discussions. >> good morning, good morning. welcome to our winter meeting of the democratic national committee, i hereby call the meeting to order. please stand if you are able for the members of the william b roach post 21 in the presentation of colors. for more than 100 years, the post has been serving southwest philadelphia by creating a safe environment for the community and a place veterans can call home. >> forward, march. left face. >> before we begin, i would like to thank all veterans, members of the military and military families. would you all please join me in the pledge of allegiance? i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> right face, forward march. >> thank you all, you may be seated. we will now have an introduction of the invitation by our vice chair henry munoz. >> good morning, democrats. when i was a little boy in south texas, the son of to union organizers i understood that the week was for school in the week end was for helping people. i spent a lot of times on picket lines and in community organizing meetings and i remember one saturday morning, not so different from this morning, and not quite such a nice place. i was walking behind to migrant -- two migrant farmworkers for the march for justice. one of them was holding the flag of the united states and the other one was holding a picture of the virgin of guadalupe. i understood in that moment the movement of people needs the presence of patriotism and the guiding spirit of the lord. this morning as we gather in this old city in this new year, we are joined by a great leader by the name of reverend daniel gutierrez. daniel is the 15th bishop of pennsylvania but a native of new mexico. he is a small businessman and in charge of one of the most prestigious, hard-working congregations in the state and in this nation. so it is my privilege as we begin this movement of a people to bring father gutierrez to the stage to help us start this movement on the right way. >> good morning. i just want to say, good morning to the fellow citizens of the great commonwealth of pennsylvania. it is a blessing to journey with you and to my home in new mexico. let us pray. oh, most holy one. we offer gratitude for the ability to gather in community and the opportunity to serve. bless this time with wisdom, discernment, courage, listening and compassion. center of the work of these faithful in the loftiest dreams and highest ideals of human kind so that all of your creation can flourish. not far from this gathering, our country's founders declared that all are created equal. lord, forgive us for falling far short of the dream. let us strive together to build a nation where no distinctions exist. no differences based on age, race, color, faith, gender, place of birth, language, who they love or how they identify. let us strive to live into the freedom declared in this great city so long ago. where all your children are free. free from terror, gun violence, hatred, racism, misogyny, marginalization, poverty, illness and indifference. where your precious earth is free of destruction. open the hearts and eyes of all the people in this land so that we may see the beauty of one another. let us dedicate our lives, prayers and work to the good of all humankind. we ask for your blessing on this day and then the following days, let us say, amen. >> thank you again, bishop. our land acknowledgment today will be led by dylan baca, who will be accompanied by clara pratt. dylan vacca was raised in california where he is a citizen of the white mountain apache tribe and navajo nation. he currently resides in new york city where he attends columbia university. dylan is the recipient of the arizona 1880 award in the 2525 award. he started the indigenous people initiative to create pathways for future generations of indigenous people. since the organization's founding in 2019 dylan has , worked to create policy and advise everyone from tribal leaders to lawmakers on indigenous rights within arizona and across our nation. in addition to this serving on the board and is a youth advisor to the superintendent of public instruction. please welcome our friend, dylan vacca. [applause] >> thank you mr. chairman. my name is dylan vacca. i am a citizen of the white mountain apache tribe. my relatives resided northeast arizona. it is great to be speaking with you today as we currently stand on the traditional territory of the lanope people. since time immemorial, the lanope have built vibrant cultures, safeguarding language, spirits, knowledge, and tradition across generations. these other people have lives before a colonizer north america. these people call this area home in philadelphia and other states. i recognize and acknowledge them to remind myself that this part of our journey on their ancestral land is resolute in their truths so we can move -- live ours. i tell you who i come from and where i come from. i tell you where i am and whose land i stand upon. i tell you because these things matter. our ancestors, the land, our origin stories, our histories. as i wrote this land acknowledgment i reflected on my childhood. when i was little, i would go to arizona where my mom's side of the family is from. on one particularly scorching summer day, my great-grandmother and i were walking under a walnut tree. adjacent to the tree sat an archaeological site. i would recall when it would rain it would unearth pottery, beads and tools. while we were walking, my great-grandmother picked up a piece of pottery and gave it to me. she closed my hand and said, never forget where you come from. my great-grandmother was a quiet leader like many of us. though their names may not be known, they work hard to support their families and sacrifice for their children. all they attempt to do is the right thing. my great-grandmother was born in 1923 on the fort apache indian reservation. she was born after fort apache was closed and the year before native americans were considered citizens. a country where we have inhabited this land since time immemorial, yet have not been able to call ourselves citizens until 1924. while change came slowly during my great-grandmother's life. she saw native americans obtain citizenship, the right to vote but would see herself representative for the first time in the halls of congress. similar stories can be reflected across the nation. these stories show was just how fragile progress is and that we must continue to stay vigilant to protect against the darker currents of our nation's history that can rise again. in the history of a tribe, a leader stated when you sit and counsel of the welfare of all the people, think not of yourself, nor your family, nor your generation. the peacemaker instructed us to make our decisions on behalf of seven generations. we as a society are perpetually in-transit between a past that forms its memory and a division of the future that inspires its evolution. as leaders, we must think and act at the intersectionality of two axis. the first between the past and the future and the second by values and aspirations. first strategy of ideas we must serve as educators, communicating objectives, assuaging doubts and rallying support. while there are a plethora of challenges that face our nation, we may remain optimistic. i believe that optimism requires us to see the world as it is but we must believe and behave in a way that creates a better future for generations to come. though we may feel overwhelmed we must continue to remind ourselves that none of us have the right to sit back and expect the world and global community to get better. we have an obligation to do everything we can to set our trajectory in the right direction. my fellow democrats, reflecting on our past helps us to recognize the mistakes we have made and learn to build from them to become better people in society. the fabric of our nation is a constant work in progress and loving this country requires us as citizens to speak up for what is right. it is my hope that we can put our differences aside and work together with cooperation and mutual respect for one another to make this country one that is truly aligned with democratic principles. though a clear view of history can be uncomfortable, it will shake us from familiar narratives, it is precisely because of that discomfort that we learn and grow and harness our collective power to make this nation stronger. the success and compassion of future generations will rely on establishing a policy of truth. native american cultures are not dead. our civilizations have not been destroyed. our present tense is evolving as rapidly and as creative as everyone else's. thank you. [applause] >> that was beautiful, thank you again. i now want to introduce jason ray. he and his team do such an excellent job of keeping our membership informed and i am thankful for all he has done to make this meeting a tremendous success. thank you and help me welcome secretary jason ray. >> good morning, democrats. it is been so great to see so many of you these past few days in philadelphia to celebrate the accomplishments of the first two years of the biden/harris administration. to celebrate our victories in 2022. if you are a new member of the dnc, please stand. [applause] we are excited to welcome all of you into our dnc family. i am pleased to report that we do indeed have a quorum of members present. >> thank you, jason, and thank you members for making sure we have a quorum. i would now like to introduce chair of the dnc api caucus to acknowledge lunar new year with all of us. [applause] >> can you see me? [laughter] in my native cantonese, this means good morning, happy new year and we wish you happiness and good fortune. during the lunar new year, we greet our friends and family with good wishes, good fortune and prosperity. this year we celebrate the year of the rabbit or the cat for the vietnamese, which is the fourth animal of the cycle. we name an animal for each year in the 12 year cycle. the year of the rabbit is supposed to be a lucky year, a year of harmony, peace and a year of building relationships and compromise. throughout the centuries and all around the country and across the world, wherever there are chinese, japanese, korean and vietnamese, we celebrate the beginning of a new year with joy, with laughter, with dragon dances or lion dances to ward off evil, with lively music and fireworks. red envelopes usually with cash for our children and wonderful holiday food with new clothing following traditions handed down through generations. this is an aspirational time, the time of joy and happiness. this is part of our culture and we prepare for the celebration days before the new year. and if you are like me, you are cleaning all the way until the 11th hour and 59th minute on the day before at new year. so we can welcome the new year with a clean house and clean slate. and we rejoice in the expectation for what the new year will bring. so let me conclude by wishing you, happy new year. my wish is that our years ahead be auspicious, happy, and plentiful, and may we resolve to continue to fight for to serve our democracy. may we fight for justice for all. may we not accept as a new normal waking up to another lunar new year day to a horrific shooting like an monterey park or half moon bay. may we not accept as a new normal, the horrific hate filled actions of a few in memphis, minnesota, oklahoma or d.c.. may we not accept as a new normal shootings because of the color of our skin, where we were born, or whom we choose to love. may we as democrats remember that we must fight for freedom to love, to choose to live. may we be united in our fight for good and may we remember that together, we are stronger. thank you. [applause] before i go, i want to invite you to a lunar new year celebration that the dnc api caucus and the newest aapi caucus in pennsylvania will be hosting after this general session. thank you so much. [applause] >> if you all know anything about parties and celebrations planned by her, the food will be amazing. [laughter] thank you for those important reflections. i now want to introduce michigan dnc member and chair of the dnc black caucus to acknowledge black history month with all of us. [applause] >> happy birthday. thank you, mr. chairman. good morning, good afternoon democrats. democrats, it is black history month. and we just had our black history breakfast. if you missed it you missed a treat. because i say we are standing on the shoulders of one of the greatest living legends in the history is leader clyburn. and senator hughes. every black history month we honor in the black caucus two great black caucus members who have served this party and who have been instrumental in the black history of this party. today we celebrate dr. tucker, the first secretary in the united states secretary of state. not only in pennsylvania but in the u.s. she also was the first commission on the status of women to ensure equal rights amendment. board of registration by mail. she was one of the original founders of the dnc black caucus. and because of that, she was the first african-american woman to serve as the president of the national federation of democratic women which i served as the national president of federation of democratic women, and now as the black caucus chair, she was instrumental in bringing me into the black caucus. so we highlight her today and one of the greatest secretaries bylaws co-chair, secretary alexis harmon. [applause] alexis hermon, as a bylaws chair and cochair was instrumental in making sure that we have more black participation with delegates going to the national convention. if it was not for her, we would not have as many delegates come into the dnc meetings every dnc. she was also appointed by the clinton administration as the secretary of labor and she made minimum wage from $.90 to five dollars. she served on boards and commissions. we would not have as many african-americans serving on these boards and commissions if it were not for secretary hermon. we celebrate her today. but i would be remiss if i did not talk about tyre nichols and all of the shootings that have participated on the hands of people that are supposed to protect us. here we are in 2023, we are still mourning the loss of black lives lost by the police. when i look at the tv, republicans wearing assault weapons pins. that's insulting to our community. when i hear governors banning books on martin luther king and rosa parks, we have a lot more work to be done. as we celebrate black history, let's lift up and telling people our stories