1
00:00:14,939 --> 00:00:19,711
>> good afternoon, thank you for being here, this is a momentous

2
00:00:19,711 --> 00:00:23,114
occasion for the council of columbia.

3
00:00:23,114 --> 00:00:27,485
I will note the swearing in is taking place today and not

4
00:00:27,485 --> 00:00:30,622
earlier because we have to wait until the board of

5
00:00:30,622 --> 00:00:34,894
formally certifies the results for the june 16 election, which

6
00:00:34,894 --> 00:00:41,494
they did today. It is under the home rule act we

7
00:00:41,699 --> 00:00:43,935
are required, or we are supposed to swear in the winner of the

8
00:00:43,935 --> 00:00:51,135
election on the same day. So here we are, would have been

9
00:00:52,420 --> 00:00:56,514
a few weeks earlier if the votes could be tallied more quickly.

10
00:00:56,514 --> 00:00:59,585
I mean no shade to the board of elections, they did the process,

11
00:00:59,585 --> 00:01:04,522
that is why we are here today in the middle of july.

12
00:01:04,522 --> 00:01:09,728
I want to congratulate alyssa silverman for her victory.

13
00:01:09,728 --> 00:01:13,598
with rain choice voting, everyone said before june 16 how

14
00:01:13,598 --> 00:01:17,200
many candidates would have to go through the ranking and how long

15
00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,802
it would take. She commanded enough votes that

16
00:01:22,573 --> 00:01:26,773
she won her first ballot, so congratulations.

17
00:01:33,585 --> 00:01:38,985
I will note there is always someone newly elected.

18
00:01:45,163 --> 00:01:48,700
I know the newly elected folks have to figure out where the

19
00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:53,500
bathrooms are, as they say, and the processes.

20
00:01:54,706 --> 00:01:57,442
we know she has experienced, so she will be able to hit the

21
00:01:57,442 --> 00:02:01,642
ground running. This is a consequential time,

22
00:02:05,250 --> 00:02:09,120
and I will proceed to ask the councilmember elect to come

23
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,289
forward. I think you want some family to

24
00:02:11,289 --> 00:02:17,289
come forward, then we will administer the oath of office.

25
00:02:31,943 --> 00:02:33,943
[applause] [applause]

26
00:02:53,298 --> 00:02:59,898
>> over on that side. You can stand between me and the

27
00:03:07,512 --> 00:03:11,115
councilmember -- if you would raise your right

28
00:03:11,115 --> 00:03:13,515
hand. Repeat after me.

29
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,630
>> I alyssa silverman >> do solemnly swear.

30
00:03:25,630 --> 00:03:28,866
>> that I will faithfully execute the laws of the united

31
00:03:28,866 --> 00:03:31,669
states of america. >> that I will faithfully

32
00:03:31,669 --> 00:03:33,872
execute the laws of the united states of america.

33
00:03:33,872 --> 00:03:37,472
>> end of the district of columbia.

34
00:03:37,942 --> 00:03:39,911
>> and will to the best of my ability.

35
00:03:39,911 --> 00:03:42,480
>> and will to the best of my ability.

36
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,880
>> preserve, protect, and defend.

37
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,416
>> preserve, protect, and defend.

38
00:03:48,850 --> 00:03:50,455
>> the constitution of the united states.

39
00:03:50,455 --> 00:03:53,158
>> the constitution of the united states.

40
00:03:53,158 --> 00:03:55,894
>> and the district of columbia home rule act.

41
00:03:55,894 --> 00:03:58,960
>> and the district of columbia home rule act.

42
00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:00,832
>> and will faithfully discharge the duties.

43
00:04:00,832 --> 00:04:02,834
>> and will faithfully discharge the duties.

44
00:04:02,834 --> 00:04:07,118
>> of the office of member. >> of the office of member.

45
00:04:07,118 --> 00:04:10,287
>> of the office of the council of district columbia.

46
00:04:10,287 --> 00:04:13,657
>> on which I'm about to enter. >> on which I'm about to enter.

47
00:04:13,657 --> 00:04:15,657
>> congratulations. >> thank you.

48
00:04:17,461 --> 00:04:19,461
[applause]

49
00:04:41,285 --> 00:04:46,850
>> and I think we will get some remarks.

50
00:04:46,157 --> 00:04:50,357
>> very brief. >> as long as you want.

