Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-02-10

CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

AbortionTaxesDefenseEducationVoting Rights

Context

On 2026-02-10, Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY" in the House. The speech addressed abortion and also covered taxes, defense.

Full Text

CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)] [House] [Page H2102] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY (Ms. Pelosi of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, as this year unfolds, the year of the 250th anniversary of our great country and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I had the privilege yesterday of speaking at Loyola Marymount University in California to start, from our standpoint and theirs, this celebration. It was such a joy to behold the enthusiasm of the young students for our country, its heritage, and its founding. President Thomas Poon welcomed me there. I met with the administration as well as the teachers, but of course, all of us were there to celebrate the students and their enthusiasm about how they wanted to take the lead as we go forward, recognizing that so many of our Founders were very young people. Lafayette--not an American, but a Frenchman--was 19 years old when he first started helping in our revolution. I bring this to the attention of my colleagues because this is something that is not just about the 250th anniversary and the vision that our Founders had for this great country. It was the first time in the history of the world that a country was founded on the equality of people, and again making pursuit of happiness part of that Declaration. We have a Constitution that was so wise, it recognized that we couldn't do it all there, so it was made amendable. In the history of our country, over time, freedom became even more broadly enjoyed, whether it was the abolition of slavery, the voting rights for Black men, women having the right to vote, and then, of course, Roe v. Wade and marriage equality and the rest. For the first time, though, we acknowledge that now our freedoms are being limited, and that is part of the discussion that we have to have now. It was a glorious occasion. I was saying to the students that there is nobody in the history of the world like them. They need to know the power they hold, and they should be ready, know why they would want to be involved in politics, in government, and the rest, because we really need them to be there. However, they should also appreciate the education they have at this Jesuit institution which is there for the glory of God as its value system. It is not just about the education, but about the values that are being conveyed and exchanged, listening to the students, learning from them, those that we strive to teach and mentor, but also hearing what they have to say. I am grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to have this as one of my first events to observe publicly the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence and everything that flowed from that. I thank President Poon and I thank the university. It was so impressive to see the enthusiasm that Loyola Marymount University has for our great country. Super Bowl Halftime Performances Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on another note, though, the day before--and I call this to the attention of some who may not be aware--as the world knows and acclaims, we had the performance of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl halftime. I rise with pride in that because we take pride in the San Francisco Bay Area hosting. Even though we didn't have a team in the game, we had responsibility for hosting. Our mayor of San Francisco said his main responsibility was the weather, and the weather was beautiful. We were so happy to see all the patriotism and the songs that were sung throughout. We had the flag, and the military were present with the planes that flew over, and then the beautiful performance by Bad Bunny. At the end of it, he said: God bless America. It is interesting to see the reaction to it when people said: Well, he is not American. Yes, he is. He is a Puerto Rican, and he is an American. I was recalling to friends in 2002, when I was in New Orleans for the game between--at the time it was the St. Louis Rams versus the Patriots. The Patriots won, I think, their first Super Bowl, first in a long time anyway under Tom Brady and Belichick. Anyway, at that one, the half-time performance was Bono and U2. They are Irish. They are not Americans. They are Irish. It was received so beautifully by everyone. The point I want to make, Mr. Speaker, is that during the performance of U2 and Bono in the stadium in New Orleans, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations was behind him. That spirit existed Sunday in our stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area when Bad Bunny performed. God bless America. ____________________

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CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)] [House] [Page H2102] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE AT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY (Ms. Pelosi of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, as this year unfolds, the year of the 250th anniversary of our great country and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I had the privilege yesterday of speaking at Loyola Marymount University in California to start, from our standpoint and theirs, this celebration. It was such a joy to behold the enthusiasm of the young students for our country, its heritage, and its founding. President Thomas Poon welcomed me there. I met with the administration as well as the teachers, but of course, all of us were there to celebrate the students and their enthusiasm about how they wanted to take the lead as we go forward, recognizing that so many of our Founders were very young people. Lafayette--not an American, but a Frenchman--was 19 years old when he first started helping in our revolution. I bring this to the attention of my colleagues because this is something that is not just about the 250th anniversary and the vision that our Founders had for this great country. It was the first time in the history of the world that a country was founded on the equality of people, and again making pursuit of happiness part of that Declaration. We have a Constitution that was so wise, it recognized that we couldn't do it all there, so it was made amendable. In the history of our country, over time, freedom became even more broadly enjoyed, whether it was the abolition of slavery, the voting rights for Black men, women having the right to vote, and then, of course, Roe v. Wade and marriage equality and the rest. For the first time, though, we acknowledge that now our freedoms are being limited, and that is part of the discussion that we have to have now. It was a glorious occasion. I was saying to the students that there is nobody in the history of the world like them. They need to know the power they hold, and they should be ready, know why they would want to be involved in politics, in government, and the rest, because we really need them to be there. However, they should also appreciate the education they have at this Jesuit institution which is there for the glory of God as its value system. It is not just about the education, but about the values that are being conveyed and exchanged, listening to the students, learning from them, those that we strive to teach and mentor, but also hearing what they have to say. I am grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to have this as one of my first events to observe publicly the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence and everything that flowed from that. I thank President Poon and I thank the university. It was so impressive to see the enthusiasm that Loyola Marymount University has for our great country. Super Bowl Halftime Performances Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on another note, though, the day before--and I call this to the attention of some who may not be aware--as the world knows and acclaims, we had the performance of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl halftime. I rise with pride in that because we take pride in the San Francisco Bay Area hosting. Even though we didn't have a team in the game, we had responsibility for hosting. Our mayor of San Francisco said his main responsibility was the weather, and the weather was beautiful. We were so happy to see all the patriotism and the songs that were sung throughout. We had the flag, and the military were present with the planes that flew over, and then the beautiful performance by Bad Bunny. At the end of it, he said: God bless America. It is interesting to see the reaction to it when people said: Well, he is not American. Yes, he is. He is a Puerto Rican, and he is an American. I was recalling to friends in 2002, when I was in New Orleans for the game between--at the time it was the St. Louis Rams versus the Patriots. The Patriots won, I think, their first Super Bowl, first in a long time anyway under Tom Brady and Belichick. Anyway, at that one, the half-time performance was Bono and U2. They are Irish. They are not Americans. They are Irish. It was received so beautifully by everyone. The point I want to make, Mr. Speaker, is that during the performance of U2 and Bono in the stadium in New Orleans, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations was behind him. That spirit existed Sunday in our stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area when Bad Bunny performed. God bless America. ____________________