Because of the support of so many people. Most especially your family, when your husband, your wonderful children, and their families, many of whom are with us today, and its a joyful scene from where i am standing. We are glad you could be here to share this moment is a family. On a personal note, im glad the schoolteacher ive been married wife karen,ars, my is with us tonight. Thank you for being here. President and i could not be more grateful to the Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell and all the republican senators who supported your nomination. But particularly pleased that tonight we are joined by the chairman of the senate health, education, labor, and pensions committee. Being with us for this historic occasion in the life of the nation. [applause] this evenings historic for two reasons. I truly believe our country will have a secretary of education who is already one of the foremost advocates for children in the United States. Betsy, you grew up watching her father Buildin
I was hoping for a standing ovation. And ive had the pleasure, the honor, and the privilege to you in theall of department as the acting secretary for a couple of weeks. Actually, two weeks, three days. But whos you counting . When i came to the department or its predecessor just a few years ago, i was attracted to public service. I swore to of how the constitution, which is at the core of our government and the heart of our mission at the department. While education is not mentioned specifically in the constitution, it is at the heart of the opportunity the constitution provides for our nation. Each day when you walk into lbj or pcp or ucp, sorry for all the acronyms, or the regional offices, they are all guided by education to promote student achievement and prepare for Global Competitiveness by fostering Educational Excellence and ensuring equal access. En many of us were asked to take on acting roles during a transition, we vowed to help make this a smooth and successful transition