Executive order will provide opportunities for research on a wide range of topics to prevent and diagnose Health Conditions among women. For this white house event the president was joined by Vice President harris, First Lady Jill Biden and former first lady of california maria shriver. [cheers and applause] greetings, everyone. Greetings and happy womens history month. [cheers and applause] to our incredible president , jo ess fighter for the safety and wellbeing of women. To our first lady, dr. Jill biden, who is a longstanding, lifelong champion for womens■ to the first second gentleman of the United States, my husband, doug emhoff [applause] who has been a powerful advocate for gender equity. And T Administration and all the extraordinary leaders. And im going to come to maria later. It is an honor to be with all of you. So, this month, and every month, we honor the women who shaped our nationd our world through their vision, courage, determination, and incredible skill,nd upon whose broad shoulders we all stand. So, as many of you know, my mother was a scientist. And when she began her career,■e only 7 of science and engineering phd graduates were women and even fewer, of course, were women of color. My mother had two goals in her life, to raise her two daughters, my sister, maya, and me, and to end breast cancer. And because of the fact that our mother never asked anyone permission to pursue her dreamsd before you as the first woman Vice President of the United States. [cheers andun applause] thank you. And as Vice President , i have traveled to 20 countries in every hemisphere in the world. And i believe the measure of the strength of a democracy ismeasug of its women. President joe biden and i, then, have been very intentional, and been an extraordinary leader of our country, in ensuring that we do all that we can to lift up the status of the women of our nation, including their economic status, understanding, of course, thatat when you lift the economic benefit, communities benefit, and all of society benefits. [applause] and so, with that knowledge, we have taken on issues like student loan deb understandinge women carry nearly twothirds of all Student Loan Debt, twothirds. And we have cancelled nearly 138 billion in Student Loan Debt [applause] for almost 4 million americans and counting, an average of more than 30,000 per person. And for public servants, including our teachers, of whom more than 70 qq■ are women ■o [applause] and one quarter of this stage. And for those who are in public verage of overour teas, 60,000 in Student Loan Debt. [applause]we to lift up the emi of women, we have also invested in Women Entrepreneurs and smallbusiness owners. Across our nation, millions ofwa business but dont necessarily have access to the capital that allows them to do that. So building on work that i did with many of you in the United States senate and under the leadership of our preside, we have now invested billions of dollars to expand access to capital for Women Entrepreneurs. To lift up the status of women we have lowered the cost of healthcare, in partilar, the cost in particular, the cost of insulin for our seniors. What many of the leaders here know is that a fifth, one fifth of women over the age of 65 have diabetes and far too many have had to make the choice between ng able to afford to fill their prescription or fill their refrigerator. We also know seniors who are 0 more likely to live in poverty, so the president and i and our administration capped the cost of insulin for our seniors at 35 a month. [applause] but even as we lift up the wome, there are those who are intent on dragging us backward. At this moment, in states across fullon attack against hardfought, hardwon freedoms and rights, including the right of women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do. [cheers and applause] today, in america, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban. Since roe was overturned, i have met women who have had miscarriages in toilets because they were refused care, women receive care and were rejected because the Healthcare Providers there thought they would be sued and potentiallyent t j they administered care. And it was only when she developed sepsis that she received care. Just last week, i visited a clinic in minnesota, where i met with medical professionals, courageous and dedicated women who provide Critical Healthcare and who see, like we all do, clinics across our country, which have been closing and forced to close, leaving llio of women without access to essential, everyday, lifesaving care. Onclusion, illy this. There is so much at stake in this moment. And we each face a question what kind of country do we want to live in . Do we want to live in a country of law or a country of disorder, fear, and hate . Answer that question with our feet, with our voice, and with our vote. ■c [cheers and applause] so let us continue, let us continue to fight for our freedoms. And as we know from our history, when we fight, we win. There we are. [applause] and now it is my great honor to introduce someone that i have own for many, my years, who is an extraordinary leader in every way and has done so much the women of my home state of california, and a friend to all of us, the great maria shriver. [cheers and applause] thank you, madam Vice President. As she just told me, that stands for mvp. [laughing] i like that. I like that. Mr. President , dr. K you so much for inviting me here today. And all of you. Tell you to sitt theres no chairs. But i want to say how extraordinary it is to see all of you, to see your faces, to ve president , to see the joy in your faces, to be with you all here to celebrateen history in this extraordinary historic home. You can just close your eyes and imagine the history that has been made here. U can see it eve. You can feel it when you walk in. But today, today is a day to keep your eyes wide open, because you, my friends, are about to watch history get made. For the First Time Ever in our nation, a president , that guy right there [applause] he is going to sign an executive order that will transform the way our federal government deal with womenheal this executive order will direct the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to ensure that Womens Health getst integrated and prioritized across all federal agencies. It will galvanize new research on a wide range