and let's start coming together. we can come and work together so we can ban all of these assault weapons and stop the killings. thank you, mr. chairman. [applause] >> thank you, madam chair. happy black history month, it's a great month where we can learn so much about the history of african-americans and all they've done in this great nation. thank you again, madame chair. now i bring to the stage someone who has worked so hard, has a lot of titles to indicate how hard he is worked. our dnc vice chair, the chair of the minnesota dfl my good , friend, ken martin. [applause] >> happy birthday. thank you, chairman. democrats, i am pleased to be able to introduce bob casey. from pittsburgh to philadelphia and everywhere in between, he has championed the concerned of every day pennsylvanians working hard to achieve the american dream. in the senate, he works tirelessly day in and day out to improve health care, early childhood education and to create good paying union jobs right here in pennsylvania and all around the country. [applause] he is a fantastic senator, democrats, please give a warm round of applause for pennsylvania's senior citizen, bob casey. he is joining us virtually. [applause] >> hello, everyone, at the democratic not -- national committee, i wish i could be there in person but i am grateful that you have gathered in philadelphia to help us celebrate the achievements of our party and i hope you will celebrate the eagles being in the super bowl. i must say first and foremost, go birds. but thank you for gathering in the great city of philadelphia and honoring us with your presence. the presence of president biden and vice president harris. we are not only grateful for their willingness to appear but also their great leadership for our country. at a time when our country needs democratic leadership, we are grateful that we have senator schumer and hakeem jeffries and -- in the house leading us in washington and all of the great elected official and dnc members that give our party or strength. i want to especially salute and commend the work of our chairman, jamie harrison, for his leadership as chair of the party and also for the work that he has done in state after state to help us win, win elections. from the opening days of his time as chairman. i know personally what he did to help us in pennsylvania for example, to winning great victories in 2022. to elect john fetterman to the united states senate. the first time we had to elected democratic senators since the 1940's. and also the work they did in addition to the senate race, they helped elect josh shapiro as our governor and the great work that he and his team are doing. he helped us on the ground is -- in state legislative races to give the democrats and general assembly, the chance to have a majority for the first time in a long time. and so many other efforts that he has undertaken to help pennsylvania and to help us win. i don't have to catalog for each of you the achievements of the biden/harris administration. working with a democratic congress. the american rescue plan, the infrastructure investment and jobs act. the chips and science act, the pack legislation that will help veterans who were traumatized by the burn pits in places like iraq to get the health care they need. the respect for marriage act, the great work done to pass out. -- past that. the inflation reduction act, which in addition to pushing back on climate change will help reduce prescription drug prices. and the most recent legislation, the appropriations bill where democrats were unified and supporting programs across the board that lift up families and help so many americans with an appropriations bill that 87% of congressional republicans voted no on. they voted for zero funding for hundreds of programs that are important to our people. when you add it all up, it's about rebuilding communities and helping families. it's about revitalizing manufacturing jobs and investing in the economy of the future. it's about investing in our children, families and protecting our seniors. of course, it's about reducing the cost of prescription drugs as i mentioned. so many efforts undertaken because of the leadership of president biden. and vice president harris. and all of the work that you do as members of the dnc to help them do that. i want to commend us well, our -- as well our partners in labor, the men and women of organized labor who work night and day with the democratic party for these legislative achievements as well as election victories we've been able to enjoy. i know that many of you in our state or by extension if you are not in pennsylvania will be helping us in 2023 in races like judicial races preparing for the big races in 2024. so i think you as -- thank you as a citizen, as a pennsylvania democrat and this is senator representing pennsylvania. we are honored you are in philadelphia. god bless your work and thank you for coming to see us. [applause] >> we are so appreciative of all the hard work of senator casey. senator casey is up for reelection in 2024. and we all know what that means, we have to do everything we can to make sure he gets reelected and we sent him back to the united states senate. thank you, senator casey, for all that you do. i am pleased to ask our resolutions committee cochair, rich fitzgerald to present the report of the resolutions committee. i would like to think rich and death -- like to thank rich and his cochair patrice taylor for their leadership and commitment to the party. the report includes resolutions that make important statements about values like protecting women's freedom to make their own health care decisions, protecting and expanding voting rights and our commitment to unions as well as the support of president biden, who had one of the best midterms for a sitting president in recent history. and delivered historic accomplishments for the american people and for his recommendation on the 2024 nominee calendar. in addition, this resolution package includes some resolutions honoring several of our democrats who have since departed. one, roz weinman of california. she was one of our long serving dnc members. she was a trailblazer. youngest person elected to city council in l.a. she was the chair of the 1984 convention. when i first became chair, the first call i got was from roz. i want to stay on because i have so much more i can accomplish. we will dearly, dearly miss her and all the spirit that she brought to this party. in addition, we honor dr. jeffrey clark. he is the husband of dr. martha clark. the clark's are a power couple in terms of doing so much there. martha, i want you to know that nobody will miss dr. clark more than you but we will miss him because we know how important he was to you. [applause] and these next two are folks that i got an opportunity to know well. one is my dear friend who was gone too early, mayor terrence coburn. terrence died right before his 40th birthday. this man had a big heart. a gentle teddy bear. his laugh would light up a room. terrence was a dear friend and he always had the right timing. he always knew when to call me. out of the blue, something would be going on and guess who was on the phone calling me up? we are going to miss my friend dearly. [applause] the other is someone from the labor world but i did not meet her in her labor capacity. some of you may know that the trailblazer. ms. geraldine, she was straight, no chaser. [laughter] she was a fighter. she used to tell me stories about her marching with dr. king and she said, they use to keep me at the back of the march because dr. king said that i get into much trouble. and not good trouble. she even told me about the time, i don't even know if i should tell the story. [laughter] but i'm going to. she told me about the story that she came back home to north carolina and the little kids wanted to see santa claus. and at that time, it was still a segregated atmosphere. there was a santa claus and little black kids her nieces and nephews who wanted to see santa. they said the kids were so excited but he would not come over to talk to them because we were black. he would only talk to the white kids. again, straight no chaser. ms. boykin said she saw how hurt the kids were, how disappointed the kids were and she said to santa claus, hey santa claus, come here. she said you see these little kids over here? they want to see you. she said, you need to talk to them. and he just brushed her off. then one more time she said santa claus, come over here. these kids want to see you. santa claus, if you don't talk to those kids, i will mess you up. [laughter] santa claus looked up and went over there and talk to those kids. [laughter] [applause] you never said no to geraldine boykin. she was a trailblazer in the labor movement. i am going to miss her dearly. she supported me so much when i ran for senate. this resolution package includes tributes to all of these amazing democrats and trailblazers. now, i will turn it over to rich fitzgerald. our resolutions cochair. >> thank you, mr. chairman. following the pennsylvania theme, and senator casey who has been reelected, he's up again next year. but i guess pennsylvania did not get the memo that there was supposed to be a red wave last year. because in pennsylvania we had a blue wave. [applause] not only did we elect the second democratic u.s. senator for the first time in 80 years. we also broke with tradition and, when governor wolf was leaving office, in which normally you would flip from democrat to republican, josh shapiro, governor shapiro, so overwhelmingly won his election against a maga republican that carried in with him a general assembly. we will have a democratic general assembly. [applause] and in celebration of black history month, we elected austin davis, the first black lieutenant governor in pennsylvania's history. i want to thank chairman harrison for the opportunity to serve as cochair of the resolutions committee with my fellow co-chair, who was unable to be here today, but since her -- sends her well wishes. on behalf of the committee, i want to express our appreciation to the members who submitted resolutions. i want to thank the dnc staff who worked tirelessly with patrice and myself to verify the accuracy of the resolutions and make sure they comply with our party's bylaws. before we review the report, i want to talk about the resolution's committee process. resolutions must be submitted 21 days in advance of the meeting. pursuant to our resolutions need to be in alignment with the party's policies and the principles expressed in the platform for honoring a recently deceased prominent democrat. the resolutions committee met on thursday, february 2 to consider 37 resolutions sent to dnc members in the 14 day mailing along with three urgent and timely resolutions. each of the 40 resolutions were considered by the resolutions committee and the sponsors were heard. 24 messages and 14 commemorative resolutions were overwhelmingly supported by members and are recommended by the committee for approval by the full dnc. two message resolutions are not recommended by the committee due to the lack of a motion. included in the package is a resolution recommitting ourselves to meeting reforms and accountability following tyre nichols' death, recognition of black history month, and the lunar new year. a resolution honoring our house leadership team and a resolution that condemns dark money in our electoral system. we also have a resolution in support of president biden, his historic agenda, and his reelection. with that, mr. chair, i move the approval of the resolutions committee by the resolutions committee. thank you. >> the resolutions committee has given its report. is there any discussion? seeing no further questions or comments, yes. please state your name and state for the record. come to the microphone. >> hello. delegate from michigan. on the resolutions. at the executive committee, the chairman presented data on federal elections. the presentation was excellent. many thanks to you and your team for the great job you did on that. it was also very explicit. and pretty much one of the presenters put it bluntly. young progressives are not an option. they are an absolute necessity for victory. according to the executive committee presentation, 70% of young people are progressive. we won them by 26 points in 2022. to win in 2024, we need to win them by at least 23 points. in 2018 i helped organized one of the largest part of recruitment center history. i have seen those numbers drop back down to less than what we started with because progressives, particularly young progressives, are leaving in droves. i have talked with young progressives leaving. in every case, it boiled down to two things. an institutional culture of egregiously anti-democratic rule breaking. two, and institutional culture of disrespect for new members generally and progressives particularly, sometimes written directly into the rules, often exacerbated by ageism against young people. i can give you example after example of both. i have documented many in detail on my website. if we want young progressives to join our party and stay, we have to change our institutional culture. if we want to win, this is not an option. it is as much of an absolute necessity as winning young progressives by 23 points. at the next meeting, i urge the dnc to pass a dark money ban in primaries. when the ban was not even debated at the last dnc meeting, several young progressives asked me if the dnc resolutions committee is not even willing to debate banning dark money in primaries where they are not competing against republicans. isn't that explicitly rigging the elections for corporate candidates with millions in dark money and against progressives who do not take dark money? aren't they explicitly rigging the primaries against us? that is exactly what the material effects will be even if some have other reasons for opposing the ban. we have to decide which is more important. to protect big dollar donors are doing everything within our power to defeat fascism. the choice is ours. how we choose announces our values and priorities to the world. the ban on dark money will be reintroduced in the next meeting. i encourage everyone who wants to win in 2024 and beyond to support it. thank you very much. [applause] >> any further discussion? we will move to a vote on the motion to approve the report. all those in favor of approving the report? say aye. all opposed? the resolution is adopted. [applause] thank you. on the next item of business, i