter what people say about us. It's what we do and we have to make sure people understand that. But if there's another. It's a democracy. People come forward.
It is our party is very diverse. You know, we have a full range of enthusiasm within the Democratic Party. So in other country we might be five parties. But in the United States will one that Democratic Party. The Republican Party has I always say the Republicans take back your party or the grand old party of accomplished good things for our country. They were champions on women's rights shoes on environmental protection. All the rest Abraham Lincoln created the Republican Party.
But then they've now morphed into a cult to a thug. I mean, let me just be very honest. We they've really turned into a cult right now. And you can't even imagine the votes that we have on the floor. Because it's like where do the Republicans go and even some of them come over to me and say.
You can't even imagine how it is. You can't even imagine how it is. So again, it's a it's about the people. What the people want. Do you imagine them changing from a cult of Trump, which is what you're referring to?
See, the thing is is that. And I think this is really important to note there has been a difference of opinion in our country since its origin. The difference between the two parties in terms of the role of government, the federal government versus the local government has been the legitimate debate in our country.
There's a spectrum where you want the spectrum in terms of liberal to conservative in terms of certain ideas. And and that's beautiful. That's a wonderful thing. And you get engaged in the debate. You know your your purpose. You know your policy. You know your strategy.
And you hope for the high split on your direction in terms of the negotiation. But that is that doesn't really exist now anymore. Maybe you're going to abolish the Department of Education Head Start. I mean, it's it's a completely different situation now.
So my hope would be that they would take back their party and all the diversity that they had in their party, not as much as we have, but a range of opinion about things and some of the best environmentalist and human rights activists and all the rest that I've worked with over the years I've been there have been on the Republican side. All right. This right here. This man right here.
Thank you so much speaker Pelosi. My name is Greg Scott. I'm a state representative freshman legislator out of Pennsylvania. One of the first votes I had to cast was for Joanne McClinton to be the first female speaker of the House in Pennsylvania. She also happens to be an African American woman. Thank you.
We've got a one oh one to one oh two one seat Democratic majority in the state house in Pennsylvania and governor Josh Shapiro is presiding as our governor over this divided legislator. The only legislation in the country that the divided legislation.
My question to you is obviously I've seen your work a pan I work for Joe Sessak Shakratam on other members seeing how you really whip the votes and from a historical perspective. Where did you see the from the Congress of yesterday where it was when I when you win politics to where I win you lose politics was a gym right.
You know tell me when do you see that evolution when do you pinpoint that starting what what was the impetus when did you start to see that tie changing new language was new and the 90s big big big money came in and 1994 for a long time big corporate not corporate foundation money of wealthy American families who were going to save America's free market economy because hippies were going to change all of that.
This is I'm just you read their memo this is what this is so they poured tons of money into that election and we lost the election we lost 94 but then it became take this home and listen to this and when you talk about the Democrats you talk about them as traders treasinists in this he's completely changed the whole thing now it didn't have many of the people had been there.
So they we still had some good rapport with them they went after Bill Clinton Hillary Clinton in a very negative negative way new gang which was impeaching him for personal and discretion while he was engaged in personal and discretion some self but that doesn't you know who cares except that that's when you ask when did it change then then that intensified with the party and the rest of that but it really began under under new
and the last question is when you step down from leadership you said quote every day I'm in all of the majestic miracle that is American democracy. If Donald Trump wins which is possible it's a very tight race as you said one vote will you still feel that way
but we all have a responsibility to honor our pledge to the flag liberty and justice to all and the oath we take as public officials to respond to defend the constitution of the United States so you just can't walk away and say you know some of us can walk away but the force of it can't walk away to say I guess that's it it's all down the drain that this court is going to rule against us on the environment or what we're going to do is we're going to do this.
And the environment or women's right to choose on workers rights. Immunity for the president of the United States that he is above the law this is the Supreme Court of the United States was be a model to the world instead it's a Maga I don't know what broke court so you always have to try to bring
it back but I can't even think in terms of that. I mean it's we're going to win that's what where we go from here to there and let's make sure that as we do so people understand it's about them that's what a democracy it's about the people so those of you are in elected office you're close to the people you bring a lot to us
I said representative is the job title and a job description what are your people thinking and that's what has to be listened to but also people have to know Lincoln of course with Lincoln Republican president quoting a Republican president Abraham Lincoln he said public sentiment is everything with it you can accomplish almost anything without practically nothing without nothing Lincoln was iconic
and great and wonderful. It's also a shrewd politician people don't think of him that way shrewd politician and imagine abolishing slavery and executive order the emancipation proclamation executive know that was an executive order Lincoln saved the union and I do believe that Joe Biden has done an historic service to our country and his presidency in so many ways including the selflessness of passing the torch. Thank you all so much.
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