of topics and help prevent, diagnose, and treat womens Health Conditions [applause]or all. I also wager, and im not even a betting woman, but ill bet today that this is the firstoqud states has ever signed an executive order that mentions the words menopause andns, ane health in it. [applause] with the stroke of his pen, women will get the answers and the care they have long sought and they so rightly deserve. [applause] in the time since i first sat in th fril talking about the need r a new comprehensive plan around Womens Health research, this mazure, secretary becerra, the entire white house, women of all ages, races, religions, and alle together and they have transformed, they have coordinated a revolution that will transform care for the 165 million american women in this country, women of all ages, all races, all ethnicities, and all political backgrounds. This president has also calledli on congress to make a bold, big. [applause]bout that. I remember saying to the first lady, we need to get at least a billion dollars. And then, she said, hows 12 . Im like, thats good. Ill take it. [laughing] but he called for 12 billion dollars, think about that, in new funding for Womens Health research. [applause] this is an extraordinary example of government working quickly and working for those who have left behind. Dr. Biden, you deserve to stand so proud in this moment. Its true. [applause] flagpole, through the halls of government, into the oval office,nd trafoed theay government sees us. She and her husband have launched an entire new era for Womens Health research. This is an undertaking that could only be put into a motion by a president who respects women. By a man who sees women, who understands women, and who wants the best for women, who wants us not too long ago, i was asked, maria, why do we need Womens Health research . Wha i was like, let me tell you. It matters because women do not, nor do their doctors, have the Necessary Research or data to make informed decisions. It matters because women are sicker than they have ever been, and no one knows why. It matters because women make up two thirds of those with alzheimers and no one knows why that is. We make up 80 of those with autoimmune diseases, the majority of those with ms. No one knows why that is. Black and brown women are more likely to develop endometriosis and face pregnancyrelated complications, and we dont have this matters because when women ask questions, they cant get answers because the majority of the reseah this country has only been done on men. Most of the medications women take have only been tested on men. Mo thats not right, thats not just, and its going to change. [cheers and applause] so now that the president has done his job, we have to do ours. We have to get congress to approve the 12 billion, investment this president hasnts bold vision. S so every woman, every philanthropist, every innovator, every advocate, every research, and every instigator in this room and out of this room needs to get in on this and join us in this massive undertaking. And make no mistake, this is a massive undertaking. But as those of you who are gathered in this room know very well, women have never shied away from massive undertakings. We have changed history over and over again. We get to do it one more time. [applause] you know, today when i walked in here with my son, christopher, and my brothers, timmy and mark, and mark is the one that got me in the door, so i have to thank him. I couldnt help but think of my, our mother, Eunice Kennedy shriver. F time in this house, pressuring her brother, president john f. Kennedy, to make changes for families who had children with intellectual disabilities. She pressured him to understand that it mattered whether they were included in research and whether they were included in. She got to change history because he listened. She was a force of nature. But she was also a wan w■3ho struggled her entire life and our entire lives with her health. She had stomach issues. She had gut issues. ,f she had sleep issues. And every doctor she went through, went to, and she traveled all over this country visiting doctors, trying to get help, trying to get awers she couldnt get any answers because they told her, we dont have any answers for you. Everywhere she went, they told they told her that maybe she was under stress, that maybe it was in her head. That didnt govewell. They gave her medications that made it so she couldnt sleep, that she couldnt eat. She ended up in a cycle that so many women find themselves in. Instead of getting better, she just kept getting worse. Her needs were dismissed time and she was the sister of the president of the United States. So imagine what its like for millions of women who have no connections, who have no help, who cant even get time off for work to visit a doctor. Researce hope they need will now be on the way because of this man. En for us to get to this moment. Imagine what it has taken for us to bring about this transformative change. Women of america, this is ourut moonshot. I call it the minerva challenge. Its way bigger than any one of us standing here or any one of us listening out in the country. We need to come together to bring this 12 billion home. Sisters, our mothers, and our grandmothers to be able to hold the world upon their shoulders,] which they are already doing, we owe them our best efforts and we owe them the best research that we can. So lets come together and do this for every single woman who has felt her Health Concerns have been dismissed, for every■o single woman who has been told to relax, for every single woman who has been told, this is in your head. You dont feel what you tell me you feel. Today, we join forces and we begin anew. We begin together. With this moonshot and by working together, we can finally signal to women of all ages that, at long last, we really de moon and back. [applause] now it is my great honor to introduce the woman who without none of this, none of this would be possible without her, without her ability to take this up the flagpole, without her persistence, and without her passion, my great friend, dr. Jill biden. [cheers and applause] quote, if you dont have an idea that materializes and changes a persons life, then what have you got . Telephone calls, meetings, but you dont have a change in the communitnd Eunice Kennedy shriver. I [applause] maria, you live your mothers words purely, lovingly, and relentlessly. Thank you for your lifes work and for being an amazing partner in this effort. Thank you. [applause] so, good morning. Good morning. In the early 1970s, researchers in the United States preventing heart attacks. In you see, it was observed that women who had gone through menopause, therefore, who had lower levels of estrogen, were likely to have heart attacks. So a stu w whether estrogen prevents heart attacks. 