would like to introduce friends of mine to report on the d&c -- dnc finances. the national finance chair have been working tirelessly. while this is traditionally a time that giving slows down in -- and campaigns recover, the team has been supporting our world-class infrastructure after a stellar midterm. they make sure we have the resources we need to have a strong foundation for our party. with that, the floor is yours. >> good morning, democrats. it is great to be here. before i get to the substantive portion of my report, i have to tell you something happened to me last night. i woke up about 5:00 in the morning. thinking it was kind of a nightmare. i was thinking about the maga crowd. to me i lovingly referred to the crowd as the misguided, apathetic, grouchy, angry americans who are guided by their bible of misinformation. i am wondering when they will learn how to google. if you were to listen to this crowd, you would think our president, the american president biden and vice president harris are literally single-handedly destroying our democracy as we speak. i could not help, and i heard this from james carville, i couldn't help but wonder why are these people so angry? what is it that has really pissed them off? i started to think about it. could it be that they are just pissed off that the unemployment rate is lowest in 50 years? is it that more people in the united states have health care today than ever in the history of the united states? [applause] is it that we passed the largest -- with the help of some republicans -- the largest infrastructure package in the history of the united states? is it that the rescue plan that stop the economy from tanking was passed. is it the fact -- this one really gets them angry, inflation has gone down for six months and is that 6.5% and at the end of this year it will be at 3%. let them pick their poison of what really upsets them. but i can tell you about our success while they continue on their negative path to disbelieving in america. we are starting this year off in a better position than we have for i don't know how many decades. i've been here four years as the finance chair. when i came on board, tom perez and jamie harrison set out to institutionalize the dnc, to make sure we don't go fire everyone because we don't have enough money. and we have a stable organization. the entire group should be thanked right now. and i really applaud them for the job they've done. [applause] so let's talk about the last cycle real quickly. we raised $100 million in major donor money and $170 million in grassroots supporters. with over 900,000 individual donors. that is more than twice as much as we've ever raised in a midterm cycle. let me tell you, the common thread between both of those has been the president and vice president have hit the road as soon as the pandemic got to a point where they could have events, they were amazing. they never said no. the president picks up the phone, calls donors, has had several calls with our national finance committee and reaches out all the time through social media and mobilization. both the president and vice president have been amazing. that's why we have performed so successfully. we could never have done it without the leadership of our chair. jamie harrison has set this place on fire and should be congratulated. [applause] thank you, jamie. so we have a lot of work in front of us. but folks we are going to do it , again and we will do it bigger than we've ever done it in the past. i want to ask you to do one thing for me. today, our chairman gave a large amount of money to the dnc and is a member not only because he is the chair, but he is a giver to the national finance committee. i am asking each and every one of you. it's an obligation of every member of the dnc to invest in our organization. i don't care how much you invest. i prefer a large check, to be honest with you. i would ask each of you, you can text to donate. 43367. just go ahead, go on your phone. do not leave here without giving. please, it means a lot to major donors what i can tell them the 400 plus members of the dnc are also investors in this. let me say it again. write it down. 43367. go online and donate now. i want to thank you all for your efforts. believe me, without all of you, our reality in this country would not be where it is today. thank you so much. [applause] >> this is a short person's microphone. let's put this down a little bit. i am virginia mcgregor. i am the dnc treasure. as a lifelong resident of scranton, pennsylvania, i am thrilled to welcome everyone to pennsylvania. my family came during the potato famine. we have never left. my family has lived on the same street in scranton for over 100 years. that is the same street resident biden grew up on and senator casey. i went to acknowledge our terrific mayor, the first person -- woman ever elected mayor in scranton is also here. [applause] we have had a terrific couple of months as pennsylvanians. we flipped a senate seat blue after helping elect john fetterman who one all 67 counties in pennsylvania. [applause] how about john fetterman? the courage he showed against i mean republican who ran a vicious campaign. dr. oz might not of know the difference between a veggie tray and a crudites, pennsylvania voters knew the difference between john fetterman's courage and dr. oz's cowardice. that is right, pennsylvanian women new we didn't need local officials telling us what to do with our bodies. when john fetterman said it should be between a woman, her doctor, and local elected officials, women said hell no. [applause] we voted for john fetterman and josh shapiro. women across the country overwhelmingly voted to protect their reproductive rights as well. you can bet that is the theme we will carry through in 2024. for the first time in pennsylvania history, we elected a democratic governor, our attorney general josh shapiro to succeed our last democratic governor. it has always been eight years them, eight years republican. no more. pennsylvania voters want candidates to deliver. they know that democrats deliver. that is worth clapping over. [applause] today, we are here to recognize the impact the dnc had on our electoral success in 2022. we are also being realistic that the hard work required ahead to make sure the dnc continues to be effective and lay the groundwork for 2024. a lot has changed in the past two years. for me personally, i am grateful to see things getting back to normal. two of my children had weddings this year, which we attended in person. my youngest child graduated in person. we are all here together in person celebrating our achievements. [applause] so a lot has changed in a short period of time, thanks to president biden and congressional democrats. i can tell you, we are very proud of the work of our dnc. today's dnc is the best it's ever been. thanks to jamie harrison and are -- our incredible team. we are more strategic working to support president biden and are -- our incredible finance team. our fundraising team led by michael pratt and colleen coffee made sure we exceeded our fundraising goals so we can reach voters across the country. we tightened our messaging in -- and made sure people knew what was at stake. we need to look no further. we will see that the country was listening. we had record fundraising in 2022. including more than $170 million from grassroots supporters. that number, more than 60% of our total fundraising, that's a huge accomplishment. and that should be commended. [applause] we also had the biggest year ever with our sustainers who make reoccurring online donations. it was the third year in a row we saw a record-setting numbers. a few moments ago, we had more than 900,000 grassroots donors. with the average gift being $29. the investment in the with the g $29. the investment in the dnc will grow the grassroots program and create a pathway into the party that didn't exist. i want to acknowledge. so you may have heard this before. it's worth repeating. these are historic achievements. they lead to victory. they are forming the foundation of our strategy as we look to 2024. everything they are working to achieve means different things to different people. it is personal to all of us. losing national protection of reproductive rights means my four daughters will have their rights taken away. when they want to choose when to have a family. by flipping pennsylvania blue, it meant those reproductive rights will be protected at a state level. [applause] and when we passed legislation like the respect for marriage act, my oldest nephew knows that his nearly decade-long relationship will have the same protection as a heterosexual couples. when president biden champions labor unions, our steel manufacturing business is positively affected. our ukrainian american population will feel seen and protected. look, we still have a long way to go. just two years ago when president biden was sworn into office, 9 million people were out of work. 9 million people. the unemployment rate was 6.3% and hundreds and thousands of small businesses had closed their doors. president biden and congressional democrats helped americans everywhere. and now nearly 11 million jobs a been created. unemployment is a record 50-year low. it was the best two years for small business on record. president biden ran for office to restore the soul of the nation, to unite our country and to build the economy from the middle out and bottom up. the dnc was there to support him. after taking back the white house, we knew how important it was to hold onto the house and senate, to keep the agenda moving forward. so the dnc left it all on the field in 2022, including making record investments of $90 million. we had more than 300 people on the dnc midterm team. that is the largest team ever. [applause] we made a $27 million cash transfer to two entities, the largest ever during the midterm. in the final two weeks of the campaign, president biden requested $10 million to carry us to the finish line. and given how close most of those races were, it made a difference. needless to say there is so much more to be proud of as we begin 2023. it's important to remember we put everything we had towards the midterms, including our financial resources. our hard work starts now. it is time to rebuild and continue to support the infrastructure and capacity building that only the dnc can provide. we are laser focused on how financial resources can support staff, operational capacity, and infrastructure that is needed. as we look ahead to holding onto the white house. we are talking about data, tools used by millions of democratic campaigns. for example, in 2022, more than half a million volunteers and staffers from 12,000 different campaigns used our national voter file to talk with voters. that forms our party's success. we have the strongest team we've ever had at the beginning of a presidential cycle. we continue our commitment through the various programs, including the red state program, and these are serious decisions. given the effectiveness of the team, i have no doubt doubt we can meet this moment and demonstrate the essential impact the dnc has on our party's success. as your treasure, it's been incredible. thanks to all of you and your hard work. we have worked so hard and accomplished so much. we believed in everything that was possible. and we will continue to keep that hope alive. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, virginia. thank you. i would like to recognize jim roosevelt to present the report of the rules and bylaws committee. i want to thank jim and his co-chair for all the work they have put into the process of determining our 2024 presidential nominee calendar. one person will not be with us today, but i ask each and every one of you to keep her and her family in your prayers. she is such an invaluable part of our team. you know, folks, i continue to be impressed by the level of commitment and the thoughtfulness we have seen from this committee throughout the process. the dnc is grateful for the work the rules and bylaws committee, the work you've done in the time you've put in to this process. after months and months of hard work with 20 state parties initially expressing interest and numerous meetings, i'm proud to say that this committee put together a calendar proposal that represents our values and will strengthen our party. this calendar does what is long overdue. it expands a number of voices in the early window. and it elevates diverse communities who are at the core of the democratic party. it puts black voters at the front of the process in south carolina. it keeps nevada where latinos have been building power by lifting their voices. and in new hampshire, we can continue the tradition of government by and for the people. it adds michigan, the heartland where unions built the middle class of this nation. and georgia, the forefront of the new south. [applause] [cheering] folks, the democratic party looks like america. and so does this proposal. as a south carolinian, i am of course grateful that the president biden and the rules and bylaws committee chose south carolina. i really look at this calendar as a whole. the pre-window starts with three small states, south carolina followed three days later by new hampshire and nevada. allowing campaigns of all sizes to compete and build before moving to bigger battleground states. this is going to be critical to a general election. i know you all have heard me say this be for, but this is something we can all truly be proud of, a calendar proposal that reflects the best of our party, the continues to make us stronger, and elevates the backbone of our party. folks, think about this. 40% of enslaved people came to this country, and they came through the port of charleston. there is a statistic that 90% of african-americans in this nation can trace one ancestor back to south carolina. we know how important the latino voice has been in terms of building this america. it is elevated by pushing nevada. [applause] [cheering] to the front. we understand what labor has done and how it has built the middle class in this country. [applause] by having nevada and michigan in integral into this, we elevate the voices of labor. and when we go to michigan, it is not only labor. we've got latino folks, we have a large muslim american population in michigan as well. [applause] i can tell you this, the republicans are envious of this calendar, because they can't do it like we do. they can't. this calendar reflects the best of who we are