Remarks by President Biden at an Event on Equal Pay Day to Celebrate Women’s History Month
MARCH 15, 2022
Location: Not determined

And Cece Rouse, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.  (Applause.)  

A number of members are not here today because they’re out traveling on behalf of the administration:

Jale- — Janet Yellen, the first female Secretary of the Treasury.  (Applause.)

Deb Haaland, the first Native American person in the Cabinet as Interior Secretary.  (Applause.)

Gina Raimondo, former governor, leading the Commerce Department.  (Applause.)

Marcia Fudge, Housing and Urban Development.  (Applause.)

If I stole any more members of Congress, I would’ve been in real trouble with Nancy.  (Laughter.) 

And Shalanda Young, newly confirmed — (applause) — just minutes ago.  Where is she?  Shalanda, stand up.  Where is Shalanda?  Where — where are you?  She — where is she?

I guess she’s not — okay.  Lead the Office of Management and Budget.

And Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenhouse — -Greenfield, excuse me — who is at the United Nations and does an incredible job for us.  (Applause.)

And it’s not just the Cabinet.  We have women in senior roles in every level here at the White House, across the administration, many of whom are here today.

And something I’m very proud of: I kept my commitment to be — nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  And she’s really good. 

And that’s not all.  We have confirmed more Black women to the Circuit Court of Appeals than every previous administration combined.  (Applause.)  As a matter of fact, 75 percent of my judicial nominees are women.  (Applause.)

It matters.  It matters.

Above all, we see the power of each and every one of you in the example that they, in fact, give the whole country.

You know, I want to thank you all for being here — at home and all those who are helping me around — helping the administration around the world.

It — that includes a special guest of the First Lady — and the First Lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid.  Eliza, where are you?   (Applause.)  Stand up.  Give her a big hand.  (Applause.)

She is a real champion for gender equality.  We had a nice long talk.

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to honor the legacy, the vision, and the achievements of trailblazing women and girls who’ve built, shaped, and strengthened the character — the very character of this nation.

And despite hardships and exclusion and discrimination, women run the right — won the right to vote, campaigned against injustice, shattered countless barriers, and expanded the possibilities for all Americans.  I think you underestimate all you’ve done.

They came before us and they’re all here — here today from all across the country as well, especially everyone who has gotten through this pandemic — frontline workers and service members, researchers and teachers — (applause) — caregivers, leaders in their communities.

And today I’m honored to be with some of the world’s greatest soccer players who happen to be women — (applause) — the U.S. Women’s National Team, both past and present. 

Please — if I can ask you, come up on the stage.

I was going to have them stand, but if they stood, you couldn’t seem them anyway because everyone else is standing. 

This is — they’ve won World Cups, the Olympics Gold Medal — Gold Medals, and, you know, for — after much, much too long, equal pay.  (Applause.)  Equal pay.

Today is Equal Pay Day.  (Applause.)  And they just came from an event that discussed our administration’s effort to close the pay gap.  So, thank you so much.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, you’re not only helping yourself, you’re helping us get it done for other women.