The House interrupted its normal business for a few minutes yesterday, not long before it went back to the job of funding George Bush's war. The break in the action was not a national story - yet - but the results of what transpired will be.

This was the swearing-in of Donna Edwards, who wrested a House seat from Al Wynn, eight-term incumbent and tool of every special interest in Washington. Donna won a special election Tuesday (June 17) to fill the remainder of Wynn's term - he having left Congress after his primary defeat in April to take a cushy lobbying job.

Take note. She's a local story now, more or less, but will be a national story before too long. Her maiden speech to the House (yes, that's the quaint term used to describe a Member's first floor remarks) made it clear she was going to lay down some markers and not back off. She showed her mettle by being one of the 155 who voted against continuing to fund the war. She also voted against the FISA "compromise" that would allow such grave Constitutional abuses.

Let's go to the video:

The brief speech is remarkable on many levels. It brings in her heritage as an African-American woman, as the daughter and sister of men who served in the military and as a progressive who knows why she is in the House, and what goals she will work towards.

I was watching the swearing in from the visitor's gallery in the House chamber with Donna's family and friends. We were above the Democrats' side, with the Speaker's dais to our left. Up and behind the Speaker is a gallery different from the rest that surround the House. Instead of chairs, this one has little stools, and long tables. It's the press gallery, where I spent many, many hours over the past few years. It's been a while since I sat back there, and I occasionally miss it. But yesterday, there was no other place in the House chamber I'd rather have been than right where I was.

The gentlewoman from the state of Maryland is recognized:

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, Leader BOEHNER, our majority leader and the dean of our delegation of the great State of Maryland, our Senators, BARBARA MIKULSKI and BEN CARDIN, thank you. I'm so glad that you could be here today, and to our entire delegation from Maryland, I am humbled and honored to be here in the people's House. And I want to thank my mother, Mary, and my sisters, Janice, Bonnie and Rhonda, my brother, Michael, and my son, Jared, for being here with me today and being so supportive of me.

As I swore to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, I recall the oath that my brother, John, took when he was just 18 years old, joining the United States Air Force at the height of the Vietnam War. And most especially I thought of my father, John Edwards, who swore the same oath when he joined the United States Air Force as a young man and served in a career of great honor, dignity and service to this country.

And what I thought is that I am so proud to be able to take that same oath to serve the people of the Fourth Congressional District and to serve the United States Congress and the people of this country.

I'm standing here today on a very historic day, Juneteenth. And as the first African American woman to represent the great State of Maryland here in this Capitol and on the shoulders of all of our forefathers and foremothers who took that journey to freedom, I am so proud and humble to be here with my constituents throughout the Fourth Congressional District, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, united across race, religion, class, income, heritage and culture and all of the things that are the false lines that divide us. But we're united as a congressional district, and we're as united as we can be as a country. And in some micro way, in our Fourth Congressional District, I think that we're fulfilling the dream of this entire Nation.

Last February in Maryland's Fourth District, we sent a strong message that it's time for a change across the Potomac and up to this Hill. And this past Tuesday, they sent another message. They said ``change can't wait until next year.'' And so today I'm an agent of change and an agent of their mandate. And America's profile, though slightly tarnished around the world and with our economy teetering slightly here at home, we can only hope that we don't wait for that change to happen until next January, that my constituents have said to me, we can't wait for change to begin. We can't wait 6 months to do something about foreclosures forcing thousands of Marylanders, thousands of people across this country and in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties away from their homes. And we can't wait 6 months to address skyrocketing costs of gas and groceries while we engage in short-term solutions that abound without focusing on the long-term solutions for alternative energy and things that really will propel us through this 21st century.

I just want to say in closing that our brave servicemen and women, many of them like my brother and my father, can't wait for change either. And people do need help now. And so, more than anything else, I want to join with you in making that change happen. I know that this House is filled with an awfully lot of really good-hearted people who represent congressional districts just like mine across the country. And they're asking us to come together. And I want us to answer that call together. And so I'm here with my sleeves rolled up, and I'm ready to work. And I'm ready to get started, just as you are, in serving the people of the Fourth Congressional District and this country.