as a nation. and it sends a powerful message all across the country. so once again, i grateful for am the work of this committee. and i am proud of the work you have done. and with that, i will turn over to the one and only jim roosevelt. [applause] [cheering] jim: thank you, chair harrison, for your kind introduction. we truly appreciate the opportunity to serve as cochairs of the rules and bylaws committee. she was looking forward to joining us today. but was unfortunate cold away due to a family emergency, as you acknowledge. i know that we are all sending her and her family well wishes. the report which was sent to you includes two items. first, a package of five proposed waivers to rule 12 a, which establishes waivers for state run primaries in five states. south carolina on february 3, 2024. new hampshire and nevada on february 6. [applause] georgia on february 13. in michigan on february 27. [cheering] and a recommendation regarding a proposed bylaws amended to provide dnc membership for the chair of the council if they are not already a dnc member and another council member. i know that many of you have tuned into our virtual meetings. we have become a long running series on youtube. you have joined us as we met in person. you been kept apprised of the early window discussions of the news. more news than we have ever had for our rules and bylaws committee, but i would like to share a bit about the process we undertook as we develop the waivers before you today. the members of the committee have met 11 times over the course of the past year. this has been a long process, but an open and a fair one. we have held for listening sessions. we engaged in two days of state party presentations and we read through 17 comprehensive applications and follow-up documents. then we had our day jobs. uh. our research resulted in this package of waivers before you today. this has been a time intensive pursuit, the gravity shows. south carolina, nevada, michigan have all completed their waiver requirements to the satisfaction of the rules and bylaws committee. [applause] last week, the committee extended the waiver deadlines for meeting the stipulations expressed in the waivers or for georgia and new hampshire until june 3, 2023. we have been so lighted to see the overwhelming excitement for the proposed window, which mirrors our own sentiments. we are deeply proud of the committee for executing the vision of the president, as laid out for us. and as we approach this momentous occasion, he remains a strong supporter of this bold window. this proposal window was the right thing to do in support of our president. and also because it moves our party forward. the new window shows that we are a party that adapts and grows. as chair harrison has alluded. [applause] yes. as a package on the whole , it reflects our values and paints a bright picture of our diverse and wonderful nation. and importantly it gives us a strong process for selecting the strongest nominee. and that is what it's all about. [applause] each of the 20 applicants offered strong cases for participating in the early window. the president recognizes that a regular review of our window is important for continually ensuring that we are reflecting the values of our party. in the rules and bylaws committee -- and the rules and bylaws committee concurred that we will reopen an application process ahead of the nominating calendar. so this is the proposal for 2024. 2028, we will look at what we've learned what the situation demands. in addition to the five waivers before you today, the committee reviewed an amendment submitted to grant membership to the chair of the rural caucus if they're not already a member. the rules and bylaws committee does not recommend this bylaw s change, but it did have a very full conversation. and we agreed that we should continue to investigate how to best support and recognize and acknowledge the inclusion of councils and the dnc participation. that completes the report of the rules and bylaws committee. but i would like to take a moment and thank chair harrison for providing the committee with the support to make this difficult decision, and are members of the rules and bylaws committee for their thoughtful commitment to creating a bold window that is worth fighting for. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, jim. the rules and bylaws committee has presented its report. it is, has moved its approval by the membership. is there any discussion? we do have discussion. i see -- let's hear from the great state of iowa. chair rita hart. >> i am not chair rita hart. >> oh, scott brennan, former chair. >> but you will hear from chair hart. i am scott brennan. i am a resident of iowa. i have served twice as they party chair. i now serve on the rules and bylaws committee, and have for a number of years. i'm here to speak against the motion before you. i do not do so is a knee-jerk reaction to my state being removed from the nominating calendar, but from a genuine concern that the proposed calendar in the vast uncertainty around it not be resolved in a timely fashion. last month, the committee passed a calendar framework for the 2024 presidential nominating calendar that was dropped on the committee. in all honesty, the committee adjourned with nothing actually settled. last week, extensions were granted to two of the five favored pre-window states because two states cannot comply with the conditions of the waiver. i would be remiss if i did not say we are creating a situation of uncertainty that will drag on throughout 2023. we can vote on this calendar. we can approve this calendar. but we will leave here with absolutely nothing settled. i say this not to bluster or imply any threat, but it has been acknowledged that the matter was not settled until the 11th hour. there is a limited amount of calendar real estate, conflicting laws, and a gop calendar that no longer bears any resemblance to ours. if past is prologue, some states will maneuver for their preferred positions and we have created an opportunity for others to take a run at encroaching the window. i simply ask everyone in this committee to consider the consequences and situations we will create as a result of the actions we take today. thank you all. [applause] >> we will hear from other members in iowa. chair rita hart and jan bauer. >> mr. chairman and members of the committee, my name is jan bauer. i am an appointed dnc member appointed twice, president obama and president biden. i am a member of the caucus leadership team. i was appointed to the unity reform commission. i have been part of the discussions over the years about how to effect change in the nominating calendar, and how to move it to become more accessible and inclusive. this year, as part of the application process for the pre-window waiver, iowa democrats propose historic changes to the caucuses. we recognize the caucuses were no longer aligned with 21st century democracy and that they had no alternative but to reimagine the iowa caucuses as a vote by mail state party-run contest. the process we proposed allows for increased accessibility and a straightforward and understandable process, and flexibility as the date, while complying with iowa, we believed -- excuse, while complying with iowa law. we still believe that that iowa is an important part of the solution to an early nominating calendar by providing flexibility with its due process. our proposed reforms went above and beyond anything suggested by previous reform commissions. we unfortunately were given no credit for our commitment to ending caucuses as they had been conducted for the past 50 years. and giving all iowa democrats the opportunity to participate in caucuses in an extended vote by mail period. we feel this was a mistake that intentionally disregards the work of many democrats over the past two decades to reform our nominating process, and hope you will reconsider as you vote today. the rules and bylaws committee has already committed to re-examining the calendar for 2028. and we support that. but the clock is ticking toward 2024. and we need to have the matter of the calendar settled, this , which this motion does not accomplish that. i urge my fellow committee members today to vote against this motion. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] chair hart. >> let's see if i can get this back in here. hmm. there we go. mr. chairman and members of the committee, my name is rita hart. i am a farmer. i live near wheatland, iowa. a town of about 800 people. i am the elected chair of the democratic party. i speak in opposition to the motion before us. iowa has been put in a position that makes it impossible to comply with dnc rules and our own state law, which has zero chance of being changed by the republican legislature. in addition, i submit that it is vital that small rural states like iowa do not lose our voice in the presidential process. democrats cannot forget about entire groups in the midwest without doing significant damage to the party. this proposal has no representation in the calendar for states and the central or mountain time zones. republicans in iowa have already seized the opportunity to double down there caucuses. at the same time, they see the narrative that democrats have turned their backs on iowa and on rural america. our state will be flooded with republican hopefuls, spreading this damaging message. i vigorously support our president and the principles that guided the process. i cannot support something that erodes support in my state or the middle part of the country. i know it is common sense. it doesn't make sense to remove representation from rural midwestern states. i hope you will consider this i casting your vote today. thank you very much. [applause] >> we will now hear from folks from the great state of new hampshire. >> thank you. thank you dnc members. it has been a long year for the rules and bylaws committee that has led us here today. and a lot has been said about new hampshire in the process, so i want to set this record straight on a few things as a proud member of the dnc representing new hampshire, member of the rules and bylaws committee, and as a black woman. first and foremost, i want to thank two cochairs for their leadership of the rules and bylaws committee through this process. i would also like to thank my former members, rbc members, for really taking this task on in earnest and having very deep and respectful conversations. it's been a very fraught process at times, but at the end, we can all sit down and break bread and have nice conversation. and it has really been a wonderful experience from that perspective. and i would like to thank the staff that has helped marshall the process. i agree with my colleagues that it is essential that we lift up diverse voices in our presidential selection process. and president biden's call to move up south carolina and add georgia accomplishes this. but, respecting our state law and lifting up diverse voices need not be mutually exclusive. so, when some members say they are frustrated or that we are attacking them, by standing up for new hampshire, it is frustrating. it is frustrating because the dnc is set to punish us despite the fact we don't have the ability to unilaterally change law, state law. we are frustrated because the republicans in the state are already weaponizing this calendar and using it to attack democrats up and down the ballot. and, we are frustrated because as many times as we say it, no one seems to listen when we say this will only hurt president biden in our purple battleground state. and as a longtime supporter of the president, my focus is really on 2024 and making sure that he is reelected. this is not in this moment about new hampshire's history or our pride. this is about state law. that we cannot change in a republican led governor and statehouse, it is beyond our ability to change state law. and it is about the unintended consequences the dnc's actions could have on president biden's reelection campaign. i appreciate the confidence the president put in me by asking me to serve on the dnc. and i am proud to be a longtime supporter of his in new hampshire. that is why i want to make these points one final time. if democrats withhold resources from our state until the general election, it will hurt our ability to build a competitive, coordinated campaign and give republicans the opportunity to out-organize us up and down the ballot. it president biden doesn't file for the new hampshire primary, it could provide an opening for an insurgent candidate to rise in the state and potentially win the first presidential primary of 2024. something that no one in this room wants to see. and if the dnc can't find a way to work with us in the confines of our state law, republicans will hold this attack over us , of the state law, over us until november 2024 and possibly beyond. we had some hard conversations. i'm sure we will have more. we stand ready to help the president when both the primary and the general election. i am not asking to devote against the president. because i will share, it broke my heart to vote against his proposed calendar, but i could not vote against granit staterss or violate our state law. thank you so much for your time. good day. [applause] >> thank you. members come in order to make sure that we accommodate all of our speakers, please keep your comments concise. thank you. [indiscernible] >> thank you, mr. chairman. i am donna susie and i am here in a number of capacities, as a democratic leader of the new hampshire state senate, in early endorser of president biden in our primary, at the dnc, and i worked on his campaign to help him get elected in the state of new hampshire and had the very proud distinction and honor of my life serving as president-elect or for our great president. -- president elect or for our great president. but i want to give you some context about our political environment and the no-win position the dnc has put us in. right now in new hampshire, republicans have a trifecta with control of the governorship, house, the senate. so when the dnc required that new hampshire change its state law to participate in the early primary window, you can imagine how our republican leaders reacted, not well. new hampshire is a state that has one of the highest voter participation rates in the country, the highest of any state in the proposed primary window. in 2020, 74.2% of granite staters turned out to vote. and in my career in the senate, i worked to ensure increased access to voting in the state. still, new hampshire democrats are trying to act in good faith, to show we are aligned with the dnc, most notably on the issue of early voting. this past week, the new hampshire senate held a hearing on a bill i introduced several times now to allow no excuse absentee balloting, a bill that is endorsed by all of our senators, our house leadership, by federal delegation. unfortunately because of the balance of power in new hampshire, we know how the votes would line up and how this story will end. when we held majorities in the state senate and statehouse, we did pass a bill to allow for early absentee voting, no excuse voting. our governor, governor sununu, vetoed it. and in 2021, every one of my colleagues voted against it and publicly opposed it. we strongly believe we have shown our commitment to expanding voting access and voting rights, but we cannot unilaterally change state law to comply with these rules. what is worse, i believe the dnc 's move to punish democrats in our state will make it easier, not harder in the future to do that. republicans have a four seat advantage in the state senate. our ability to retake the majority will be monumentally harder by having to respond to what is already begun, daily attacks from our republican colleagues in the state of new hampshire. we all know each and every one of us, you have heard many people comment today, how important and critical state legislators are. we are the last line of defense in protecting rights, voting rights, abortion access rights, so many of the rights that we hope to expand in our country. but when it comes to this, we need to have state legislatures. we should not be punished in the state of new hampshire for doing something that we cannot accomplish. that will not just be reflected in the number of delegates at the convention, it will be reflected in the number of seats in our legislature. i hope you will consider this as you cast your vote today. it is truly critical in the state of new hampshire. