 Mr. President, Madam Vice President, I'm honored to be here today representing the more than three million women and men of the Department of Defense. Thank you so much for walking with us and for making these historic nominations. Both of you lead by example, and the example that you set in all things is one of inclusiveness. You know that diversity of our nation makes us stronger, and that diversity in our military ranks makes us better at defending the American people. Just as critically, you know that leadership doesn't come conveniently packaged. You know that it comes from lived experience, everyone's lived experience. And today you are nominating for a combatant command to extraordinary military leaders whose lived experience encompasses nearly 70 years of uniform service in peace and in war. They have known sacrifice, they have known loss, and they have known victory. They have flown and fought for this country across the continents from the waning days of the Cold War right up to the modern days of wars that we still wage. General Richardson and her husband Jim deployed to war together in 2003 as helicopter battalion commanders flying dangerous missions over Iraq. And also Laura's brother and sister were serving there too, making national security something of a family business. General Van Ovest was a pioneer in the development of the Rugged C-17 cargo plane, conducting dirt takeoff and landings and air drops in this mammoth aircraft as one of its very first test pilots. In becoming a test pilot, she also achieved her dream of flying fighter aircraft even though women were still barred from flying in combat. And undeterred, she would later fly the KC-135 tanker in combat over the skies of Iraq and Afghanistan refueling numerous aircraft in support of the Joint Force. Each in their own way has been a trailblazer, even if that wasn't the goal. And each in their own way, like you, Mr. President and Madam Vice President, has led by example, and they still do. As General Van Ovest so eloquently put it not long ago, it's important to have firsts and onlys. Today Mr. President, your nominations ensure that all Americans, women and men alike, will see these two special people continue to lead at the highest levels. They will see them continue to defend this nation. And they will see, as you like to say, sir, the power of their example. And now it's my great pleasure to introduce another great leader, the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary, military and national security leaders, we're here today for an extremely important occasion. At this moment, we face global threats to our climate and our health, to our physical security and cybersecurity. Our capacity to meet this moment is determined both by our diplomatic strength and by our ability to build a strong, smart and sustainable military force. A force that recruits the most talented. A force that retains the most capable. A force that advances the best of the best. General Jacqueline Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Laura Richardson are some of the best, and in fact, I would say the best of the best. General Van Ovest graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1988. Since then, she has logged more than 4,200 hours in the air, and she serves today as commander of the Air Mobility Command. Lieutenant General Richardson was commissioned into the United States Army Aviation Branch in 1986. She has flown Blackhawks and commanded battalions, and today she serves as commanding general of the United States Army North. General Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Richardson have been tested under the most difficult circumstances, and they are proven leaders. The President and I have full confidence in them to address the complex threats we face, to help lead our troops and to keep our nation safe. As it is International Women's Day, I should also mention that General Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Richardson are but two of the many, many women who have defended our nation throughout our history. During the American Revolution, women rode horseback through enemy territory to transport sensitive military information. During the Civil War, women disguised themselves as men and fought for the Union Army. In World War II, women served as spars, as wax, as waves, and wasps. And today, women military members are stationed around the world. I say this to remind us, while it has only been five years since all combat jobs have opened to women, women have been in the line of fire, risking their lives to protect our nation long before that. Today we know women make up 16 percent of our active duty military and 19 percent of our enlisted officers. We also know that women want to serve, and that our military is stronger when they do. Look no further than General Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Richardson for proof. Recruiting more women to our military, adjusting policies to retain more women, enforcing policies to protect women and ensure they are heard, and advancing more women on fair and equal footing will, without any question, make our nation safer. And that's the work ahead. So for now, let me congratulate General Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Richardson. And with that, it is my great honor to introduce our Commander-in-Chief, President Joe Biden. Thank you, Madam Vice President. And thank you, Mr. Secretary. On Friday, I submitted to the Senate for confirmation my first slate of nominations for four-star command positions and our armed forces. Among them, two outstanding and eminently qualified warriors and patriots, General Jacqueline Van Ovest and United States Air Force, is currently the only female four-star officer serving in our military. I nominated her as Commander of the United States Transportation Command, and when confirmed, the Lieutenant General, Laura Richardson of the United States Army will be promoted to the rank and join General Van Ovest as another four-star general. I nominated her as Commander of the United States Southern Command, and when confirmed, they will become the second and third women in the history of the United States Armed Forces to lead combatant commands. Each of these women have led careers demonstrating incomparable skill, integrity, and duty to country. And at every step, they've also helped push open the doors of opportunity to women in our military, blazing the trail a little wider, a little brighter, for all proud women following in their path and looking to their example. And I wanted to shine the light on these accomplishments for those women today, because General Van Ovest is reiterated in an interview this last week, and I'm the second person to say this, it's hard to be what you can't see. It's hard to be what you can't see, but you'll soon see. Today is International Women's Day. And we all need to see and to recognize the barrier-breaking accomplishments of these women. We need the young women just beginning their careers in the military service to see it and know that no door will be closed to them. We need women and men throughout the ranks to see and celebrate women's accomplishments and leadership