51
00:05:02,506 --> 00:05:08,779
>> while we are waiting, I want to acknowledge -- council matt

52
00:05:08,779 --> 00:05:12,979
fruman, anita bonds, chad white are here.

53
00:05:13,717 --> 00:05:18,356
because the date was unclear, other members could not be here.

54
00:05:18,356 --> 00:05:23,127
but I want to acknowledge them for being here.

55
00:05:23,127 --> 00:05:28,527
>> thank you for being here. >> my fellow washingtonians, it

56
00:05:41,278 --> 00:05:45,582
is exhilarating. To be in a room full of people

57
00:05:45,582 --> 00:05:52,423
dedicated to making our home the nation's capital, a better d.c.

58
00:05:52,423 --> 00:05:57,223
for all. This is not my first time

59
00:05:57,961 --> 00:06:05,161
reciting the oath of office, it is not my first time standing

60
00:06:05,502 --> 00:06:11,909
before you vowing to uphold the constitution, to defend bc home

61
00:06:11,909 --> 00:06:17,647
rule and to do everything in my power to improve the lives of

62
00:06:17,647 --> 00:06:21,847
washingtonians. There are many wise people I

63
00:06:24,655 --> 00:06:28,359
could quote about the power of resilience.

64
00:06:28,359 --> 00:06:33,759
from harriet tubman to nelson mandela, to rocky balboa.

65
00:06:37,101 --> 00:06:42,272
but we are here in the wilson building, and the most

66
00:06:42,272 --> 00:06:49,120
appropriate person to quote is the man known as the mayor for

67
00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:55,612
life, marian and barry junior. His endorsement of me in the

68
00:06:57,621 --> 00:07:02,292
2014 at large dc council race took many people by surprise.

69
00:07:02,292 --> 00:07:07,692
and it catapulted me to my first electoral victory.

70
00:07:08,499 --> 00:07:12,699
he also made a big political comeback.

71
00:07:14,710 --> 00:07:18,575
the mayor is known for saying, it is not how you get knocked

72
00:07:18,575 --> 00:07:26,550
down, it is how you get back up. I think it went further on to

73
00:07:26,550 --> 00:07:30,530
say when you knock it down, he advised to get knocked down on

74
00:07:30,530 --> 00:07:34,853
your back, that way you can look up.

75
00:07:38,696 --> 00:07:46,136
and he always said, if you can look up, you can get up.

76
00:07:46,136 --> 00:07:52,736
so I have a few thoughts to add given my experiences.

77
00:07:53,711 --> 00:07:58,549
in the first thing is you cannot get up alone.

78
00:07:58,549 --> 00:08:06,423
you can do it by yourself, you need others to help lift you up.

79
00:08:06,423 --> 00:08:13,230
because when you are knocked down, whether losing a job you

80
00:08:13,363 --> 00:08:19,363
love, or losing a person you love, or navigating illnesses,

81
00:08:20,770 --> 00:08:22,406
or facing a bully, it is disorienting.

82
00:08:22,406 --> 00:08:27,206
you lose your's sense of direction and identity.

83
00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,418
and you need others to remind you of your strengths, of your

84
00:08:34,418 --> 00:08:41,180
integrity, of your promise, and of your hopes for the future.

85
00:08:41,992 --> 00:08:49,192
the people who surrounded me are the core of those people who

86
00:08:50,100 --> 00:08:57,900
helped me, and I look around this room and I see the people

87
00:08:59,610 --> 00:09:02,946
who lifted me up. I'm thinking of others who

88
00:09:02,946 --> 00:09:06,784
helped me from near and from afar who can't be here today.

89
00:09:06,784 --> 00:09:12,784
it was in acts that were very big and small.

90
00:09:13,890 --> 00:09:17,940
helping me put one foot in front of the other.

91
00:09:17,940 --> 00:09:23,100
and in this very public setting, I want to say thank you.

92
00:09:23,100 --> 00:09:26,970
thank you guys so much. I would not be standing here

93
00:09:26,970 --> 00:09:31,770
without you. I will never forget the lunches

94
00:09:32,176 --> 00:09:38,776
and the dinners, the trips, the check in phone calls, the

95
00:09:39,490 --> 00:09:44,187
emails, the movies we went to, the bike rides, the dinners, the

96
00:09:44,187 --> 00:09:50,127
tennis games, and all the love you express to me.

