Pelosi: "Congress Adjourning Without Addressing Urgent Needs of Americans"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=58636

Pelosi: 'Congress Adjourning Without Addressing Urgent Needs of Everyday Americans'

12/22/2005 6:06:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Brendan Daly or Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616, both of the Office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today about the unfinished business that remains at the end of the first session of the 109th Congress:

"Congress is adjourning without addressing the urgent needs of everyday Americans, including skyrocketing home heating costs and the confusing Medicare prescription drug benefit.

"In the scramble to leave Washington, Republicans have given more for special interests, at the expense of the American people. Despite the win this week for the American people to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska from oil drilling, and the delay in approving the immoral Republican budget, more must be done to address the priorities of everyday Americans.

"In the defense spending bill that passed today, Congress included virtually unlimited liability protections for the medical industry, while dropping $2 billion in funds for energy assistance needed to help families heat their homes this winter. Further, Republicans cut defense spending by $4 billion, which could adversely affect military pay and cut support for our troops in harm's way in Iraq. These cuts were all designed to make room for tax cuts for the wealthy, while leaving our seniors in a time crunch to sort out the complicated and confusing Medicare prescription drug benefit.

"When Congress belatedly returns on January 31, we must change these wrong priorities. Democrats urge Republicans to join our efforts to:

-- restore $2 billion for energy assistance to help millions of families pay home heating bills;

-- give seniors more time to choose a prescription drug plan instead of facing harsh penalties;

-- restore the $8 billion cuts in the Defense spending bill, including defense, homeland security, education and health care; and

-- delete a last-minute special interest provision to provide virtually unlimited liability protection to the drug industry, while providing unfunded compensation to any potential victims

"The American people cannot afford another year in which their needs are ignored while the special interests are rewarded. Democrats vow to make a New Year's resolution to make America better by putting the priorities of the American people first. And we will start by working to undo the damage Republicans inflicted in the last days of this Congressional session."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[gratuitous]

1. Excellent press release, Ms. Pelosi

Too damn bad neither the Republicans nor the house organs in the major media will give it any play. There's a war on Christmas going on, you know.

[The-Cynic]

2. Pelosi likes to hear herself talk

What have we evolved to, when we're talking just to be talking. O'Lielly will have Nanceys head tonight, he'll say "These liberal atheists are talking national security and very important gibber babber that most of you and me don't understand, when she should be praying to baby jesus! I say this is a hard back example of liberal elitists trying to tell us what we should do, you know what I say america? We don't care, we should be worrying about celebrating our holidays---oops I mean Christmas days, and that oops was another example of my liberal atheist teleprompter, DAMN THOSE LIBERAL SCUM WHO INVENTED THE TELEPROMPTER!"



Mark my words, that's exactly what will come out of Pelosi opening her mouth. Maybe she should take some leadership for once, then maybe I'll actually read what she said and answer this post properly, until then......WATCH OUT!

[gratuitous]

4. And what would you have Pelosi do?

She can't get booked on the O'Lielly program, Faux News ignores her, and the popular media are too busy trying to figure out where Heaven is. Folks score her when she doesn't say anything, and as we see here, folks score her when she does say something. Got a constructive alternative?

[eve_was_framed]

5. well said and thanks!

[The-Cynic]

9. sarcasm not on DU's mind eh?

Thats sad, that means many of my posts must be offensive when they arn't supposed to be....I thought it only happened on sites like FreeConservatives, but I'm changing my mind ever so quickly.

[OldLeftyTreeHugger]

10. Until then -Watch Out! Eh?

Offensive is offensive. There was no redeeming value in what you said, sarcasm or not. But there is the sarcasm tag you can use. It might make your stay here somewhat less offensive?

&&&&&&&&&&&&

I'm glad Pelosi is speaking out, 'cept she left out election reform. Without faith in our election system, we can have no faith in our government.

[texpatriot2004]

3. Thank you Nancy Pelosi, you are right. nm

[radio4progressives]

6. Personally, i feel compelled to give credit to the Dems for hanging

tough together for the most part, at least better than in past sessions.

i really wish they'd work on that a bit more going forward..

but am i the only person that absolutely hates this year's party slogan?

"America Can Do Better" ? (!) wtf?

i just think it's soooo lame...

[katejones]

7. I would have to agree with you there

How about- Giving America a Future

[Hidden Stillness]

8. They are Starting to Find Their Way

I just heard David Obey of Wisconsin give one of the greatest, and most serious, statements on the floor of the House on Thursday, and C-SPAN replayed it twice after its original live broadcast that afternoon. It was about the Defense Appropriations Bill, which had the ANWR drilling thankfully killed, but a whole group of protections for medical corporations are still there, where victims of drugs or medical products could not sue, no matter what the damages. It was yet another of the apparently endless examples of Republicans lying to Democrats--in writing, this time--that something would be the final version of a bill, then adding on many, many pages more later, secretly, and demanding a vote.

Obey went down a whole list of Republican disgraces, calling this the worst session in Congress that Obey had ever had, and promising to call for inquiries as to the manipulations that Republicans now routinely use to enforce their lobbyist-centered one Party rule. There is no rule of law anymore, there are no checks and balances; there is no relationship between the two Parties anymore, since Republicans turned away from the country and the people, and now consult only with corporate lobbyists and neo-con think tanks.

This is where Democrats have to concentrate, and where we will start to come back as a Nation. If we cannot influence legislation or stop some of these abuses during this horrible time, then let us call attention to that very threat. We should not only make more of a point to explain how these things are being done exactly, and what former rules in Congress have been destroyed, but should attack Republicans when they do all these shitty little things, instead of trying to be "nice" to them, or avoid fights. This is where we should concentrate the attacks, so people will have a chance to react to what Republicans are doing, and possibly, maybe, even propose new rules that will end some of their crap.

If you heard Obey on Thursday on the floor, with this great, strong, and very serious speech, this is the kind of thing we all need to do more often. Pelosi has also gotten better and is not so annoyingly giggly anymore, but if we refuse to take this shit, and launch investigations and "J'accuse moments" like Dreyfus, this horror may end up being our way out.