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator. once again, i will remind members we need to keep our conversations, remarks as tight as we possibly can. chairman butler. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i am chair of the new hampshire democratic party and member of the dnc for the past 24 years, and for the first time ever standing and speaking at this microphone. i don't stand here easily. but i stand here with great passion. while we know the outcome of today's boat, please hear me out. since i was eight years old, i have woken every morning to think about how i'm going to elect democrats. that's what i want to talk to you about today. electing democrats. that's what our job is. electing democrats. let me start by repeating one more time, make sure everyone hears it, new hampshire democrats want president biden to be reelected and carry new hampshire in we are proud of his november 2024. accomplishments and commitment of lifting up black voters, and committing -- to the varsity of our party. as only the third openly gay state chair ever in the history of the party, i know a little bit about diversity. that has been the record of my life. is lifting up and supporting it. that is why we strongly supported in 2006 nevada and south carolina pre-window. we look forward to working with the dnc to address the challenges this proposal creates. i'm here to talk about what it actually means to our entire ticket in the key battleground date in 2024. as the chair, my focus is 2024, to help president biden carry new hampshire, win the open race for governor, and keep our battleground congressional seats and regain our legislative majorities. folks, we only just started winning elections in the last couple of decades due to the hard work of our party. the state of new hampshire is 30% democrat, 30% republican, and 40% independent. we are a battleground state where every election is close. but we have still carried seven out of the last eight presidential races. we have carried nine out of the last 14 governors raises, four of the last five senate races. try to get to 51 in the u.s. senate without jeanne shaheen and maggie hassan. we've elected 15 out of 18. try to win back the majority in 2024 without those people. our legislative majorities are so close. that includes in our house, where there are 400 members. we are a three seat minority. every vote matters. in new hampshire. victories are determined by a small number of independent swing voters. those voters are already being bombarded by the republicans who are saying that democrats have abandoned new hampshire. that is why i am concerned about the rbc proposal. rbc knows full well that new hampshire democrats could not possibly change state laws. they knew they would not bend to their will. and even knowing this, the rbc still decided democrats should be set up for failure. in doing so, they not only handed republicans a substantial weapon, there is talk of feather further dnc sanctions, sanctions that include withholding essential resources and support that our battleground ticket will need in november 2024. all due to what the republicans are doing, not what we have done. we should all be able to agree , but this is not how how we do things. we should all agreed that it does not make sense to punish the state democratic ticket for something that is out of their control. thank you. >> thank you. i will recognize debbie dingell from the great state of michigan. >> thank you, mr. chairman. today as we stand here, i want to remember senator carl levin, who actually began this debate more than 30 years ago. today is a product of years of discussion and work. here is the reality. no one state should have a lock on going first. [applause] the reality is they get to know the visits, not only from the candidates, but the media and so many influencers. they get to know what the issues are in that state, those issues -- more importantly, the issues that we put forth in the early states need to be reflective of the issues that will make the difference and win elections in november. and this plan does. the early states must reflect the diversity and the values of our country on his many issues as possible. the proposal before us makes this significant change. michigan picks presidents. for the last four decades, the candidate who wins michigan almost always wins the presidency. we are a purple state. and as democrats, we need to invest in a state like us early so that we do carry it so we do win the white house in november. six years ago, i told a lot of you donald trump was going to be win michigan. you thought i was crazy. you know why? you weren't in the union halls. you weren't in the black churches. and you weren't in the farmers markets. [applause] in 2020, you listened and we won it back. the earlier the democratic party can get started in states like this, the better. why michigan this year? as i said, it is diverse, but it is the most diverse battleground state there is. we grow things and we make things. our farmers have the second-most diverse agricultural product in the country. in our state, uc the diversity of experiences across america. racial diversity, political diversity. the diversity of geography, industry, and labor. we have a significant black community which we will talk about and attest to. we are irish, we are iranian, we are south american and so me more. jewish. we have one of the significant jewish populations in the country and the largest arab americans. catholics, protestants, and a wide range of retail political opportunities. if you weren't here, you could be at the plymouth ice sculpture at 30 degrees below zero and we could see how tough the candidates are. [applause] >> it is cold in south carolina right now. >> i know. that's why we want to see that. we've got icefishing. you've got one county fair? we've got them all over the place. we've got so many traditions. there is a parade every week end. there is retail place anywhere in michigan. you can meet people and talk about the issues that matter to them. issues that are discussed in the kitchen table every single night. they are the issues that determine how voters will vote in november. i've got a message. donald trump understood that. too many democrats didn't. we will deliver michigan in 2024 by listening, understanding, and a lot of hard work. efforts in understanding what voters want that will help throughout the heartland and the nation. we are overdue in changing this primary calendar to ensure it reflects the range of ideas, thoughts, and hopes of americans throughout this country. by voting for this primary calendar, we will establish a presidential nominating process that truly reflects the diversity of all-america, and ensures that we as democrats showcase the issues that matter the most in determining the outcome of the november elections. in my final thought, no one state should have a lock. we do need to revisit this every year. >> ok, i know we have a lot of people who have trains, planes to keep, so i will start typing this up. you will hear the gavel, ok? the great state of nevada. >> thank you. i would try to keep it short. from the battleground state of nevada. [applause] battle worn. first generation mexican-american, second generation union member and activist, and proud second-generation democrat. for the past year, nevada has made a strong case that increasing the diversity of the early presidential primary calendar is in the long-term best interest of this democratic party. we applaud president biden in the dnc for the open process that has led us to this most diverse calendar we have ever seen. nevada is a majority/minority/union-strong /battle-born state scheduled for the first tuesday in february following south carolina by three days. nevada democratic coalition that delivered the senate majority in 2022 with the only latina in the u.s. senate and has secured presidential victories for the past four cycles. our voters represent the future of this democratic party, working class latino americans, black americans, asian americans , pacific islander americans, native americans, and white americans. [applause] they don't call las vegas the ninth island for no reason. [laughter] and we can do not win without prioritizing this diverse blue-collar coalition that nevada represents today. fellow democrats, you can't say you are for elevating this coalitions voice, but still asked us to wait our turn. i am done waiting. so join me today to meet this moment where we are at and vote yes for this proposal and we will reelect president biden in 2024. [applause] >> thank you. ok, folks. let's show you how to do it. let's see if we can shave some more time off. >> thank you, mr. chair. the chair of the dnc southern caucus in support of the calendar changes. south carolina is an excellent choice to lead the democrats into victory in 2024. it is not only a small state, it is a rural state with a population that reflects not only the democrats in the united states of america but all of the united states of america. the road to victory will go through the south. we are rising in between south carolina and putting georgia on the map, we will achieve victory in 2024 and beyond. thank you. i will keep it short because i cannot follow the great congresswoman from michigan. we don't have icefishing in the south, but maybe one day i will come to michigan and try that out. thank you. >> thank you. even better. the great state of south carolina. >> thank you, mr. chairman. my fellow delegates, i want to say that ray buckley you have my utmost respect and love. scott ross, i love you all very much. i adore you. to our friends in nevada, judith, i adore you as well. this is about family. we can't forget that. i stand here on behalf of the south carolina delegation right here and our members in the south, mr. chairman, supporting the presidents proposal he has put forth. the african-american community in south carolina has always been at the crossroads of the history of this country. the fact is some of it is good. some is bad. it is a place where the inhumane stories have become stories of the heroic. in south carolina, briggs versus elliott was the precursor to brown versus the board of education. 1954. sarah mae fleming refused to give up her seat on a bus and it was the quiet spark that created a movement that culminated in the civil rights. it was in south carolina that dizzy gillespie taught himself to blow a horn and transformed music. another person forced harry truman to desegregate all federal buildings and the united states army. it is a place where chadwick boseman transformed a comic book character that is inspiring people across the world, and it is a place where the parishioners of mother emmanuel walked into a courtroom and looked at the man who had brought violence into their church and said, we forgive you. you see, president biden understood the dichotomy of the relationship of south carolina in the african-american community, the good, the bad, but always transformative, and that is why he put forth this proposal, ladies and gentlemen, and those who have been dismissive, who say it is a reward to one human being does so under a false and archaic premise. that is that the african-american community is a monolithic voting block subject to the whims of one person, and i suggest to you ladies and gentlemen, that those people who are making that claim are the very individuals that can't put together a campaign that effectively communicates with the african-american community. [cheers and applause] and in conclusion, i will get there mr. chairman, i have waited a long time. >> hurry up. hurry up. >> the reality is this, 60% to 65% of traditional democratic voters in the state of south carolina don't live in one county. you have to come in to our state and work in urban settings in rural settings in order to put together an organization to win. it forces candidates to create organizations, but most importantly fulfills the obligations set forth by the democratic national committee and the rbc. that is a campaign comes in and puts together an organization, communicates effectively with our voters, just give me one more second. [laughter] communicates effectively with our voters and does not bankrupt the candidate. and i would like to conclude by saying that i have two sisters, a mother, and a daddy, and we fight like hell, but they are still my family. that is the way i feel about all of you. >> thank you, mr. chairman. next, we will hear from the chair of the great state of georgia and the congresswoman who represents the district that congressman john lewis represented for so long. