Nancy Pelosi

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins Representatives Anna Eshoo, Barbara Lee, Jackie Speier and Mark DeSaulnier; Bay Area labor leaders; and local union apprentices at the United Association Local 38 Joseph P. Mazzola Training Center to discuss the good-paying union jobs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The American people deserve a government that protects hard-working families – not billionaires and special interests. In accordance with this belief, Congressional Democrats – working alongside President Biden – are putting People Over Politics: fighting for lower costs and better-paying jobs for all of America's families. Democrats have passed an aggressive economic agenda to help the hard-working men and women who have been left out and left behind for too long.

When President Joe Biden was sworn in, our nation faced a raging pandemic and painful economic crisis. Fortunately, fueled by our American Rescue Plan and the President's strong executive action, Democrats powered an historic economic recovery that has created a record number of new jobs and slashed the unemployment rate – including the biggest single-year drop in our nation's history. And with our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are rebuilding our communities while transforming our middle class: repairing roads and bridges, improving public transit, securing clean water and delivering quality broadband across the country.

Congressional Democrats remain laser-focused on fighting inflation and creating good-paying, union jobs. Our CHIPS and Science Act delivered historic investments to lower costs for families here at home while reigniting America's competitiveness on the world stage. Allocating $52 billion to bolster our nation's production of semiconductor chips, this legislation will reinvigorate American manufacturing and create nearly 100,000 jobs. Crucially, these federal investments come with strong guardrails, ensuring they go straight into our economy – not into corporate pockets.

And most importantly, with Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, President Biden signed landmark legislation to increase the leverage of the people's interest over the special interest:

Bringing down health care costs by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies for three more years and empowering Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

Investing in bold climate action to slash carbon pollution by 40 percent this decade, create nine million new jobs and save families around $1,000 on theirannualenergy bills.

Fighting inflation through a monumental $300 billion investment in responsible deficit reduction – funded by a 15 percent corporate minimum tax on large, billion-dollar companies and a 1 percent tax on corporate stock buybacks, which only enrich shareholders. Importantly, these provisions honor President Biden's pledge: no new taxes on families making less than $400,000 and no new taxes on small businesses.

In sharp contrast, Republicans spent years working to hollow out our economy, failing hard-working families with a disastrous special interest agenda that sought only to further enrich the wealthy and well-connected. They ballooned the national debt, undermined families' health and financial security and obstructed urgently-needed pandemic relief. While they try to raise Americans' health costs and fund tax breaks for billionaires, Congressional Democrats will build an economy that works for everyone, not just the elites and special interests.

President Biden and Democrats in Congress will continue fighting to lower families' costs, grow paychecks and fuel greater opportunity for all. The American people demand and deserve transformative action – and Democrats are proud to deliver real results to their kitchen tables as we put People over Politics.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins San Francisco educators and community leaders at Mission Education Center Elementary School to highlight House Democrats' work to get children safely back in school during the COVID pandemic. Pelosi expressed her commitment to strengthening early learning opportunities, expanding affordable child care options and bolstering support for San Francisco's teachers.

Nothing brings more revenue to the Treasury than an investment in our children's education whether it is early childhood, K-12, higher education, post graduate, or lifetime learning. We must ensure that access to a high-quality education is the right of every student, not just the privileged few. House Democrats are working to expand educational opportunities for every student by strengthening our schools, expanding early childhood education initiatives, and modernizing our classrooms. At the same time, we must work to reduce the achievement gap, create opportunities for students to attain higher education, and make sure that we have the best trained, most qualified teachers in the world.

In strengthening our education system, we will create a thriving, 21st century workforce that will lead emerging industries and ensure America remains a leading economic power on the world stage.

Early childhood learning programs have proven to be one of the most valuable investments in our children's future, dramatically increasing their ability to succeed later in school and in life. House Democrats are dedicated to investing in teacher and classroom quality, focusing on school readiness, implementing universal pre-kindergarten programs, and making Head Start and Early Head Start available to more children.

