Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks about the “steady course” that Barack Obama will lead America in. (1:24)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says that the bailout bill that passed the House was about restoring confidence to the U.S. financial market. (1:05)

 

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Newt Gringrich says House speaker Nancy Pelosi can’t be critical of House Republicans for voting against the $700 billion bailout plan when Democrats hold a majority in the House. (0:36)

 

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House Democrats announced an upcoming vote in the House on what they called a comprehensive energy bill. “It’s time for an oil changes,” said Pelosi. She said that the bill will meet the “all of the above” strategy that House Republicans have called for. Pelosi was joined by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-Ill.)

Clyburn perhaps had the strongest criticism for his Republican colleagues for their previous “drill here, drill now” slogan calling it the “methadone treatment for oil addiction.”

Hoyer, the House majority leader, said that with energy legislation on the floor the Democrats will find out, “if what we are most interested in are solutions or campaign slogans.” He explained that Republicans have been calling to let energy legislation on the floor and now that the Democrats have moved their bill they will have the chance to vote on “comprehensive legislation.”

Pelosi was also very critical of John McCain saying that given the “fragility of our institutions” it was wrong for McCain to say that the economy is fundamentally sound. “Is a 500 point drop in the stock market sound?” she said as she criticized President Bush as “a bad manager.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks about how strong America has become since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11th.

 

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“The skies may be blue today, but we must remember this day seven years ago, when the skies were nothing but gray with ash,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said at the September 11th remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Hoyer was joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner. (R-Ohio).

A large number of spectators came to the west steps of the U.S. Capitol to remember those that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The United States Marine Corp Band played the National Anthem and other patriotic songs.

“Seven years ago, a band of whicked men attacked America and all that is represents. They had hoped that we would remember that day with fear and terrible confusion and doubt. But Septemeber 11th has become a day of solemn pride,” McConnell said during his speech.

Pelosi’s speech conveyed the strength that America has gained since September 11th. ” We gather to observe the unforgettable horror of September 11th. We gather to convey out deepest sympathies to the families of September 11th, many of whom have turned their grief into strength to make America safer,”

Following Pelosi’s speech there was a moment of silence where crying was heard for those that died. Senator Robert Byrd (D- W.Va.) could be heard through the ceremony shouting “Amen,”"Peace be with you,” and the faint sound of crying. At the conclusion of the ceremony the Marine Corps Band played God Bless America hundreds sang along as the Members of Congress hugged one another and waved American flags in the air.

House Republicans held a press conference today calling for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to allow a vote on comprehensive energy reform. Speakers said the Republican strategy would solve America’s energy crisis by developing renewable and alternative fuels, using clean coal and nuclear energy, and increasing the levels of American-produced oil and gas.

Rep. Thad McCotter (R-Mich.) attacked the “do-nothing, don’t-care” Congress via phone, saying Pelosi has allowed Congress to stay on vacation while the energy crisis remains unsolved.
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) outlined the Republican standpoint on energy, saying that “energy security is in effect national security.” Boehner also said that revenues gained by the US government from increased oil exploration would be used to fund renewable sources of energy. He concluded his statement, asking Pelosi to “give [Congress] a chance to show the American people we can produce what they want.”

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said that by 2030, America’s energy needs will have increased by 30 to 40 percent. He adds that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has discussed the need to increase the US’ nuclear energy supplies by 50% by that time, which the Arizona Senator believes would create 750,000 new jobs. “We cannot stay at home with [this] job undone,” Upton said.

“At last [women] have a seat at the table,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) exclaimed to a crowd of cheering supporters at the Symposium for Unconventional Women in Denver. Notable Congresswomen and other champions of women’s causes spoke on the issues facing women’s participation in the federal government. Protesters from anti-war organization Code:Pink interrupted Pelosi’s speech on several occasions to voice their opposition to the American military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In her speech Pelosi encouraged working women to run for federal office. “Isn’t it better to have working moms looking to Congress and seeing working moms?” she said. Pelosi’s words were echoed by Senator Claire McCaskill (D - MI) and Amy Klobuchar (D - MN) who recounted their experiences running for office as mothers.

The symposium also included women’s rights leaders Allana Goldman of She Should Run and Page Gardner of Women’s Voices, Women Vote. They noted the lack of single women running for office. Gardner said, “We can no longer afford to have single women sit on the sidelines of democracy.” Allana Goldman noted that while women tend to win elections at the same rate as men, too few are encouraged to run for office, a major reason that women constitute only 16% of Congress.

As Pelosi, the highest ranking female to hold office in the US, took the stage, members of Code:Pink rushed holding signs and pleading with the speaker to remove troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. One member denounced Pelosi from a balcony for supporting waterboarding and American military involvement in Afghanistan before being removed by security. Several members continued to interrupt Pelosi’s speech from the crowd, many insisting that Pelosi end the war. “I will stop the war,” Pelosi responded, while also saying she wished the protesters would “put their energy into voting for Barack Obama.”

Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) says that he never imagined that after defending our country while at United States Military Academy (Westpoint), he never imagined he would have to defend our congress from “coastal liberal elites” (:31).

 

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“Hearing [Nancy Pelosi's] name and ‘president’ in the same sentence makes me sick!” exclaimed Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) today on the floor of the House of Representatives. He and his fellow Republicans continued their speeches protesting Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision to call the Congress into recess.

“This is an ineffective Congress, I’m embarrassed to say”, said Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.). He went on to describe legislation passed so far in the 110th Congress, including a bill creating “National Passport Month” and another designating “National Plumbing Industry Week”. However, it is common for every session of Congress to pass these pieces of symbolic legislation. He said he advocated a diversified energy solution that utilizes both renewable sources of energy and allowing expanded oil drilling in coastal regions and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In a recent interview with CNN, Speaker Pelosi said that she would be open to holding a vote on energy reform that would expand drilling.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said that during Hurricane Katrina, no oil spills occurred. He went on to say that this is a testament to the safety of these oil rigs for the environment. Pitts also said that if more oil refineries were built within the US, which hasn’t happened in over 30 years, hundreds of thousands of new jobs could be created.

Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) said that since the construction of the Alaska Pipeline, the state’s caribou population has tripled despite environmental reports warning of harm to the animals. He credits the pipeline with keeping the caribou warm during extremely cold weather, thus contributing to the resurgence of the population.