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.”

Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico /Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) Thursday urged Rep. Chuck Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign from his position as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“This is a time for Speaker Pelosi, who promised to drain the swamp, to have the most open and ethical congress in history… she has not done it yet,” he said.

Boehner also commented on the Defense Authorization Bill, calling the hate crimes legislation attached to it, “radical, social policy that is being put…on the backs of our soldiers… this is an abuse of the legislative process.” Added Boehner, “I’m offended by it!”

In response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee’s release this week of its healthcare reform bill following what Boehner called, “a mysterious delay,” the Ohio Republican lobbied for mandatory public review of all bills. He added that he will propose a resolution to ensure that all bills that come to the floor are available to members of the public for 72 hours before they are voted on.

The Leader also called on President Barack Obama to request that Gen. Stanley McChrystal testify before Congress regarding his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan.

At a news conference near the U.S. Capital Wednesday, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was asked by an unknown male what his thoughts on a statement apparently made by Rush Limbaugh comparing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to a Nazi. Blunt dismisses the question, stating that the questioner lacks legitimate press credentials. (0:32)

 

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Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) says he signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to reject the Senate Finance Committee’s proposed excise tax because he feels “pressure to protect the people of the United States of America.” (0:36)

 

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By Meagan Wiseley – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) presented a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi today urging her to reject any excise tax on high-cost benefit health care plans. The letter comes in response to the Senate Finance Committee’s proposal for a 40 percent tax on “cadillac plans,” or plans that feature expensive premiums.

“The proposed tax on benefits undermines a basic principle of the reform proposals – to build on the employer-based heath care system,” said Courtney.

Courtney said he hopes the letter will send a clear signal to House leadership that an excise tax on heath plans will be an “additional and substantial tax burden” on working class families and middle class individuals.

Beyond the “cadillac” plans, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) said that he believes this tax will impact a larger number of individuals around the country who have higher coverage plans because they live in “high-cost regions” or have “high-risk jobs.”

Rather than an excise tax, Stark suggested a surcharge in the House health reform bill which would raise taxes on those making $500,000 a year or more. “Over 99 percent of earners would not be affected by the surcharge,” said Stark.

In addition to Reps. Courtney and Stark, 156 other members of the House Democratic Caucus have cosigned the letter.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says the idea of a “trigger” for a public option is an ineffective distraction in the health care reform debate. (0:17)

 

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By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she “absolutely” supports a 72-hour waiting period to allow Congress to read over the healthcare reform legislation before a final vote.

On Wednesday, Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment to put the bill online for a three-day waiting period.

House lawmakers then introduced a petition that urged Pelosi to hold a vote on the bill and give members of Congress and the public time to review the bill in its final form.

When asked by a reporter on Thursday about whether or not she supported a measure to put the final bill online for 72 hours she said, “Absolutely, without question.” Following the press conference, a spokesman for the Speaker confirmed that Pelosi had agreed to allow the waiting period.

The Speaker’s comments marked a slight departure from her position earlier this summer to allow 48 hours of review on healthcare legislation before bringing it to a vote.

Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became uncharacteristically emotional Thursday when asked how she felt about the increasingly hostile political climate. Pelosi said she is concerned over the heated rhetoric because she has seen it turn violent in the past.

“I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because I saw this myself in the late ’70s in San Francisco,” Pelosi said during her weekly press conference, suddenly becoming teary eyed. “This kind of rhetoric was very frightening.”

Although Pelosi did not specify, this seemed to refer to the murders of gay activist and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Harvey Milk and city mayor George Moscone in 1978. Pelosi was a California based Democratic activist during the 1970‘s and knew both MIlk and Moscone at the time of their murder. She went on to say that government officials should be cautious with statements made to the public.

“I wish that we could all curb our enthusiasm in the statements that we make and understand that some of the ears that it’s falling on are not as balanced as the person making the statement might think,” Pelosi said.

Pelosi added she is grateful that the U.S. allows so much freedom, but noted that with that freedom comes responsibility.

“Our country is great because people can say what they think and believe,” she said. “But I also think they have a responsibility for any incitement that they may cause.”

When asked about the Senate Finance Committee’s healthcare reform proposal Pelosi said she expected to see many changes before the legislation passes through the House.

“We’re just seeing the first blush of the Senate bill,” she said. “We hope that we can persuade them to our point of view.”

Pelosi said that she expected to see a public option, although the Finance Committee bill does not contain one.

“I fully support the public option,” Pelosi said. “A public option will be in the bill that passes the House of Representatives.”

When answering questions over her position on the allegations facing the community organizing group ACORN, she said any group that receives funds from the government need to be under tough scrutiny. Pelosi said the behavior of some at ACORN was inexcusable.

“A few of the individuals at ACORN did what I think is…despicable, and in any event, totally unacceptable,” she said.

She said it will be up to the Appropriations Committee to evaluate whether or not ACORN will continue to receive government funding.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) met with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at the Capitol Wednesday.

 

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By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took Paul Simon’s Capitol Hill appearance Wednesday as an opportunity to reference some selections from the prolific songwriter’s catalogue, comparing the health care reform debate to a 1970’s Simon and Garfunkel tune.

“If there were ever a time we have troubled waters, it’s now,” Reid said, referring to the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” “If there were ever a bridge that we need over these troubled waters, it’s passing comprehensive health care reform.”

“If we could do that, we could really say we had diamonds on the soles of our shoes,” Reid added. “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” appeared on Simon’s 1986 album “Graceland.”

Simon, who penned hits “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” attended Tuesday’s press conference to promote the Children’s Health Fund, an organization co-founded by Simon to provide health care for underprivileged children.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined Simon as well, but shied away from any puns.