8341 people were selected for that study. Al o [laughing] this is how things were done. Even though women are half the population, Womens Healthrfundd and understudied. Too many of our medications, treatments, and medical School Textbooks are based on men and their bodies. But that ends today. Finally, women will get the healthcare we deserve. In just a few moments, my husband, President Biden see, joe, now i just have to say your name and will sign the most comprehe■nsiv executive order in history to advance research on Womens Health. So on behalf of all of us, thank you, joe. Is [applause] if you ask any woman in america about her healthcare, she probably has a story to tell. You all know her. Shes the woman who gets doesnt know why and cant find Treatment Options that work for her. Ough menopause who visits her doctor and leaves with more questionsin than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives. Shes the woman whose heart attack isnt recognized because her symptoms dont look like a mans, even as Heart Disease is the leading cause of death among women. So many of us and so many of the women in our lives suffer from Health Conditions for which we simply dont have the answers or the solutions. Think about it. You might have the best doctors or the best insurance, but when it comes to alzheimers, endiom endometriosis. Thank you. And im an english teacher. [laughing] ibs, or disruptive menopausal symptoms, is that enough . No. We simply dont know enough about how to prevent, detect, or treat the conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. And thats the result of a choice, because, for decades, business as usual has meant understudying and underfunding research on Womens Health. Your president believes that this is unacceptable. [applause] when maria brought this issue to me and joe less than a year ago, he knew it could make a real difference. And thats what joe does best. He takes action and quickly. Joe is the first president to make investing in Womens Health research, investing in your health, in our health, a top priority for the white house. ■■s [applause]s accomplishments on healthcare are historic. You heard about this, his successes already reducing healthcareremis and Prescription Drug costs, protection, protecting millions of patients from surprise■5 getting more americans covered by insurance. But its important that you know what joe is doinghroughhi White House Initiative on Womens Health research is different and without precedent. He is investing resources and actually understanding the scientific basis of womens Health Conditions, which willrsh industry to find new ways to prevent, detect, and treat Womens Health. [applause] thanks to joes experience and problem differently too. As president , joe createdlf arpa that pursues breakthroughs in Health Research at lightning speed. Just a few weeks ago, arpah launched its firstever sprint for Womens Health, putting 100 milljion into Womens Health research and development. [applause] and durin h union address, joe called on congress to invest 12 billion into Womens Health andgk■2 research, giving researchers the funding needed to make the kinds of discoveries that will change everything. And hes calling, just like reneurs, investors, private industries, and philanthropists to do their part, because its going to take l of joe is fighting to finally deliver the answer that millions of women need about their health. This executive order wouldnt be possible without so many women whoe valerie, susan, carolyn, and so many others. So today as we celebrate womens future for ourselves, for the girls and the women who will follow, a future where women leave doctors offices with more answers than questions, a future where no woman or girl has to hear, like maria said, its all in your head or its just stress. [applause] a future where women arent just an afterthought in a world designed for men but the firstnr everyone, a future where women dont just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives. Today is just the beginning. Thank you. [applause] and now it is my honor to introduce a person who is helping make the future a reality, my husband, the president of the United States, joe biden. Applause]■b0 my name is joe biden. ■ [laughing] im jill bidens husband. [laughing] folks, happy womens historywh [applause] im smart enough to know that when you have jill, kamala, and maria, and all of you, the most powerful, accomplished women, in the room all at once, its, im, i just should hush up, as my mom said, and leave. [laughing] but all kidding aside, just let me say this. Yesterday was st. Patricks day here at the white house. Today is womens history month, two of the best days of the year back to back. [applause]. I remembered it and now ian tell my story. The poem captures the spirit of womens history in america. All of you have risen■ your powd your story. Made all the difference in the world in telling the full story of america. Were the only nation in the world divided and defined, every other nation is defined on geography andicity. Were the only nation all men and women are created equally our whole lives supposed to be. Weve never fully lived up to that, but we never walked away from any of it. I, camila and doug never walked away from it and state the obvious and across the board, but not in my [cheers and applause] all women in our family are its not hard to see. Were proud to have an administration that looks like america, more women serving than in history. Our historic vicepresident who is doing an incredible job. [cheers and plse staff at every level across the administration including military women confirmed two fourstar generals to lead combat. [cheers and applause] second and third women to do so in history the first womano to staff. It matters. Together we put the first black woman on the United StatesSupreme Court. And i think person on the court and