The Honorable Nancy Pelosi's Speech Before the Democratic National Convention Thursday, July 29, 2004 /EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UPON DELIVERY OF SPEECH, SCHEDULED FOR 8:36 P.M. EDT TODAY, JULY 29/ BOSTON, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of a speech by the Honorable Nancy Pelosi before the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, July 29, 2004: Good evening Democrats! Hello California! I am honored to stand before you as the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives, and I am proud of my Democratic colleagues for bringing our nation closer to the ideal of equality that is both our heritage and our hope! Centuries ago, the first settlers came here to realize their dreams for their families, their faith, and their freedom. This week, Democrats come to renew that dream, to reclaim a better future for our families! To express our faith in God and country! And to preserve the freedom we cherish! Tonight, we will hear from the next president of the United States! John Kerry is an exceptional leader. And he will make an outstanding president! John Kerry has brought Democrats together with optimism! With strength! And with determination to restore the values that have always made America strong at home and respected in the world! But let us be very clear: Our work will not be complete until we give president Kerry and the American people a Democratic Congress! When I was elected House Democratic leader, I pledged that never again would Democrats go into an election without telling the American people who we are, what we stand for, and what we are willing to fight for! Now here this: every day, in every debate in every vote, House Democrats are standing up and fighting to bring prosperity, opportunity, and security to every corner of America. First and foremost, we are fighting for those who are wearing America's uniform so that our military, including our National Guard and Reserves is second to none! Republicans have sent our troops into battle in Iraq without a plan and have cut veterans' benefits without remorse. Democrats have it right protect our troops and honor our veterans! Democrats have put forth a positive agenda to grow the economy, create millions of good jobs here at home, and promote small businesses! Republicans offer tax loopholes to outsource American jobs. Democrats have it right! Invest in America and in our people. Democrats are dedicated to expanding access to quality affordable health care! Republicans stood by while millions lost their health insurance, and they put the interests of HMOs and big drug companies ahead of everyday Americans. Democrats have it right. Health care is a right, not a privilege! Democrats will keep our promise to our children for safe, fully funded, and accountable schools, with highly-skilled and well-paid teachers. And we will provide every child the opportunity to go to college without going deeply into debt! Republicans have broken their promises on education -- from pre- school to college. Democrats have it right. Every student deserves a world class education. Democrats honor our historic commitment to seniors so they can retire with security and dignity. Republicans raided the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for tax cuts for the richest Americans and created the biggest deficits in our history. Democrats have it right: Protect Social Security with responsible budgets that pay as you go. And Democrats are committed to a healthy environment to strengthen and enforce the laws that keep our air clean and our water safe. Republicans continue their assault on bipartisan environmental protection. Democrats have it right: Polluters should pay for the messes they make! My friends, you are the people we work for! These are the values we stand for! These are the priorities we fight for! Prosperity! Opportunity! And security for all Americans! With our clear message, Democrats in the House are more united than at any time in the last 40 years! With our clear message, we have already taken two House seats from the Republicans in special elections this year, in Kentucky and in South Dakota. With our third straight win last week in North Carolina, House Democrats are leading the way in turning red states into blue! And with our clear message, Democrats will win the House of Representatives in November! We will win because ours is the Party that embodies the values and hopes of our great country. Democrats do not exploit fear to divide and distract the nation. The American people have wisely rejected those cynical tactics in time of war, in time of economic downturn, and in the ongoing struggle against all forms of discrimination. We are confident that the American people will choose hope and unity in November. In our fight for the American people and the future of our country, we are fortunate to be led by John Kerry, a patriot of vision and courage. John Kerry loves America. He was willing to sacrifice his life for our country. As president, he will build a future worthy of the vision of our Founding Fathers, worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and worthy of the aspirations of our children. John Kerry has already shown great judgment in choosing John Edwards - a tireless fighter who gives voice to the hopes and dreams of America's families. John Edwards understands the value of hard work, opportunity, and service. His is the story of the American Dream. With John Kerry as president, John Edwards as vice president, and a democratic majority in Congress - America will be stronger at home and respected in the world! My friends, we can win for the American people. We can do it. And on November 2, we will do it! Working together, we will win the House of Representatives and elect the first woman speaker of the House! We can do it! Working together, we will win the Senate and make Tom Daschle the majority leader once again! We can do it! And working together, we will win the White House by electing John Kerry and John Edwards the next president and vice president of the United States! We can do it!! We can do it! And, working together, we will do it! Source: Democratic National Convention Committee CONTACT: Peggy Wilhide of the Democratic National Convention Committee, +1-617-366-3100 Web site: http://www.dems2004.org/