97
00:09:50,127 --> 00:09:57,327
thank you so much. And in some ways as a city over

98
00:09:57,802 --> 00:10:03,202
the last few years, we have been knocked down.

99
00:10:03,774 --> 00:10:10,374
whether by a worldwide pandemic, or by a reckless president, and

100
00:10:10,614 --> 00:10:16,614
a congress that has lost its moral compass and backbone.

101
00:10:16,694 --> 00:10:21,232
for some washingtonians, this is not a new feeling, it is a

102
00:10:21,232 --> 00:10:25,702
generational struggle. It has been a challenge for more

103
00:10:25,702 --> 00:10:30,507
than a few years. Having the feeling that they can

104
00:10:30,507 --> 00:10:34,946
no longer live here. That they wonder whether there

105
00:10:34,946 --> 00:10:41,152
is a place for him here, a home for them here.

106
00:10:41,152 --> 00:10:47,658
for others, it has been recent. I'm thinking of a woman that I

107
00:10:47,658 --> 00:10:51,128
met at a movie night, the movie was hamilton, I was not there to

108
00:10:51,128 --> 00:10:57,268
watch the movie, pretty much all I do is collect signatures and

109
00:10:57,268 --> 00:11:01,539
hand out campaign literature for the past six months.

110
00:11:01,539 --> 00:11:05,810
in all seriousness, she intentionally came up to me and

111
00:11:05,810 --> 00:11:09,714
told me she lost her job with usaid.

112
00:11:09,714 --> 00:11:16,187
it has been more than a year of trying to get back on her feet.

113
00:11:16,187 --> 00:11:21,358
hundreds of job applications she has filled out that just seem to

114
00:11:21,358 --> 00:11:26,597
go out into a black hole. Difficulty collecting bc

115
00:11:26,597 --> 00:11:29,967
unemployment, I know something about that.

116
00:11:29,967 --> 00:11:32,103
she lost her turn-based health insurance and access to health

117
00:11:32,103 --> 00:11:36,303
care. And she worries every day about

118
00:11:38,243 --> 00:11:44,981
how she can pay her bills and whether it really makes sense.

119
00:11:44,981 --> 00:11:49,781
I know how terrifying and isolating that feels.

120
00:11:50,121 --> 00:11:53,721
I have been there. For days.

121
00:11:54,959 --> 00:11:59,759
and weeks. And I have to say years.

122
00:12:01,899 --> 00:12:05,736
what I want to say to my fellow washingtonians is I'm here.

123
00:12:05,736 --> 00:12:11,509
if you think no one else is here, I'm here to lift you up.

124
00:12:11,509 --> 00:12:17,715
and I see it in my role that we somewhat jokingly call alyssa

125
00:12:17,715 --> 00:12:23,715
2.0, to make sure that d.c. Government works well, works

126
00:12:25,156 --> 00:12:29,693
efficiently, works effectively, works competently to help you

127
00:12:29,693 --> 00:12:36,100
get back up if you need that help, to get back on track.

128
00:12:36,100 --> 00:12:39,350
we need d.c. Government to get our city back up, our city back

129
00:12:39,350 --> 00:12:45,442
on track, to be that place of great opportunity for all, the

130
00:12:45,442 --> 00:12:51,515
light of the world in that shining city on a hill.

131
00:12:51,515 --> 00:12:58,589
it is time to get back up. I'm here to remind you we are a

132
00:12:58,589 --> 00:13:03,594
city of very talented residents, unique and incredible local

133
00:13:03,594 --> 00:13:06,594
businesses, creative entrepreneurs, public policy

134
00:13:08,666 --> 00:13:13,670
experts, even a few lawyers, of compassionate and caring people

135
00:13:13,670 --> 00:13:19,543
who know that our strength is in our growing diversity.

136
00:13:19,543 --> 00:13:24,815
in our mix of people who grew up in this city, like mayor bowser,

137
00:13:24,815 --> 00:13:28,151
like our likely future mayor, janeese lewis george, and people

138
00:13:28,151 --> 00:13:32,951
sitting here today. Two in the front row.