more black women in the Appeals Court than all others combined. Todayic wee historic progress. Ever initiative of Womens Health research to pioneer the next generation of discovery of Womens Healthy about the breakthroughs weve made for women across the board. Women have not been the focus, research has taken too long tol ive called on congress, im repeating myself here, 12 billion for that effort and today, today we dedicating 200 million to National Institute of health to tackle the most pressing hea wo with the director im about to sign, the comprehensive set of actions to improve Womens Health ever taken andm to make sure that its prioritized against the entire federal government, not just the health, not just nih, the defense department, environmental, across the board this is serious and spearhead new breakthroughs in a wide range of women he is a needs you experience throughout your lives. It really re focused on supporting women together, our administration has turned around the economy because we focused on women, by the way, focused on women. [applause] lowest Unemployment Rate for women in 70 years, more n the work force than ever before and narrowest gender gap on record, but so much more to do so much more to do. Historicnv of over 225,000 child care centers, 90 of which are owned by women and staffed by women soamilies can take care of their children and get to work and improve the economy. [applause] 60 increasesses owned by w billion dollars, were just getting my American Rescue plan, we cut Child Poverty nearly in half, thats a fact. [applause] i my republican friends tell me were spending a lot of money its saving billions of dollars, saving billions of dolla actually cutting the deficit, too. Republicans voted against it, but im fightg back. And make sure women have jobs historically underrepresented, apologies for being pro union, but i tell you what weve had very meetings with unions not a joke i want to show you on basis, increased women in unions and increased minorities in unions. [applause] all kidng theres not a damn thing a man can do that a woman cant do. We will have the strongest economy in the world you cant leave half the work force behind. Advance womens security and total violence against women act getting six years my daughter said my own paw, probably 700 Million Dollars in 2023, most ever funding for everything from Community Group establishing first ever hotline on abuse, holding predatorscete it matters a lot. [cheers and applause] womeeas also signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. [cheers and applause] hands of convicted domestic abusers. I had to fight to get that done. Rs under the law i wrote saying they couldnt have a weapon. We finally got it passed. Anyway. So our children can learn to read and write not how to duck and cover in is school. Seriously, think about that. The year 2024 we are talking about children learning to duck and cover in school, but i will not in stop until i ban weapons with high capacity magazines, not a joke. Second amendment youve never been able to have any weapon, that never was the case from the very fundamentally shift how our military prosecute sexual ■ in Congress Make no apologies for it. The decision to overturn roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court wrote women are nctoral and political power. No kidding. As they say in claymont, delaware where i spent my childhood, they aint seen nothing yet. Those bragging about overturning roe v. Wade a ban on abortion have nobout the power of women, but theyre finding out and reproductive freedom on the ballot the American People spoke in 2022 an with the leadership of the woman to my left here, theyre going to speak [applause] send me a Democratic Congress that supports reproductive freedom i promise you we will restore roe v. Wade again as the law of the land. [cheers and applause]tanding a time, but let me conclude this, cant lead america with old ideas to take us wards. To lead america, i was with xi jinping, traveled more than any world leader. He said can you define ameri for me, gods truth, yes, possibility, find out what we can and should do, what were going to do i made it clear that i see, a future i see demo diminish it, future to protect our freedoms not to take them away a where a middle class family, and the wealthy pay taxes, andn our power and above all a future for all americans, a future for my daughters and granddaughters, and you think im kidding, but im not, and p because i believ america and without any exaggeration, i believe in you, upper the reason im more ever in my entire career. Let us rise up, know our power, tell our story,pu let who we are, for gods sake. Were the United States of america, theres nothing beyond our capacity, nothing, nothing, nothing, when we work together. God bless you all, may god protect our troops. You are the best. [cheers and applause] thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] i like to embarrass herblic im going to sign this executive order now. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [cheers and applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Ns] [inaudible conversations] thanks, everybody. [cheers and applause] four years [inaudib ts■ [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations{rsatioj [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]■s [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conrs [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]le co] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]ah [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]■ [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] p [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations];a [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] today on cspan, the house gavels in at 10 a. M. Eastern for general speeches, then at noon, members continue work on administrations energy policies. Lawmakers need to vote on a bill to fund parts of the government for the remningre mi friday. On cspan2 the sene returns at 10 a. M. To consider the nomination of Jose Javier Rodriguez to be labor secretary. And treasury secretary janet yellen, testifies before a House Appropriations committee. You can watch on the cspan video app or on cspan. Org. Cspan is your unfiltered view of government by these Companies Including cox, koolende vries syndrome is extremely rare. Hi. F