Investing in Head Start: For more than 40 years, the Head Start initiative has helped more than 20 million low-income children and families reach kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. House Democrats remain committed to strengthening Head Start and expanding access so more children and families can benefit from its comprehensive efforts to improve school readiness.

Expanding and improving early learning opportunities: House Democrats introduced the Strong Start for America's Children Act, a bold, 10-year federal-state partnership to support Head Start and other services for infants through four year olds, including strong parent and family engagement, nutrition, health care, and child care.

Supporting affordable child care: As part of our "When Women Succeed, America Succeeds" economic agenda for women and families, House Democrats are working to support and fund affordable quality child care, the linchpin of a working mother's success in the workplace: children learning, parents earning.

Five decades after Brown v. Board of Education, we still do not offer all children the same educational opportunities. In addition to the achievement gap between low-income and minority children and their peers, American students suffer from a second kind of achievement gap when compared globally. Even in this period of shrinking federal, state and local budgets, we must work together to ensure that our classrooms are centers of academic excellence and to ensure a strong education is a right afforded to every student. House Democrats are committed to:

Investing in STEM: Investments in STEM programs will support our students and teachers by providing them with the skills and resources needed to succeed by training a workforce ready to lead in clean energy, health care, and the innovative industries of tomorrow.

Supporting our teachers: Studies show that teachers are the most important factor in determining the success of students. For teachers and school leaders, it is critical to increase access to the necessary tools to do their jobs and create working conditions that support student success, which includes providing much-needed resources, offering professional development, targeted training, and the time to collaborate with students and one another.

Improve No Child Left Behind: There is a clear need to improve and strengthen NCLB to reflect current best educational practices, protect students' rights, and guarantee a world-class education to all students regardless of background or zip code. Democrats want to see reform that:

Ensures states set high-standards and goals to ensure students graduate from high school and college career ready.

Provides states more flexibility to craft their own accountability systems while ensuring schools remain accountable for all students.

Supports a professional environment for teachers and school leaders through modern, locally-driven evaluation systems.

Provides additional resources and improves access to those resources to support much-needed school initiatives through economically difficult times.

Higher Education

Our nation's colleges and universities are the centers of the groundbreaking research, innovation, and opportunity that give America's students an opportunity to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, the skyrocketing cost of college is forcing many students and graduates to put their dreams on hold. The state of student loan debt in America is reaching crisis proportions, holding back our economy and weighing on the lives of a generation of young people. That is why House Democrats are not only fighting to expand higher education opportunities but to keep that higher education well within in reach for America's middle class.

Help students afford a higher education by increasing the maximum Pell Grant and creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides a maximum $2,500 tuition tax credit to eligible families and students.

Assist graduates in paying back their loans by cutting interest rates in half on subsidized Stafford loans from 6.7% to 3.4%; by creating an income-based repayment program; and by providing loan forgiveness for graduates in public interest careers after ten years of payments.

Help families and students find a good deal by creating a user-friendly website to compare costs, graduation rates, and popular majors.

Require schools to have an online calculator so students and families could estimate their costs based on their financial situation and to offer an understandable financial aid disclosure form so students can better understand the aid for which they qualify.

Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to banks and reinvest the savings back into students and create a single, secure, and efficient lender to originate all federal student loans

Democrats remain committed to providing high quality education to all of America's students and creating a nation ready for the challenges of the 21st century by:

Allowing Refinancing of Student Loans: Through the Bank On Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, House Democrats are working to allow federal and private student loan borrowers to refinance their loans at more affordable rates that will save them thousands of dollars.

Protecting Pell Grants and College Accessibility: Budgets are a statement of values, and House Democrats continue to fight relentless Republican efforts to slash Pell Grants and other initiatives that help hardworking students of all backgrounds pursue their dreams in college.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi leads a Congressional delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Pelosi conveyed the United States Congress' commitment to working with global partners to advance a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable future for all.

The climate crisis is the existential threat of our time – and our future depends on taking action now. As the climate crisis accelerates, we face what the United Nations calls Code Red for Humanity: with extreme weather devastating communities around the world and here at home, while disproportionately impacting our most vulnerable communities. Californians are acutely aware of the climate crisis' impacts, as we continue to experience life-threatening wildfires, severe droughts and record-high temperatures.