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, mr. chairman. i would like to thank the rules and bylaws committee to advance in early primary calendar that is representative of this country that includes georgia. we should all vote on this. just days after the initial decision was announced, georgia reelected our senator to a six-year term. proving once again that georgia will continue to shape the trajectory of our country for many years to come. far too long, our calendar has not reflected this country. our country is diverse in race, geography, background, and so is our party. and georgia reflects that. from our urban center in atlanta to our fast rate suburbs. after today, mr. chairman, we can probably say that we have elevated the voices that have far too long been sidelined. georgia isn't a blue staple we are not a red state, either. there is still more work to be done. this is a fight that is worth fighting for. because our voters are worth fighting for and so are our democratic values. you may have seen our youngest member alina reeves alongside president biden yesterday, rocking her shirt. because you all, george indeed influences everything, from the civil rights movement to the political landscape of today. and y'all, we will continue for many years to come. we know that the true north of the democratic party is in the deep south. finally, as always, i'm thinking of my friend, mentor, predecessor, the late congressman john lewis, and thinking how proud he must be watching us in this moment. mr. lewis often said we may not have chosen the time but the time has chosen us. and at this point in our nations history, this point in our democratic party, the time has poorly chosen the state of georgia and georgia continues to meet the moment. from delivering not one but two u.s. senators electoral college , 16 votes for president joe biden. [cheers and applause] you all, i am congresswoman nykeema williams and i am the proud chairwoman of the democratic party in georgia. >> thank you you, congressman. >> the great state of oregon. >> chair harrison, i promise to do you proud. watch me. my name is pete lee, vice chair for the party in oregon and on the dnc environment climate crisis counselor. briefly, a little context. when my parents emigrated to the u.s. about 50 years ago, we were not around for things like the horrors of slavery that i learned more about in charleston. that said, just because we weren't here, we came to america and became americans. we are proud americans. but in order to truly be a proud american, that also means that my family and i now own the sins of our country's history. and that includes slavery. and so, i just want to make sure that we don't bury the lead on something really important. it is so important that our communities of color have an early voice in our elections. and this proposal does just that. this will -- we can't go back in time to fix the mistakes of our past, but by golly, this will help us, allow us to put our hands on the arc of history and bend it toward justice. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. >> -- from the great state of north carolina, indeed. i stand here in support of the proposal. i will keep it short and sweet. i have something to do after this and we need to get going. [laughter] but, one thing i want to say real quickly is this, and this does not even apply to politics, but real life in general. it is this phrase, right? this is the way it has always been done. this is the way it has always been done. in the months, weeks, days, leading up to this comment to me, that is a constant theme i have always heard. this is the way it has always been done. as a black puerto rican, living in north carolina and being there for 20 plus years, you have to forgive me and forgive us because we tend to hear things a lot different. what i hear sometimes in these proposals when it comes to this, right? is this cannot be done. it's not naive to me, whereas african-americans as latinos, we are good for some things. oh yeah, we are good for organizing. we are good for this that and the third. we are good for everything else. but, when it comes to south carolina, being first to do this , oh, well, you know, i am going to go there, the elephant in the room. hey, it is what it is. you know, i hear that well, you know, the struggle. you know, the struggle is in the south. even in north carolina right now. i just happened to read a newspaper ad as i am sitting here. the supreme court in north carolina is looking to look at again at voting gerrymandering after republicans took over. yeah, we know struggle and we know a lot of it. so i will wrap this up. i have something to do. i know you do too. i will leave you with this. be careful. be careful. because we hear it. and just, you know, respect to what you guys have done, we can do it too. just be careful. thank you, chair. >> thank you, john. we will hear from the great bishop daughtry, who knows a lot about the dnc and has been through this a time or two before. bishop. >> thank you. i am from the great state of new york. and i am an at-large member. brooklyn born, brooklyn bread. mr. chairman, i have worked on my first presidential campaign in the state of new hampshire. when i was a student at dartmouth college. and i worked on the presidential campaign of the reverend jesse jackson. new hampshire is one of my favorite places. i go every year. and i have the granite of new hampshire in my muscles in my brain. and so i love new hampshire. i have been a member of the rules and bylaws committee since president obama appointed me in 2012. i just want to remind you as we are listening to all of this what our process has been. we decided we want to build a different calendar or at least examine the calendar. and so, we had 11 meetings to review this process. we heard from 20 states who filed applications. and we come to these rules meetings at our own expense, on our own dime to participate in this process. and our goal was to yield the best calendar possible for our party and to produce the best possible nominee. that is what our goal was. this is not about punishment. this was about acknowledgment. acknowledging that black and latino voters are the committed base of our party. and deserve to have a say in the crafting of who our nominee is. as many people who have a run for the presidency can tell you, you cannot win a nomination if you cannot campaign and win black and latino voters. and let me dispel a notion that black and latino voters are somehow all urban voters. we make things -- when we talk about south carolina, we are talking about rural voters. when we talk about in nevada, we are talking about people who make things. michigan, we make things. i wanted to dispel that somehow by changing this calendar, we are discounting rural voters, no we are not. we need to expand our idea of who we are as black and brown folks. i have heard a lot about the state laws. and how the state law somehow gives some people divine right of privilege. the supreme court has been clear. that the party has the right to set its rules. in the way that the party wants to set its rules. you can have a law that says your first, i'm from new york, i'm going to petition my governor that we should be first. and you petition your governor, so we have state potteries -- state parties that all have a law that we should be first. none of that is more important than what the party says it wants in its process. i'm an oldest child. it was just me and my parents. i was always at the head of the line. and my sisters arrived, and my brother arrived. and i had to make room. admit that i wasn't always the first. admit that i had to shift to my place at the table to make room for my siblings. i would submit that family requires, we like to say we are a family, if we are really a family, it means that some folks have to shift. to make room at the table. we cannot say that black voters and latino voters are important and matter and make us await. it's not fair, it's not right, i want to urge you to support this proposal. i want to urge you to vote for change because change is overdue . change is now, thank you. [applause] our last comments before we move . [laughter] i will first time at dnc member. for my first term as a dnc member to be part of this historic movement, i feel like a kid at disneyland. that might be more about my childhood. the other day our vice president asked us to consider what we fight for. who we are, she said, we know who we are, we know what we are going to fight for. who are we, what is a democrat? i've been thing about that a lot. i'll tell you why i'm a democrat. i'm a democrat because i believe every single american deserves access to opportunity. they deserve a shot whether you live in the east or the west, you deserve a shot, whether you are black or latino or asian or native, you deserve a shot. whether you are gay, straight or by, or trans, or whoever you are, you deserve a shot. where democrats come in, is because we get that not everyone gets access to opportunity. not everybody has the same chance as their neighbor to take that shot. sometimes there are obstacles in the way, and someone needs to block and tackle. we believe everybody has its right to get to the top of that ladder of opportunity. what we do is once you get to the top, and you dare pull that ladder up behind you. somebody else deserves a chance to grab on to that first wrong and climb up the router -- latter as high as they can go. as will be do as democrats, every day, that's what we fight for. that's what our president fights for. that's what we demand and expect our candidates be. now we have a process that reflects that. now we have a process that says everybody gets opportunity to have their voice heard in this process. nobody has to wait anymore to have their voice heard in this process. no community has to wait anymore to have a voice in this process. i am very proud to be a part of this conversation. this is a conversation that has been going on more than just the last 13 months. like true progressive, we have been inching forward for quite some time. in 2008, the wisdom of the dnc said, to states are not enough. we need to bring a few more into the process. every year we move further and further. it's progress. what we have done this time is say the progress is going to continue, not just this time, but next time and the time after that. we are going to make sure that everyone who deserves that opportunity gets to be heard. and just like this process, which the bishop just outlined, where people from every corner of this party and every corner of this country were heard, they are going to continue to be heard. i want to make one last point. [laughter] we are ready to vote. new hampshire has played a magical role in our history. i heard ios 8 something a little while ago about how nothing will be decided coming out of this. because there are two states where the we will burrow -- will extend. to my dear friend ray, you and i have been in many battles, in a very cold battlefield of new hampshire. who said the rbc has turned its back on new hampshire, the rbc has a bandage to new hampshire. let me be clear. the rbc and the president have not turned our back on new hampshire. we are putting our trust and our faith in new hampshire. when in the history of this country have it democrats said we can't change a law. when have we, i'm looking at my friends in the south especially, when have we as democrats ever said an oldest state law is going to prevent progress, it's going to prevent new voices from being heard. that's not the history of this party. that is a tradition of the democratic party. if we want to talk about tradition, that is our tradition. taking on entrenched powers, and taking on entrenched laws that deny people's from being heard -- voices from being heard. we as democrats are putting our trust in the georgia democratic party and the new hampshire democratic party, because you have earned that trust. you have shown us, you know how to win. you know how to beat republicans in your state. we are putting your -- our trust in you. to show the rest of the country that the democratic party is moving forward, that we are pushing for progress, that we are bringing more voices into the process, we are honoring your state tradition. we are doing what we always do. we are moving forward and we are giving more people opportunities. thank you. we will move to a vote on the motion to approve. all those in favor, say aye.. the eyes have it, it has been adopted. [applause] next. i have the pleasure of introducing another history maker. the governor of this commonwealth, josh shapiro. governor shapiro brings people together to solve problems, he stands up against the powerful in favor of pennsylvanians. pennsylvanians elected governor shapiro because they know he's good and he is going to deliver for them. i'm thrilled to that he is here with us today. i want to thank him for hosting us here in philadelphia this week. everyone please join me in welcoming a star of the democratic party. please welcome governor josh shapiro. [applause] >> thank you everybody. how good does it feel to be in the city where the philadelphia eagles play? the soon to be super bowl champs. i must say, i was impressed that the vice president of the united states showed up yesterday after what we did to her 49ers. she was a good sport and we were so grateful she was here. i hear some booze. i hear some boos. let me say thank you to chairman harris and not just for leading this party with the great strength that he does, not just for inviting me here today at four investing in our party here in pennsylvania. each and every member of the dnc, i just want to say, look at the results. we have a 51st democratic u.s. senator in washington. we are just a few days away from having a democratic majority in our states house of representatives for the first time in more than a decade. your investment matters. thank you so very much. i want to thank all of you for being here and doing the hard work necessary to strengthen our democracy. to move our commonwealth and our country forward. i want to give a special thanks to our great democratic party chairman in pennsylvania and his leadership team. [applause] as our nations history shows, democracy is not a given. it's a constant work in progress. we've been reminded of that in recent years. i'm proud to be here with all of you today after