With President Obama barely sworn in, EMILY’s List plans a female president for 2016

EMILY’s List 2013 Inauguration Brunch (EMILY’s List photo)

Before President Barack Obama was officially sworn in for his second term as President of the United States of America, a group of pro-choice women who had worked for his re-election gathered for the EMILY’s List 2013 Inaugural Brunch.

The activists enjoyed their 2012 victories: having re-elected a Democratic president, having elected a Senate with twenty women, 16 new pro-choice Democratic women in Congress, the first open gay senator, the first Asian-American woman senator and the first two congresswomen who have served in combat.

“This is what history looks like,” EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock said.

But that’s not enough, she added.

“We have fought so hard. We have so much. We have come so far. And I am so proud — not just as the president of EMILY’s List, but as a woman, and as an American. Now, make no mistake: We’re not done,” Schriock said just moments later.

Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Schriock issued a rallying cry to women across the nation for 2014 and 2016.

The message was clear: This is our time.

That means the speaker’s gavel back in Pelosi’s hands in two years — and a woman as president in 2016.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaking at EMILY’s List 2013 Presidential Inauguration brunch on Sunday Jan. 21, 2013. (EMILY’s List photo)

According to Pelosi, the only reason that she – a woman – was able to rise to the leadership position is because there were multiple women now serving in Congress.

“Well, reason we are successful is we are not just asking women for their vote, we are asking them to serve. We are asking them to give women a seat at the table,” she said.

Pelosi urged women lawmakers to take control of the full congressional agenda, saying “every issue is our issue,” including economy, national security and immigration.

“We have 2014 coming up next, and we hope to elect many more women to the Congress,” Pelosi said. As far as female candidates are concerned, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” insisted the California Democrat.

“We are ready to take the next step, ready to be the springboard for the next generation of Democratic women leaders, ready to elect more Democratic governors in 2014, ready to help Nancy Pelosi get her gavel back,” Schriock said in her keynote speech.

While Pelosi kept focus on 2014 and reclaiming of the majority, at the core of the event was the desire to see viable female candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

EMILY’s List premiered a new video featuring newly elected and re-elected female lawmakers. They joined in a common cause, and delivered the messaged about 2016 that Schriock hopes women across the nation will heed:

“Now is the time.
“The voters in U.S. are ready.
“Oh yeah, we are ready.
“For a woman president.
“It’s time for a female president.
“It’s about time.”


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