139
00:13:34,291 --> 00:13:39,564
and then there are others like me, like marion barry, who came

140
00:13:39,564 --> 00:13:43,634
to the city because of its promise like president douglas,

141
00:13:43,634 --> 00:13:48,434
jose andres, like many of you as well.

142
00:13:49,707 --> 00:13:56,907
we cannot do this work alone. We need to do it together.

143
00:13:56,914 --> 00:14:01,719
and when we disagree, we need to find common ground to move

144
00:14:01,719 --> 00:14:06,123
forward together. To all those d.c. Voters, many

145
00:14:06,123 --> 00:14:11,129
of whom are in this room, who helped me get to this moment,

146
00:14:11,129 --> 00:14:16,300
who voted for me in all eight wards, and to the organizations

147
00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:18,969
and unions who supported me and endorsed me.

148
00:14:18,969 --> 00:14:25,569
thank you. I will work as hard as I can for

149
00:14:25,743 --> 00:14:27,211
you. And to those who did not vote

150
00:14:27,211 --> 00:14:33,351
for me, to those groups that did not endorse me, I represent you

151
00:14:33,351 --> 00:14:38,751
as well. I will never forget that I will

152
00:14:39,823 --> 00:14:43,527
work equally hard for you as well.

153
00:14:43,527 --> 00:14:46,565
I had the chance to thank councilmember doni crawford for

154
00:14:46,565 --> 00:14:53,765
her service to the city, we met tuesday morning before the last

155
00:14:56,173 --> 00:14:58,844
legislative meeting and we had a very good conversation.

156
00:14:58,844 --> 00:15:03,914
I look forward to continuing to work with her.

157
00:15:03,914 --> 00:15:07,985
I also had the opportunity to sit down with the state board of

158
00:15:07,985 --> 00:15:10,385
education president, sean patterson.

159
00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,793
we talked about how we can partner with the ward 7 and ward

160
00:15:15,793 --> 00:15:20,531
eight council members on getting our kids back in school and

161
00:15:20,531 --> 00:15:24,401
bringing more and better economic development to our

162
00:15:24,401 --> 00:15:28,100
communities east of the anacostia river.

163
00:15:28,205 --> 00:15:32,109
I look forward to working with -- as well.

164
00:15:32,109 --> 00:15:37,681
we have many challenges ahead, some are in our control, some

165
00:15:37,681 --> 00:15:41,152
are not. What is important, I have

166
00:15:41,152 --> 00:15:47,752
learned, is how we respond. That we keep our integrity of

167
00:15:48,492 --> 00:15:51,829
making this government by the people and for the people, that

168
00:15:51,829 --> 00:15:57,829
we maintain our morality, that all residents should live in

169
00:15:58,536 --> 00:16:02,740
dignity, and that we do not give into political beliefs and

170
00:16:02,740 --> 00:16:08,646
understand that power should be used to uplift the many, not

171
00:16:08,646 --> 00:16:13,183
just the chosen few based on what we look like or how much

172
00:16:13,183 --> 00:16:16,754
money they have, or who they know.

173
00:16:16,754 --> 00:16:22,930
it is time to get back up, d.c., time to get to work.

174
00:16:22,930 --> 00:16:25,369
and I'm here to do the heavy lifting.

175
00:16:25,369 --> 00:16:30,607
thank you. And I hope you will join me

176
00:16:30,607 --> 00:16:35,407
downstairs, my new counsel office for happy hour

177
00:16:36,146 --> 00:16:41,180
celebration will fuel us to start this important work ahead.

178
00:16:41,180 --> 00:16:45,818
see you downstairs, thank you chairman mendelson for

179
00:16:47,958 --> 00:16:52,729
administering the host, thank you for my colleagues, for being

180
00:16:52,729 --> 00:16:58,335
here, and everyone coming today to be a part of this moment.

181
00:16:58,335 --> 00:17:01,238
I think I have to sign a few papers apparently and make this

182
00:17:01,238 --> 00:17:04,838
all official. So thank you again.

183
00:17:09,346 --> 00:17:13,249
it is truly my honor to represent you and represent this

184
00:17:13,249 --> 00:17:16,249
city. Thank you so much.

185
00:17:37,874 --> 00:17:42,678
>> thank you very much, that is the end of this event.

186
00:17:42,678 --> 00:17:45,780
congratulations, councilmember alyssa silverman.

187
00:17:54,157 --> 00:17:56,157
the --