Democrats know that combating the climate crisis is a public health necessity to safeguard our clean air and clean water; an economic imperative to create good-paying green jobs and ensure America's global preeminence in green technology; a national security priority to prevent global instability; and a moral responsibility to advance a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come.

That is why, last year, I led a Congressional delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where the world came together to set visionary new goals for our collective fight against the climate crisis.

Committed to ensuring America leads that global effort – and inspired by tireless activists across the country – House Democrats proudly delivered the largest climate investment in U.S. history. Our Inflation Reduction Act includes historic environmental investments:

Slashing carbon pollution by 40 percent before 2030.

Lowering energy costs by investing in energy efficient homes, vehicles and appliances.

Strengthening energy security by bringing clean energy manufacturing to American shores and creating millions of good-paying jobs.

Decarbonizing our economy, substantially reducing pollution from electricity production, transportation, industrial manufacturing, buildings and agriculture.

Investing over $60 billion in environmental justice priorities to ensure that underserved communities share in the benefits of our transition to a clean economy.

These transformative investments are building on the groundwork laid by last year's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which secured funding to:

Deliver clean water to American families and help get the lead out of our children's drinking water.

Reduce greenhouse emissions by expanding sustainable transportation, including electric vehicle infrastructure.

Clean up legacy pollution that disproportionately harms communities of color.

Upgrade our power infrastructure to deliver clean, reliable energy and deploy technology to achieve a net-zero emissions future.

Strengthen our infrastructure's resilience against extreme weather.

Through one of his first actions in office, President Biden signaled the United States' commitment to fighting the climate crisis – rejoining the Paris Agreement and re-engaging with the global community. And Democrats will not relent until we realize President Biden's ambitious vision of achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050.

In contrast, with its decision restricting the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to protect families from pollution by coal companies, the Republican-appointed supermajority on the Supreme Court has dangerously and disgracefully chosen to defy the will of the Congress, endanger the well-being of American families and fuel climate catastrophe for generations to come. Powered by the voices of Americans across the country demanding climate action, House Democrats remain committed to ensuring the EPA can follow the science For the Children, For The Planet and For the People.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins Rudy Corpuz, Jr., Founder and Executive Director of United Playaz, to celebrate this organization's 28th anniversary. Pelosi expressed her commitment to bringing our gun epidemic to an end through life-saving gun safety legislation.

As we confront a rising tide of gun violence across America, our hearts are filled with grief and outrage. Each year, gun violence claims the lives of 45,000 Americans – more than 100 every day, in mass killings, suicides, accidents and gun crimes. This carnage tears at the very fabric of our nation: leaving empty chairs at the dinner table and inflicting unimaginable grief that will never fully heal. Protecting our children from this horrific bloodshed can and must be a unifying mission for our nation.

Marking an historic step forward in this fight, President Biden and a Democratic Congress enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: the first major gun violence prevention package in nearly three decades. While more is needed, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act includes critical provisions advanced by House Democrats that will help save lives.

This legislation will implement common-sense, bipartisan measures to curb gun violence across our country, including:

Support for State Crisis Intervention Orders: Incentivizing states to implement extreme risk protection order laws to keep weapons out of the hands of individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.

Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence: Closing the "Boyfriend Loophole" by adding convicted abusers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Cracking Down on Gun Trafficking and Straw Purchases: Preventing dangerous individuals from illegally evading background checks by establishing new federal criminal offenses that cover straw purchasing and trafficking.

Enhanced Background Checks for Buyers Under 21: Requiring longer, enhanced background checks of up to ten days for gun buyers under 21 years of age.

Anti-Violence Community Initiatives: Providing $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.

Child and Family Mental Health Services: Improving access to mental health services for children, youth and families through Medicaid, CHIP and other programs.

Investments in School Safety: Expanding mental health and supportive services in schools, including early identification and intervention programs.

