Pelosi stresses the importance of electing women, love of children at POLITICO summit

Nancy Pelosi discussed her love of children Wednesday morning at POLITICO’s Women Rule Summit in Washington, D.C.

pelosiThe California Democrat said when she decided to run for Congress, she asked her daughter about it and said she would stay home if the then high school senior wanted her to.

“Thinking this was this very sincere question,” Rep. Pelosi said, referring to her daughter, Alexandra, who also spoke at the event. “To which she looked up to me and said, ‘Mother, get a life.’ … It didn’t take her a nanosecond to respond.”

After Google’s Susan Molinari, a moderator at the event, told a story in which the House Minority Leader, was able to soothe a crying baby who was crying during an entire flight, Pelosi explained that she has “the touch,” according to POLITICO.

“Well I have a touch, I have a touch. I know I can get that baby to stop crying,” Pelosi said. Alexandra agreed.

“When you’re on an airplane, and there’s a baby crying the whole ride, she’s the one who’s saying ‘let me get there and help,’” Alexandra Pelosi said.

Pelosi has taken her love of children to the Hill.

“My whole motivation in politics has always been the one in five children who live in poverty in America,” she said. Pelosi said in addition to women’s right to vote and and moving up in the workforce, childcare is also important.

“The missing link in all of that was the issue of childcare, and it is something that most other developed countries have recognized the need for,” Pelosi said. “We have an agenda called when women succeed, American succeeds.”

Additionally, Pelosi acknowledged the need for more women in elected offices.

“If you decrease the role of women in politics and increase the level of civility in politics, you will elect many more women,” she said.

There are currently 20 women serving in the U.S. Senate and 78 in the House. Pelosi was the first female Speaker of the House.

allie.wright@chron.com (Allie Wright)