Wikipedia Commons | United States Senate

Two Women Sit Behind President During Speech To Congress In Historic First

Updated September 6, 2021

Although it would probably be easier to list the ways in which the past year hasn't been tense, it's clear that the political arena has been one of the biggest epicenters of tumult.

However, with that tension has come a series of landmarks for American history. On November 4, it became clear that Delaware had elected America's first transgender state senator, while Georgia would elect the state's first Black senator and the nation's first millennial senator in January's runoff elections.

But while Kamala Harris' vice presidency is similarly historic in its own right, it also provided part of the foundation for a moment that America has never seen before.

On the evening of April 28, Joe Biden made his first presidential address to Congress.

Getty Images | Caroline Brehman

And as CNN reported, history was made before his speech even began as for the first time in the nation's history, two women sat behind the president during this address.

And it's a landmark that Biden himself addressed in his speech, saying, "Thank you all — Madame Speaker, Madame Vice President," the president said. "From this podium, no president's ever said those words — and it's about time."

As White House chief of staff Ron Klain noted, this marks the second historic moment of this nature that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was a part of.

Wikimedia Commons | Eric Draper

In Klain's words, "Presidents have been addressing Congress since George Washington did it. It wasn't until 14 years ago that the first time one of those seats was filled by a woman."

Speaking to ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Pelosi touched on the pride she felt at sharing this moment with Harris.

Getty Images | Melina Mara

As she said, "It’s very exciting, it’s so exciting to be up there with Kamala Harris — the Vice President of the United States. Not just a woman — but an African American woman, an Asian American woman. A minority woman. It is historic but we can always just be looking forward, that’s what our role is."

For her part, Harris was more laconic about the significance of two women leading the House and Senate, calling it "normal."

Four years after then-vice president Biden swore Harris into the Senate, she has become one of his key advisors.

Wikipedia Commons | United States Senate

As she had previously told CNN, she is the last one to leave the room before the president's final word on major administrative decisions, such as the move to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.

And Pelosi has hardly slowed down since Biden has taken office either.

Wikimedia Commons | US Department of Labor

According to CNN, she was integral in bringing her caucus together when last month's COVID-19 relief bill made it through the House of Representatives, and she remains active in negotiating the Biden administration's infrastructure proposals.

In addition to leading their respective chambers of government, Harris and Pelosi are the first and second people in line for succession in the event that the president is incapacitated.

h/t: CNN

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