Additionally, the House passed legislation to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, a landmark step that would get deadly weapons of war off our streets. This bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons – as well as high-capacity magazines – and requires safe storage for lawfully owned assault weapons already in our communities. This builds on House Democrats' bold leadership in this fight after twice passing landmark legislation to secure universal background checks and close the "Charleston Loophole."

At the same time, President Biden has also taken historic executive action to reduce gun crime and improve community safety around the nation – already making more progress than any other Administration in its first year. Implementing a dynamic whole-of-government approach, the Administration has imposed new restrictions on the sale of home-assembled "ghost guns" and steered American Rescue Plan dollars toward gun violence reduction and community violence intervention. Furthermore, the Biden Administration swore in Steve Dettelbach as the first permanent Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in seven years, selecting a highly-respected former prosecutor with deep experience working to reduce community violence and crime.

Under the leadership of Congressional Democrats and President Biden, our nation has taken significant steps forward in our fight to protect our children and communities. Now, House Democrats remain committed to getting additional gun safety legislation across the finish line. To all those in the Congress who would stand in the way of saving lives, we say: your political survival is nothing compared to the survival of our children. Democrats will continue fighting to bring this gun epidemic to an end, and as we always promise the survivors of gun violence, we will not rest until the job is done.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins local public health leaders and other San Franciscans for a press conference at the Bayview's Southeast Family Health Center. Pelosi highlighted how the Inflation Reduction Act slashes the cost of prescription drugs and provides free vaccines for seniors.

Democrats believe that quality, affordable health care is a right – not a privilege – for every American. That is why House Democrats worked tirelessly with President Obama to enact the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – a landmark achievement that now stands alongside Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as a pillar of health and financial security. This law has been life-changing and life-saving, especially for the 130 million Americans who can no longer be denied coverage simply for having a pre-existing condition.

In the years since, House Democrats have stood strong against years of right-wing attacks on Americans' health care: fighting back in the Congress, in the courts and across the country against Republican efforts to dismantle vital protections, drive up insurance costs, restrict access to care and hand massive tax breaks to Big Pharma.

Now, fighting alongside the Biden-Harris Administration, House Democrats are building on this victory for working families. With our American Rescue Plan, Democrats expanded the promise of the Affordable Care Act to make health care more affordable and accessible than ever before – saving a family of four an average of $2,400 in annual premiums. Now, by enacting the Inflation Reduction Act, we extend and expand the ACA subsidies from the American Rescue Plan for another three years – locking in lower health care premiums that allow 13 million people to stay on their affordable plans and save an average of $800 a year.

House Democrats have also taken bold action to slash the cost of prescription drugs. The Inflation Reduction Act empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to directly negotiate prices with drug companies, creates a $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, caps insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries and provides free vaccines for seniors. Doing so strikes a big blow to Big Pharma – giving the American people leverage over this special interest.

Meanwhile, President Biden has taken direct action to lower costs: signing an Executive Order allowing more families to access ACA subsidies and expanding coverage to hundreds of thousands of uninsured Americans. Thanks to this key step forward, working families can get the care they need while keeping more money in their pockets each month.

While Republicans continue plotting to rip away Americans' health care, Democrats will never relent in our fight to put People Over Politics: lowering health care costs for America's families.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, Mayor London Breed and local advocates to highlight historic investments in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. Pelosi highlighted how San Francisco's transportation and infrastructure initiatives have served as a model to the nation.

Affordable housing is a critical tool in our shared efforts to build a stronger, more vibrant, more inclusive future for San Francisco. We must ensure that people from all walks of life can continue to live in our beautiful City, share in its vibrancy, and enjoy its diversity and energy. That is why ensuring access to safe, affordable housing and reducing homelessness are among my top priorities in Congress.

Speaker Pelosi has long fought to address the critical issue of housing affordability: championing Low Income Housing Tax Credits and tax credits for first-time homebuyers, advocating for housing resources for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, strengthening innovative initiatives to reduce homelessness, and supporting programs such as Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) that will renovate distressed public housing units for low-income San Franciscans, and HOPE SF--bringing millions in federal dollars to renovate and revitalize obsolete public housing units such as Hunters View, Alice Griffith, and Sunnydale.

