President Biden began his address to a joint congressional session with a series of words no American president had said before: “Madam Vice President and Madam President.”
For the first time, the President addresses two women – Vice President Kamala Harris and Spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi of California. While Ms. Pelosi has made several speeches on the state of the Union behind the President on the podium, this is the first time Ms. Harris.
The two women greeted each other with a friendly elbow before the President arrived.
For an event characterized by pomp and circumstance, the pictures from such nights can leave a lasting impression. And this tableau – a visual representation that the first and second in the line of presidential succession are both women – shows the advancement of women in American politics.
Hours before the speech, when asked about the historic moment on MSNBC, Ms. Pelosi said that while it was “exciting” it was also “about the time”.
