In a first, two powerful women politicians seated behind President Biden during SOTU address

PTI

Washington, March 2

For the first time, two powerful women politicians—Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi—were seated on the platform behind President Joe Biden during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol on Tuesday.

Vice President Harris and House Speaker Pelosi flanked the president – as is customary during the annual State of the Union.

Pelosi, 81, is the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House and Harris, 57, is the first woman to serve as vice president.

Harris and Pelosi were sitting behind Biden during the State of the Union because the two seats on the dais have always been reserved for the vice president and the House Speaker, regardless of political affiliation.

Both Harris and Pelosi also sat behind the president during his address to Congress last year but that speech, delivered just weeks after Biden took office, was not considered a State of the Union address, US media reported.

George W. Bush’s 2007 address, shortly after Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House, marked the first time there was one woman behind a President.

Harris is the first woman and first Black and Asian American person ever sworn in as US vice president. Harris, a Democrat, has served as the US Senator from California and has been described as a trailblazer by former president Barack Obama.

Harris was born in Oakland in California. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan migrated to the US from Tamil Nadu, while her father, Donald J Harris, moved to the US from Jamaica.

Pelosi, born in Maryland, was re-elected as Speaker in 2009. She served as the House Minority Leader from 2011 to 2019 when she was elected as the Speaker after the Democratic Party gained control of the House.

Pelosi, from California, has been a U.S. representative for over 30 years, first taking office in 1987.

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