Now more than ever, we must continue to find ways to strengthen and protect access to sustainable, livable, and affordable housing communities in our City and across the country. I look forward to continuing to work with affordable housing community leaders in San Francisco and advocates nationwide to examine ways to strengthen affordable housing.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mayor London Breed and local community leaders for a tour of the new Central Subway Muni Metro line between the Union Square and Chinatown Stations. Pelosi discussed the importance of investing in projects like the Central Subway, for which Pelosi has secured over $1 billion in federal funding.

For years, America's crumbling roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure have consistently received a grade of C- or lower from the American Society of Civil Engineers. House Democrats took bold action to address this crisis – fighting to rebuild our communities while transforming our middle class. Last year, we enacted the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to create millions of good-paying union jobs, reduce dangerous pollution, slash commute times and pave the path to a more prosperous future for working families.

Guided by President Biden's vision, House Democrats have placed justice and equity at the heart of our agenda For The People. The Infrastructure Law includes game-changing investments to elevate the needs of underserved communities: reconnecting neighborhoods divided by infrastructure projects of the past, combating climate change, cleaning up legacy pollution, getting lead out of our children's drinking water and expanding access to fast, reliable internet.

This once-in-a-century legislation delivered vital resources for California, including $28.2 billion to improve our highways and bridges, $10.3 billion to increase public transit options, $3.5 billion for cleaner, safer water infrastructure, $384 million for electric vehicle charging stations and major investments to protect against wildfires and bolster broadband access. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge will also soon receive $400 million from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help ensure that this iconic landmark continues to safely and reliably serve our region for many years to come.

Since my earliest days in Congress, I have fought for the federal funding San Francisco needs to strengthen our essential infrastructure, bring our community closer together and build a more equitable City for all of our neighbors. These efforts have been instrumental in building the transportation systems that we need to thrive, including $65 million to extend BART to the San Francisco International Airport, $1.2 billion to strengthen BART's Transbay Core Capacity initiative, $340 million to construct the T-Third Light Rail, $639 million to build the Central Subway, $297 million to develop the Presidio Parkway, $125 million to install a suicide prevention barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge and $647 million to electrify Caltrain.

As the COVID-19 pandemic decimated transit revenues and ridership in San Francisco, it was my honor to secure more than $4 billion in emergency assistance to Bay Area transit providers through COVID-19 relief legislation and President Biden's American Rescue Plan. This action protected thousands of transit jobs from furloughs and layoffs, while preserving vital transit service for our frontline workers.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi joins Pink Triangle cofounder Patrick Carney, Illuminate founder Ben Davis, Mayor London Breed and local LGBTQ leaders on Twin Peaks to illuminate The Pink Triangle, signaling the beginning of Pride Month in San Francisco. Pelosi emphasized that San Francisco is blessed with a vibrant LGBTQ community and has long led the charge for justice and equality.

San Francisco is blessed with a vibrant LGBTQ community and has long led the charge for justice and equality. Since my first day in Congress, fighting back against anti-LGBTQ discrimination – especially when it comes to the HIV/AIDS crisis – has been one of my top priorities. As right-wing forces continue working to silence LGBTQ voices and threaten to wind back hard-won progress, the struggle against hate remains as urgent as ever.

Democrats have long been proud to fight alongside tireless LGBTQ leaders and advocates, from combating the HIV/AIDS crisis to enacting the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act to sending the hateful "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to the dustbin of history.

House Democrats have proudly continued the fight for progress, passing the Equality Act twice since 2018. This landmark legislation extends the protections of the Civil Rights Act to LGBTQ Americans – barring discrimination in employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing and public accommodations. The House also took a bold step forward by passing the Global Respect Act, legislation to ensure that America offers no safe haven to those who violate the human rights of our LGBTQ family, friends and neighbors around the world.

On the other hand, extremist Republicans continue to wage an all-out assault on the safety and well-being of the LGBTQ community – from targeting trans children in Texas to bullying LGBTQ students in Florida. And on our nation's highest court, with its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, a Republican-appointed majority erased nearly 50 years of legal precedent and privacy rights – putting many of our fundamental freedoms on the chopping block. This decision undermines judicial victories that secured marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans.