having been chosen by the good people of pennsylvania to be their 40th governor and have the opportunity to continue to do this meaningful work. pennsylvanians have shown throughout our history that when it is all on the line, we roll up our sleeves, we come together, and we do the hard work to move our country forward. we showed that again this past november. it wasn't just democrats who did that hard work. people from all different walks of life, rural, urban, suburban communities, people from all parties, united under the vision that we laid out for the commonwealth. we build a coalition by showing up everywhere and treating all people with respect. i visited pennsylvanians in their homes and in their union halls, their places of worship and our community centers. i walked our main streets and visited our big cities and farms. most importantly, i listened. i learned from the good people of pennsylvania. in the process of that, we not only earned a record number of votes but we won in places where democrats were -- for too long had not competed effectively. too many people within our own party and too many pundits have written off those communities. places like beaver county, lucerne county, those places we won again. and we showed that a democrat can compete there. that is our future pathway to success and opportunity. and together, most importantly, beyond any political candidates winning, what we showed as a unified coalition during -- here in the commonwealth is that when it is all on the line, we could all come together to resoundingly reject extremism right here in pennsylvania. [applause] our commonwealth hope defeated fear. unity triumphed over division and we proved together that we value our freedoms and we are willing to do the hard work necessary to protect our fundamental rights. as democrats i believe we need to meet people where they are. and we need to work to deliver for them. we need to go back to the places where people build community and focus on the issues that actually matter to people. on the campaign trail and in my first few weeks in office, i talked about our plans for good schools, safe communities, an economy that lifts everybody up, and advancing the cause of real freedom here in pennsylvania. the kind of real freedom that comes when we invest real resources and that young child, public school to make sure she has a shot. the kind of real freedom that comes when we recognize her right to vote -- both to be safe and feel safe in her community. we invest in comprehensive public safety to make sure she gets to live past her 18th birthday. that's real freedom. the kind of real freedom that comes when we create pathways to new opportunity and investing in creating jobs, especially green energy jobs in the new economy. where we protect the right to organize and expand union membership for all who want to join a union here in pennsylvania. the kind of real freedom that comes when you get to marry who you love, that's real freedom. the kind of real freedom that comes when we trust women to make decisions over their own bodies. that's real freedom. the kind of real freedom that builds on the work of giants like dr. martin luther king junior congressman lewis, congressman clyburn, who you will hear from, to make sure every person has the right to vote in this country and no one takes that away from them. that is a real freedom. that is what we are fighting for. that is what democrats stand for. we are the party of real freedom. let me hear you on that. we are the party of real freedom. that is why i spent my first two weeks in office focused on protecting real freedom. on creating real opportunity for all pennsylvanians. on day one i signed an executive order immediately making 92% of all state government jobs, that 65,000 jobs here in the commonwealth, open to anyone with the skills ready to serve, whether or not they have a college degree. we did this to give people a shot and to break down the barriers of opportunity. we created a one-stop shop for businesses so pennsylvanians have the support they need to be able to grow a business and watch it thrive right here in the commonwealth. from our main street corridors to our farmlands. we gave pennsylvania nurses and teachers and firefighters and small business owners the confidence that our state will work as hard for them as they do for us. by acting to illuminate delays on all the occupational licenses and permits and certificates giving people that shot. all of these actions send a message about my administration. we are committed to making real differences in people's lives. and advancing that real freedom that i just talked about. real freedom is about building opportunity for real people. paring down the barriers that they face every day. the folks on the other site, i believe government can be of productive force for good in making peoples lives better. i know we share that belief. [applause] here in pennsylvania, by opening up the doors of opportunity, breaking down those barriers, we can make our economy work for everyone again. we are investing in things, the pennsylvanians care about. good schools, safe communities, an economy that lifts everybody up. let me give you a concrete example. just yesterday, i had the honor of being with the president and vice president and west philly. they were there to announce historic investments to replace harmful lead pipes in the city of philadelphia. these pipes harm our families, especially in communities of color. these are the kinds of investments the democrats make to give people a shot. to make sure people live in safe and healthy communities. where our children grow up healthy and are able to reach their god-given potential. and it shows. it shows that we give a dam about people and are willing to make the investment to help them lead productive, healthy and safe lives. i want to thank president biden, vice president harris, senator casey and others who are delivering for all of us, especially those forgotten communities. moving our nation forward, creating opportunities, defending democracy, these are not paths that anyone can create alone. it will require all of us to build on that work. my own faith teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it. meaning each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, get in the game, and do our part. that's the story of our democracy. our democracy story, our chapter after chapter has been written by people doing the hard work, not just folks with titles next to their names, but ordinary americans, rising up, demanding more, seeking justice, pursuing change, that has been the american story. that has been the story of our democratic party. i believe that means each of us has a responsibility to do this hard and necessary work to build and strengthen our democracy that was born a few blocks from here. i wanted to come here today to look you in the eye and say thank you for being the backbone of our party. thank you for your willingness to do this hard work. after all, we are all stewards of our american story. all of us, chairman harrison, every single member of this dnc. when we show up, when we accept the responsibility that people have stowed upon us to be this next link in the chain of progress, then there is nothing that can stop us from doing great things for all americans. the people of pennsylvania showed up for us in this last election. your investment was critical for that. by focusing on the issues that matter most, we now have the chance to show up for them too. always remember this, we democrats are the party of opportunity and we are the party of real freedom. do not let anyone on the other taken that ground from us. we are proud patriots in the democratic party. never ever take a backseat to anyone when it comes to patriotism. because i know we value our freedom. we cherish our democracy and i know we all love this country and we are willing to do the hard work to perfect our union. i also know that when it is all on the line, we step up, because on the others, there's a whole bunch of extremists who violate these sacred principles of freedom and democracy and love of country. we stand ready each and every day to defend it. and to stand up and defeat that extremism. we have taken up this challenge to continue the work of those who came before us. those whose shoulders that we stand on today to advance opportunity and fight for real freedom. that is our challenge, that is our calling, that is the next chapter in our american story. a story that we democrats and all americans are writing each and every day. those opportunities of freedom, those are the values of this democratic party. i am proud to be a governor of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. i am proud to be a democrat. i'm especially proud to be here with all of you today. we have consistently proven that we know how to win elections. we've shown that we know how to govern. enter now we are showing that we can bring all americans together behind that simple message of freedom and opportunity. thank you all so very much for having me, god bless you, let's keep this important work going. thank you also very much. thank you. [applause] >> let's think the governor again for being here and for his tremendous leadership. [applause] it's hard to find words to express how proud i am of this body. taking bold action like we did today is no easy task and i know it is hard. particularly in the family. i want to thank each and every one of you for the dignified manner in which you conducted yourselves. [applause] the reporters can tell you the rnc meeting a few weeks ago was not like this. it was ringling brothers circus reborn. i learned how to conduct myself in politics from one of the greats. everything that i know about politics i learned at the knee of the one and only legendary -- it's amazing how full circle life is because one of the first big political moments i had was in 2006 when south carolina and nevada, jim clyburn and harry reid, worked with howard dean in order to add those two states in the diverse populations into this window. that was one of the first political things i did. we come full circle today and we change that scheduled yet again. moving up nevada and south carolina and those diverse voices. someone who i thought should probably come here today is here. he is a man that i call my political father. i thought it was nothing but appropriate to have him join this -- to give thoughts and remarks. particularly as we celebrate black history month. stand on your feet please. please become our assistant democratic leader, congressman jim clyburn. >> thank you. thank you for being so kind to invite me here today and thank you to all of you. for this great decision that you have made today, i think that we will demonstrate to the entire world, not just this country, that this party is the party of the people. we thank you so much for this decision. as the governor smoke, -- the governor spoke, he made reference to the founding of the country, the establishment of democracy. i thought about the pamphlet that many of you may have read, written back as the country was trying to give birth to itself. a guy named thomas payne, who was not an american, wrote about that time. these are times that try men's souls. some will shrink from the service of the country. for tierney, like hell, is not easily conquered. yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. these are times that will try men's and women's souls. we have a duty to our children and grandchildren to do the things that are necessary to preserve this democracy, pass it on to them, and much better shape than we found it. and we cannot do that by shrinking from the battle. we cannot do that unless we as democrats remain true to who and what we are. this is a party of opportunity and as our president says, possibilities. the other side are full of extremism and grievances. let them grieve and let us lead. that's what this is all about. i will leave you, i'm on another one. i'm going to leave you with a little personal experience. my dad was a fundamentalist minister who would teach us by example. he would say to us, you have to learn to lead, not just by precept, but by example. he was set up through circumstances that we would be tested by, he would never know a lesson was coming, we would sit there and wait. the folks here from south carolina probably heard me tell this story before. i thank them for tolerating me today. the rest of you have not heard it. my dad had a 1937 chevrolet. it was a real good car. you could drive into a telegram poll, backup, wouldn't be a dent in it, just keep on going. for some reason, it seemed as if that car always knew when saturday came. it looked like every saturday we would be going down to our neighborhood mechanic to get that car running for another week. you might not know this, those of us who grew up in rural south carolina, every neighborhood had a mechanic. you always know who he was, a guy with a big tree, with a pulley hanging out of it. we went to him, and just as he pulled the pulley on the front of that car, so he could get underneath it to let it run for another week. my two brothers and i started playing near the car. my dad came over and said, i don't want you playing near this car. i have no idea how strong this chain is. it may pop, men one of you may get hurt. go on across the field and play, and we did. we weren't gone long before we got into a discussion. those of you who may have -- it was not a fight, it was a physical discussion. we didn't know it but my dad was watching us. when he thought the discussion had gone on long enough, he called the three of us over to him and he stood in front of him and he was sitting there on one of these old crates. he had in his hands a piece of cord. he took that string and he handed it to my brother, he said, i want you to pop the string. he struggled with it. he took it back and said, john, you are stronger, you pop the string. john struggled. he took it back and gave it to me, said james, you're the oldest, you're the strongest, you pop the string. i struggled. i couldn't pop it. he took the piece of string back, he put it in the palms of his hands and he began to rub his hands together. the more he rubbed, the more friction he created. the more friction he created, the more unraveled the string became. it was not long before the string was in three pieces. he gave one piece to charles, one to john, and one to me. he said now sons, pop the strings. with very little effort, all three of us