Harris and Pelosi make history at Biden's joint address to Congress

History was made on Wednesday night during Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress, which featured two women seated behind the president for the first time.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined Biden behind the podium on the floor of the House of Representatives, a milestone the president was quick to note.

“Madame Speaker, Madame Vice President,” Biden said as the room erupted in applause. “No president has ever said those words from this podium, no president has ever said those words, and it’s about time.”

Later in his address, Biden announced another in a series of domestic policy assignments for Harris: overseeing the expansion of broadband internet access. In her first 100 days, Harris has taken on challenges both foreign and domestic, from coronavirus vaccine equity to the root causes of migration from Central America’s Northern Triangle nations.

While Pelosi was the first female House speaker in U.S. history, Harris broke several barriers when she assumed the role of vice president, becoming the first Asian American, Black American and woman to hold that position.

Biden set out to assemble the most diverse Cabinet in recent history, and has since offered a list that’s 55 percent nonwhite and 45 percent female, according to NPR.

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