Nancy Pelosi Elected 1st Female House Speaker - 2007 | Today in History | 4 Jan 17

On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected the first female speaker of the House as Democrats took control of Congress.


CAPTION: Democrats take control of both houses of congress and elect the first woman speaker. (Jan. 4)
[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]
An historic day in the house, as Nancy Pelosi is elected the first woman Speaker of the House.
Even though the vote was preordained, there was a thunderous ovation when it became official:
UPSOUND: Clerk of the House Karen Haas announcing vote:
It was the crowning moment for House Democrats as they took power for the first time in a dozen years:
SOT: Pelosi ''I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship.''
With her six grandchildren in the audience, pelosi called it the culmination of a journey from the kitchen to the congress.
SOT: "This is an historic moment _ for the Congress, and for the women of America''
.... then``It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years.''
Boehner SOT: ''My fellow americans--whether democrat, republican or independent, today is a cause for celebration.''
The senate also returned to democratic control.
Senators began their day with an unusual closed session designed to set a more pleasant tone and eliminate the partisan rancor of previous years
Reid SOT: ''Senator McConnell and I believe this is a new day in Washington, that our efforts are going to be to work in a bipartisan basis, in an open fashion, to solve the problems of the American people.''
McConnell SOT: ''This opportunity we had in the Old Senate Chamber was a chance for many of our members to express some of their quiet frustrations, that we get past the level of partisanship that we've witnessed in recent years.''
Standup
Bipartisanship is a necessity if anything is to be accomplished in the closely divided senate. But despite Pelosi's promise, house republicans say they have to see some proof they'll be allowed to have some input, especially since they've been shut out of any involvement in the early agenda.
___ ___, The Associated Press.


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