In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, House Democrats passed the Respect for Marriage Act to enshrine marriage equality into federal law, repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and bar state officialsfrom denying full faith and credit to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. While 157 House Republicans shamefully voted against upholding Americans' right to marry the person they love, House Democrats will never stop fighting to ensure marriage equality remains the law of the land – now and for generations to come.

Additionally, under the leadership of President Biden, the Administration is reaffirming the fundamental dignity of every person: securing stronger health care protections for LGBTQ Americans, ending the previous Administration's shameful ban on transgender Servicemembers, confronting anti-LGBTQ human rights violations abroad and extending Title IX protections to LGBTQ students here at home.

As LGBTQ Americans endure a heartbreaking and accelerating campaign of violence and persecution, Democrats in Congress will continue to serve as a resolute voice for respect, equality and dignity for all. Strengthened by a record number of LGBTQ Members, House Democrats will continue the fight to build a safer, fairer future for all.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Members of Congress visit Kyiv, Ukraine, constituting the first official Congressional delegation to Ukraine since Russia's unjustified invasion. Pelosi thanked President Zelenskyy for his leadership and expressed her admiration for the Ukrainian people's courage in their fight for democracy.

Our nation's leaders have no greater responsibility than ensuring the safety and security of the American people. That means a tough and smart national security strategy to combat terrorism at home and abroad by eliminating any threats to our people and our country's infrastructure.

The United States works to combat global terror by working with our allies to protect human rights and prevent radicalization. Congress must also work to ensure that our military and the brave men and women who keep us safe have the resources they need to eliminate security threats while also maintaining appropriate oversight of the Department of Defense (DoD) to preserve the accountability, transparency, and fiscal discipline of the federal defense budget.

Congress must also protect our nation from the threat posed by cyber-attacks. To secure a reliable and resilient cyberspace that reflects our country's values, we must prevent breaches in our national security while preserving a space that promotes the innovation, expression, and security of the American people. We can provide critical protections for our nation's technological infrastructure by building public-private partnerships, promoting cybersecurity education and awareness campaigns and investing in the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. In doing so, we will minimize risks to this vital infrastructure and decrease the potential for breaches that place our government, private enterprise, and economy in peril.

To move our nation forward in uncertain times, Congress will work to preserve our alliances abroad and ensure our national security at home by promoting peace, progress, and prosperity across the globe.

Congresswoman Pelosi joins Social Security beneficiaries at the Bayview's Rosa Parks Senior Center to celebrate the 87th anniversary of Social Security. Pelosi heard seniors share their personal experiences and pledged to protect Social Security from those who would undermine it.

In the midst of the Great Depression, our nation made a fundamental promise that a lifetime of hard work would be met with the dignity and peace of mind of a secure retirement. For generations, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid have stood as pillars of health and economic security and opportunity for millions of American families, whether in retirement, disability, or following the death of a loved one.

Despite their transformative impact on our economy and our society, Republicans in Congress have engaged in a relentless, reckless campaign to undermine Social Security, cut and cap Medicaid, and make Medicare "wither on the vine." House Democrats believe in honoring our responsibility to American seniors and their families. We will always fight to defend these bedrock health and financial protections and will continue to hold Republicans accountable for their dangerous assault on the retirement security of hard-working Americans. We are committed to ensuring that the dignity of a secure retirement is available to every generation.

Congress must responsibly address the long-term funding challenges to Social Security and Medicare, without weakening guaranteed benefits that American workers have earned through a lifetime of work. Democrats remain firmly committed to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid's bedrock promises. House Democrats will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to continue to strengthen these vital lifelines as we work to build a healthier, more secure and equal future for America's seniors, families and generations to come.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi celebrates the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act alongside Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Exploratorium CEO Lindsay Bierman, UCSF Vice Chancellor Dr. Keith Yamamoto, Intel Labs Director of University Research Collaboration Gabriela Cruz Thompson and UC Berkeley Dean of Engineering Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu. Pelosi emphasized that America's future progress and global competitiveness demand major financial and intellectual investments in innovation.

