Thank You, Nancy Pelosi!

Statement by NOW President Kim Villaneuva

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's announcement that she will retire after 39 years in Congress - including her history-making tenure as the first woman Speaker of the House - marks the end of an extraordinary era in American leadership. It's also an opportunity for women to look back on all she has accomplished, and to look forward to how we can carry her legacy into the future.

Without Nancy Pelosi, we would not have seen the passage of the Affordable Care Act; the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; the COVID-19 relief bills that delivered direct assistance to families in need, created millions of new jobs, and returned children safely to schools; and other laws that are making profound differences to women's lives.

Speaker Pelosi once said, "Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes."

Nancy Pelosi showed us the way. Now it's up to us to stay on the path she trailblazed and to keep her legacy alive.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We continue your mission with gratitude and pride.