popped the strings. he said i want this to be a lesson to you. for as long as you live. don't let the little disagreements that crop up a menu -- crop up among you, because friction until the separates you. if you do, the world will pop you apart and you may never know why. we as democrats can have our differences. that's the way we grow. i know about differences, i stayed married to the same woman for 58 years. i know about differences. we should not let these differences separate us. let's learn from each other. let's grow with each other. let's remain strong as a party, as strong as that string was, before my dad used to friction to pull it apart. we are a good party. we are a great party. we are what should the people of this country need. let us not allow any individual differences to keep us from providing what the people need. thank you for all you do, godspeed. [applause] >> you all now understand why i say i lived abroad -- blessed life. i got a chance to learn a little bit more wisdom from the great jim clyburn. thank you for all you do for this party. i now want to introduce a special message from pennsylvanians new senator john fetterman. senator john fetterman. john understands the struggles that family across are doing -- are going through. let's hear a message from centerton -- senator john fetterman. >> is a welcome you -- it's an honor to welcome you. i'm sorry i couldn't be there in person but i am glad to speak with you virtually. i want to thank you all for the work that you are willing to do to make sure democrats win races up and down the valley. i'm sure i don't need to tell you how important our upcoming races in pennsylvania are. we can't forget that in 2023. there are important local races, countywide races and critical statewide judicial races on the ballot this year. we must make sure that democrats win in 2023. and in 2024, we really need to win pennsylvania. we needed for the white house, the senate, and the races up and down the ballot. i said this in 2020, whoever wins pennsylvania will win the white house. and i believe that is still true now. we have a lot of work to do in this upcoming year. and sylvania went blue in 2022. we need to make sure it happens again in 20 funny three and in 2024. i am ready to do this work with all of you and thank you very much. >> thank you senator federman. i'm going to try to speed through our remaining work because i know we have to get you out of here. as announced in the secretaries 30 day meeting notice, we have several vacancies to fill. i've nominated a group of individuals that reflect the diversity and strengths of our party. they hail from all four regions and represent -- the secretaries mailing includes the information that i've nominated. diane robertson of north carolina. danny stein of california. brian renfro of d.c.. greg kelly of illinois. the chair will entertain a motion to suspend the rules and elect them as a slate by acclamation. do we have a second? we have a second. all those in favor of electing, i. aye. therefore the motion is adopted. let's give these folks around of applause. [applause] my friends it is time to honor someone who has been a leader in our party, someone who is a friend and mentor. many of us gotta opportunity to see her on sunday night. nancy pelosi. it was a pleasure to have us join -- have her join us for our meeting. we are going to take time for those of you who did not get an opportunity to see it, to reflect on the legacy of the greatest speaker of all time, the goat, nancy pelosi. >> she is the most effective speaker in u.s. history. >> she literally stood up to the president of the united states. >> the combination of courage and grace. >> an iron fist and a gucci glove. >> she will be ranked as the greatest speaker in u.s. history and she pulls it off and got health care. >> nancy pelosi, a fundraiser was endorsed by party leadership. >> from her years watching her father get elected. the campaign was one on the ground. it was the work she did, block by block, finding her volunteers, finding each individual voter. >> hello, i'm congresswoman nancy pelosi. the most urgent health issue facing our committee is aids. when i came to congress, i came here to fight against hiv and aids. my colleague say, why would you say such a thing. i said to that's why i came here. >> policy spent 15 years in the house campaigning for liberal causes. abortion rights, aids funding, the environment. >> she always talks about her top three priorities. the children, the children, the children. >> children, children, children, that's why i came to congress. >> let's hear it for the children, we are here for the children. >> it's my privilege to present the gavel of the united states house of representatives to the first woman speaker in our history, the gentlelady from california, nancy pelosi. >> one thing that nancy pelosi has never been accused of is bringing a knife to a gunfight. >> if that doesn't work, we will parachute in, if that doesn't work, we will get health care passed. >> she was the face of the democratic opposition to trump. >> the day after the election, we didn't agonize, we organized. >> she has the toughness, the tenacity to stand up to him in very blunt terms. >> pelosi had his number. >> the fact is you do not have the votes for a wall, no matter where you go. >> donald trump does not realize how embarrassed he was by her. >> policies were to say having her at the top of the party will energize women voters who are key to democratic victory. >> when women succeed, america succeeds. >> the honorable nancy pelosi would raise her right hand. >> when she arrived in congress, there were 23 women. in the 435 member house of house -- house of representatives. >> they gives me great pride to serve as speaker of the most diverse house of representatives in the history of our country. with a record shattering 120 -- 122 women, 122 women, we the people, one country, one destiny. with great pride in my 35 years in the house, i have seen this body grow more reflective of our great nation. now we must move boldly into the future, the hour has come for a new generation to lead to the democratic caucus that i so deeply respect. a new day is dawning on the horizon. i look forward to the unfolding story of our nation, of many becoming one. and always an unfinished nature to make the dreams of today the reality of tomorrow. >> the iconic, the corolla, the legendary, speaker emeritus, nancy pelosi. nancy pelosi will go down in history as the greatest speaker of all time. it's an honor to stand on your rod shoulders. -- broad shoulders. >> when the mount rushmore of american politics is made, nancy pelosi will be on it. we are so grateful for all that this speaker has done and will continue to do in this year and next, at the next dnc meeting we have. we will be awarding the first ever speaker nancy d pull oc -- nancy pelosi award. we will be sending information to make nominations for those individuals who you feel are deserving of such a tremendous honor. let's once again give an appreciation for speaker pelosi. [applause] next folks, i am going to move to the ratification of committee member appointments. the secretary seven-day mailing also includes the names of and visuals that i'm appointing to fill three vacancies on the credentials committee. i think these members to for agreeing to serve on these committees and as for your support in ratifying these appointments. this chair will entertain a motion to approve these three appointments. is there a second? we have a motion in the second to approve. all those in favor of ratifying the appointment say aye. the ayes have it. thank you for serving on the credentials committee. as it relates to my remarks, we made a lot of history here today. there will also be a lot of history, this will be the shortest chairs remarks you have ever heard. i want to say thank you to a number of folks before we close out today. want to take a special moment to think our gracious hosts, chairman street, vice chair, pennsylvania democratic party. thank you all for the hospitality and welcoming us to philadelphia. good luck in the super bowl. i also want to acknowledge the temple university grad students who are on street -- on strike just on the road. democrats are the prolabor party and we stand with union workers. i want to take this opportunity, selma holds such an important place in her heart. it was impacted, like a lot of the south, by some disastrous tornadoes. the folks in selma want you to know, they are still open for business. they are still going to do celebration of its civil rights passed and all that it has done to make america free. keep the folks in selma and your hearts, make contributions to help them rebuild. make sure that if you are planning to go to selma, to celebrate the civil rights movement, please continue to have that in your plans. there's so much to celebrate. these were the most historic midterms that any incumbent president has had since 1934. in terms of making sure that we grew our majority in the senate, instead of losing seats, mitigating losses in the house of representatives, should have kept our majority. as i said all weekend long, they are just airbnb in the house right now. we are taking a back in 2024. we saw tremendous growth in state legislatures and governors. there is a lot to be proud of. there's so much more that we have to do as we go into the 2023 elections on the 2024 elections. we are going to spend the time making sure that we review 2022, the strengths, weaknesses, we fill the holes, we do that this year. i want to go around the country to our red states, blue states, purple states. making sure that we are having conversations from young to old, to all of our various communities, black, brown,aapi, the latino communities. i'm going to see our democrats abroad on the first of march. i hope you extend invitations to me, but also our officers, are road warriors who have traveled the country with me, singing the praises of the democratic party. it's time that we build, rebuild and strengthen in office. we are going to celebrate the achievements of this tremendous administration. joe biden has put his stamp on this party and also the nation. that is something to be celebrated. he sees us, he hears us, he values each and every one of us. that is really important, it is also important for all of the immigrant people. i'm proud of this democratic party, i am so proud of each and every one of you for putting your heart and soul into the work that we do each and every day. there is a lot to celebrate. there is a lot that we have been able to achieve. there is a loss that we have been able to deliver for the american people. there is so much more that we can do. i am going to introduce our secretary. i'm going to introduce our secretary to make any announcements. >> three reef announcements. after this meaning is the lunar new year. a lot of you have asked about the day for the next meaning he or do i hope you will meet me in st. louis for our 2023 fall meeting on october 5. we will be meeting october 5-7 in st. louis missouri. there is one special person here who worked harder than anyone that we know. that is chair harrison who is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. i believe we have a special birthday message queue top. --queued up. [laughter] what happened? >> i appreciate that special message. [laughter] it's time to go. [laughter] i need to watch my mouth. (audience singing happy birthday) i have broken the guinness world record for the most happy birthdays in a week. now as we close, i want to introduce clergy leader to deliver our benediction. he is a member of the action committee of the american ethical union. hugh taught philosophy and history for 25 years in washington dc after which he transitioned into ethical culture leadership. hugh graduated with a ba comb latte, -- members of the democratic national committee. thank you. i'm humbled to offer you this moment of inspiration and introspection. contemplate the importance and time that we share together. we know that our democracy is fragile and is being tested, you in this room carry the future your shoulders. you lit of the fragile hopes and precious dreams of every citizen, young and old, of all colors, backgrounds, faith perspectives or philosophies. it is your work, wisdom and integrity that will determine for system of government brings out the best of all citizens and of our collective. in these times of division let us revise civic grace, made to each of us -- may each of us draw from personal roots, the strength and resilience to do this work. may we always be inclusive and welcoming, opening to every person, meaningful participation in our democracy. maybe understand that those who say thing is the art of the possible are aiming too low. we know we have to do more, we cannot just do what is possible, we must change what is possible. only then will power and resources be shared more equitably, only then will every citizen have the tools to become a leader. as the great jane adams explained, democracy believes that the person at the bottom may realize his aim or her aim only through an unfolding of their own being. today we are together, unfolding as individuals, communities, and a nation. may we always see our history clearly so that we can build a just and noble future. i will close with a word of educator and activist mary macleod, we have all fought for america with all her imperfections, not so much for what she is, but for what we know she can be. amen. [applause] >> i want to thank the amazing staff, we could not do this without the tremendous staff that we have here. and those sheraton hotel, the staff at the dnc, the secretary's office, finance, operations, our amazing -- special thanks to the folks who worked in rules and bylaws. thank you all for all that you do. that concludes our business for today's dnc meaning. for bigo i want to take a moment to acknowledge our caucus and council chairs who worked so hard to engage our constituencies and organize the information. thank you all for what you do. celebration to our new members and our experienced members, think you for wrapping up an amazing year. i wanted to say once again, thank you all. thank you for the unwavering support that you have given to me and my family. as we do the business of this party. with all the business completed, the chair would entertain a motion to adjourn immediately. is there a second? all in favor? opposed? the meeting is adjourned. thank you all for a great, historic meeting.