Six decades ago, President Kennedy launched an ambitious mission to safely land an astronaut on the moon, declaring: "the vows of this nation can only be fulfilled if we in this nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first." As America fulfilled his bold vision, we proved the envy of the world: fueling once-unthinkable scientific progress and powering unprecedented economic prosperity.

Yet, over the last few decades, other nations have followed our blueprint – threatening America's preeminence in research and innovation. Today, we are at a critical juncture in our nation's history as we must spark a renewed spirit of action and opportunity.

That is why last Congress Democrats passed – and President Biden signed into law – the CHIPS and Science Act: delivering historic investments to lower costs for families here at home, create jobs reinvigorating American manufacturing and innovation, and reigniting American competitiveness on the world stage.

The CHIPS and Science Act will help the United States regain its status as a global leader in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips – investing $52 billion to bolster our nation's production of these essential components. This funding will reinvigorate American manufacturing and create nearly 100,000 good-paying, union jobs. Importantly, this package also includes numerous victories to power decades of discovery in science and technology here in our nation, including:

Strengthening cutting-edge research and development through our federal science agencies

Bringing regional technology hubs to communities across the country

Building a diverse, inclusive STEM workforce

Widening access to American-made 5G technology

Launching a $1 billion RECOMPETES grant program for persistently distressed communities

These investments are imperative for our economic and national security: reducing our dependence on foreign manufacturing, strengthening our supply chains and advancing clean and independent energy.

It has been my honor to represent San Francisco, the Innovation Capital of the World and a blueprint for our work at the national level. Our City has set a global standard for excellence – fueling our nation's entrepreneurial spirit and bolstering the American Dream. The story of San Francisco is a testament to a basic truth: science is the backbone of our progress as a people and our prosperity as a nation. America's future progress and competitiveness demand that we initiate a sustained financial and intellectual investment in innovation.

With the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have taken bold action to strengthen families' financial future, boost America's research advantage and safeguard our economic and national security for generations to come. We remain committed to further lowering costs and ensuring that the 21st Century will be the American Century – forged by the ingenuity and hard work of our innovators, workers and businesses.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi discusses the landmark Honoring our PACT Act alongside Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, Members of Congress, veterans advocate Jon Stewart and former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. Pelosi explained how the bill addresses the painful injustice long inflicted on Servicemembers exposed to dangerous burn pits.

From the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, on bases and in military theaters around the world, a generation of courageous Americans has donned the uniform to protect our freedom. Our nation is blessed by the bravery and dedication of our Servicemembers, and we must do everything in our power to honor their sacrifice. Democrats take pride in our record of historic investments and benefits for America's veterans – including the landmark Post-9/11 GI Bill – and we remain committed to fulfilling our nation's promises to these heroic patriots.

In the Majority, House Democrats have continued living up to that responsibility: championing efforts to increase access to timely, quality health care; eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) claims backlog; ensure every veteran gets the prompt and full benefits they deserve; end veteran homelessness; close gender disparities in veterans services; and strengthen support for our nation's 5.5 million veterans' caregivers.

This year, President Biden and Democrats in Congress took a monumental step toward fully honoring the sacrifice of our heroes in uniform; enacting the largest expansion of access to VA care and benefits in decades. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act addresses the painful injustice long inflicted on Servicemembers exposed to dangerous burn pits – protecting the health of those who fought to protect us by recognizing toxic exposure as a cost of war and expanding access to care for as many as 3.5 million veterans. Crucially, this legislation also empowers veterans and their families to seek justice for harm suffered while stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Guided by President Biden's firm commitment to our Servicemembers and their families, Congressional Democrats will continue striving to fulfill our sacred promise: just as the military leaves no soldier behind on the battlefield, we must leave no veteran behind when they come home. We are working to equip every veteran with the training, education and good-paying jobs they need to thrive, and we are relentlessly defending veterans' benefits from Republicans' continued efforts to gut the VA. Democrats will not rest until every veteran is housed, provided world-class health care and offered full support in transitioning to civilian life.