U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Penn.) says it’s time for President Obama to “step up” on health care reform and play a more active role than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). (0:32)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer welcomed economic experts to the Capitol today to discuss new job creation in the U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) fired back Thursday at what appears to be a major push by insurance companies to sway the health care reform debate.
“If anyone had any doubts about the need for such an option, you only need to look at the behavior of the health insurance industry this week,” Pelosi said during a press conference, referencing a report released by America’s Health Insurance Plans claiming health care costs would rise under the Senate Finance Committee’s bill.
Pelosi described the report as “totally discredited.”
The Speaker went on to explain that while the mandate requiring individuals to purchase insurance is becoming more widely discussed, support for the public option is growing in response.
“If you’re going to mandate that people must buy insurance, why would you sell them to the lions den of the insurance industry without some leverage with a public option?”
“We may call it something else by Tuesday,” Pelosi added. ‘It might have a better name.”
by Julianne LaJeunesse- University of New Mexico
The 14th Dalai Lama was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday to receive a Lantos Foundation award for his human rights service, and despite a missing President Obama, the religious leader still offered kind words and advice for “America… the greatest democratic country.”
“I think American weapons, military forces, of course, is to some people… you can take seriously,” the Dalai Lama said. “But the real greatness of America is your ancestors, or the principles. These are, at any cost, you must preserve these principles. That is important.”
Some of those principles could be in question with the Obama administration’s decision not to receive the Dalai Lama this week. The White House says Obama will meet with the leader after a November session with China’s President Hu Jintao in Beijing, a decision which the Dalai Lama says he understands.
At the Lantos Foundation ceremony, which was created to further late Rep. Tom Lantos’ work on human rights and justice issues within U.S. policy making, John McCain (R- Ariz.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the work of both Lantos, who died in 2008, and the Dalai Lama’s humanitarian efforts. McCain called the Dalai Lama “an example of a moral leader.”
McCain called the Dalai Lama, who won the Noble Peace Prize in 1989, a father to Tibet, despite the tensions between the exiled ruler and the Chinese government.
“For over half a century, he has led their struggle, petitioning governments and people of conscience throughout the world to lend their voice to the just demands of Tibetans,” McCain said. “He has endured the long trying years, and every setback for their cause, with an unyielding determination that is singular because of the patience, humility, and kindness that are his most admirable qualities.”
If Obama and the exiled leader don’t meet this year, it will mark the first time in 14 years that a U.S. president has not received the Dalai Lama. In 2007, the Dalai Lama received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, a ceremony attended by President George W. Bush.
Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) points out that 522,000 more jobs have been lost, placing the blame on President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) economic policy. Price says that the American people have lost faith in Pelosi and her “spin” (0:27)
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
This morning at a press conference on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the public on the H1N1 flu and the ‘Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights that is being voted on today.
Pelosi said the recent outbreaks of the swine flu are a high concern and advised people to use common sense.
“Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” said Pelosi.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) also attended the conference and spoke about the ‘Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009”
saying that it will provide consumers protection from consumer fraud and deception.
Maloney said that the bill will help level the playing field between credit card issuers and consumers and will ban some abuses like raising interest rates on existing balances and double cycle billing where they are charging interest rates or balances that have already been paid.
“This bill will provide 45 days notice if they’re going to raise an interest rate going forward so consumers can move on to another card, putting more competition into the system. It stops many of the tricks and traps of changing the terms and changing the due dates that trap consumers and very importantly, it stops the any time, any reason, the unrelated activity which they then say cause a rate increase and it will help many many consumers,” said Maloney.
Maloney called Molly Gordy, a working mom who lives in Manhattan and has two credit cards, a model consumer.
Gordy who has always paid her credit card bills on time recently received a notice from her card company that the interest rate on her card would increase from 13 percent to 19 percent on her existing balance along with new purchases.
“I called and yelled at the company and asked them ‘Why are they doing this? This is not what I signed up for!’ The customer service representative told me ‘Its because of the tough economy.’ That made me really mad because when I lost my job a few years back they didn’t
lower my rate.”
A week later Gordy says she received another letter from a different division from the same company offering her a new credit card with a zero percent interest on balanced transfers for the next 16 months.
“I had to laugh, well one part of the company is telling me there is no money to lend to me, as an existing customer, another party is offering me free lending as a new customer. In my world we call that bait and switch…. If I make a contract with someone they should not be able to change it just because they can.,” said Gordy.
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
In the midst of Congressional infighting over the $3.5 trillion budget proposed by Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling it responsible.
Republicans say the budget proposed by Democrats will put the U.S. in ruinous debt with unnecessary spending, and will create no assurance of a return for such a substantial investment.
“The difference of opinion on these budgets is indeed a difference of principle,” said Pelosi this morning at a press conference.
Pelosi said the proposal provide a tax cut for 95% of Americans, which, she said, will bring more fairness to the tax code.
“It’s about the principle of opportunity,” said Pelosi. When asked what investments for education the budget will bring, Pelosi answered: “It’s about opportunity in education, about fairness in our healthcare, about fairness in the tax code, it’s about security.”
Pelosi said that under her watch, Congress has done more for education than any in one time in U.S. history.
Pelosi called the Republican budget proposal a “hollow shell of a budget” and that the increase in tax cuts to the wealthy makes an assault on social security benefits, medicare, and medicaid.
When asked about the how the legislative agenda will continue after the break, Pelosi said Congress have to first “reconcile” the budget.
“The President asks for action swift and bold. That is what we are doing,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during her weekly news conference.
The Speaker drew special attention to the economic stimulus package, indicating that the first crucial step is to create jobs immediately which will ultimately promote economic stability. Pelosi did not address any specific or special concerns regarding what President Obama will or will not do regarding tax cuts.
“The American people are in a desperate situation, they expect and demand action to relieve the economic crisis that they’re experiencing in their own families,” Pelosi noted.
Speaker announced that there will be a meeting tomorrow led by President Obama. The meeting will take place at the White House with Congressional leaders to discuss the recovery package in greater detail.
During a pen and pad session, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) stated that the meeting will also be attended by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-Ky.), and Senate Minority Whip John Kyl (R-Ariz).
The tourists continue to pour onto the House Floor while Republicans continue their week-long talking tangent.
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) explained his perspective on the history of the “Greatest Generation” of World War II. Other subjects he covered were Communist Russia, industrialization, and the Civil Rights Movement. He said the test of this generation is the energy challenge. (more…)
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) welcomed respected national leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to speak at its 25th annual conference. The National Leadership Luncheon kicked off with a $1 million donation to NALEO from State Farm Insurance Companies. (more…)