in the services. We need little girls and boys, both, who have grown up dreaming of serving for their country to know. This is what Generals in the United States Armed Forces look like. This is what Vice Presidents of the United States look like. So I'd like to spend just a few minutes today making sure that America knows who General Van Ovest is and Lieutenant General Richardson is, their aviators. Both learned to fly planes before they were old enough to drive a car. General Van Ovest, the first generation is the first generation American, the daughter of Dutch immigrants who owned a flying operation. She loved the freedom of flight and as a teenager flew herself to see Sally Ride lift off as the first woman in space, 16 years old, goes down to see Sally Ride. She said she was at several thousand feet watching from a distance. You know, women were banned from flying combat missions when the General joined the force. So she focused on becoming a test pilot. And instead of learning to fly just one plane, she learned to fly everything, including Air Force II when I was Vice President. General Van Ovest currently is overseas, Air Mobility Command, approximately 107,000 airmen and 1,100 planes that enable America's air power and humanitarian assistance to go everywhere in the world it need be. From flying water to Texas after the recent storms to ensuring our wounded warriors are evacuated from medical care from anywhere in the world, she gets it done. Lieutenant General Richardson's parents were proud patriots and must have rubbed off because Lieutenant General Richardson and her brother and sister all joined the Army. Her father encouraged her to join ROTC in college, even though that meant commuting to a different school. When Lieutenant General Richardson joined the Army, aviation brands, women were banned from flying attack helicopters. She flew in support of combat missions and conducting lift operations of her U.E.1, the so-called U.E., and the Blackhawks. Now as a commanding general of the United States Army North, Lieutenant General Richardson oversees military ground responses here in North America. All over the last year, that's meant getting military medical personnel deployed to help on our response to this pandemic. More than 4,500 military medical personnel deployed in hospitals across 14 states in the Navajo Nation to treat COVID-19 patients. It means more than 2,200 medical personnel are working or soon will be at vaccination sites in eight states and the United States Virgin Islands. I'm so proud of the incredible work Lieutenant General Richardson and her team have done to support the American people this year, and the American people are as well. They're warriors. They're crisis-tested commanders. The best of all, the best of all, they're not done yet. Neither of these incredible generals is resting on her laurels or on her stars. They're using their voices and actively working to change policies in the military to make it easier and safer for more women not just to join the military, but to stay in the military and to thrive. I'm incredibly proud that in 2015 under the Obama-Biden administration, we took the final steps to open up all positions in the military to anyone qualified to serve in them. The women who joined today's military aren't told no when they apply to fly fighter jets or attack helicopters just because of their gender. They aren't told no when they want to apply to Ranger school or infantry officer basic training, but they all know that there's much, much more work to be done to ensure that women's leadership is recognized and we have more diverse leaders. We reached the top echelons of command for all who are qualified, including all women, all women. And that all women feel safe and respected in our military, period. You know, some of it's relatively straightforward work where we're making good progress, designing body armor that fits women properly, tailoring combat uniforms for women, creating maternity flight suits, updating requirements for their hairstyles. And Saladin is going to take an intensity of purpose and mission to really change the culture and habits that cause women to leave the military. That women are making sure more diverse candidates are considering being considered for career advancing opportunities at every single level. The women aren't penalized in their careers for having children. The women aren't just token members, but integral parts throughout all branches and all divisions and that they can completely, fairly engage in promotion and compete all across the board, including on the, on age and gender neutrality and physical fitness test. You know that both members of the, of the, of the military couples can thrive while serving like Lieutenant General Richardson and her husband, Lieutenant General Richardson, who I might add I want to thank for getting me off a mountain that was about 12,000 to 14,000 feet up on a goat path when our helicopter went down in the snowstorm. It's good to see you, General. The ride down that mountain was more perilous in the truck than it was in the helicopter, but thank you. And we have to take on sexual assault and harassment and violence against women in the military. Sexual assault is abhorrent and wrong at any time. And in our military, so much of unicohesion is built on trusting your fellow service members to have your back. There's nothing less than a threat to our national security. I know Secretary Austin takes this as seriously as Vice President Harris and I do. That's why this first memo as Secretary was a directive to take on sexual assault in the military and why he stepped up independent review, he set up an independent review commission on sexual assault to make concrete recommendations for changes. This is going to be an all hands on deck effort under my administration to end the scourge of sexual assault in the military. And we're going to be focused on that from the very top. I know that we can do it. The U.S. military has defeated American enemies on land and air and at sea. And this is not beyond us. I want to thank General Van Ovest and Lieutenant General Richardson for their exemplary careers and service to our country. Their America's patriotism at its finest, undaunted and absolutely, absolutely able to do anything by any obstacle, determined to open wide the doors of opportunity and ready for the next challenge. It's my great honor to serve as your Commander-in-Chief and I look forward to hearing your active duty and recommendations of how we work together to keep the American people safe, meet every challenge in the 21st century. I just want to thank you both and I want to thank the former General, I keep calling him General, the guy who runs that outfit over there. I want to make sure we thank the Secretary for all he's done to try to implement what we've just talked about and for recommending these two women for promotion. Thank you all. May God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you, everybody. Mr. President, can you pass voting rights with the Senate filibuster in its current form? Do you think? I can talk to you about that. Okay. What about these votes that gets transgendered?