Continuing their protest, the House Republicans held a press conference in Statuary Hall in the Capitol with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) said Congress must come back from its five-week vacation and produce an up-or-down vote on the Republicans’ American Energy Act. He said the Republicans will continue their protest on the House floor without microphones and lights until they get their vote.

Gingrich said there are pro-energy Democrats as well as pro-Energy Republicans. He said that although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will block any vote, he is confident that the bill will achieve a majority when Congress returns in early September. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said Democrats and Republicans can come together to make lasting pro-energy changes, but Speaker Pelosi must call back Congress, or at the very least schedule a vote on the first day Congress returns. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) called on Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to speak to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) about bringing back the Senate as well, as the push for pro-energy legislation should be a two-party effort.

After the press conference, at 11:00 a.m., Putnam and Foxx, among other representatives, retreated to the House floor to continue their protest. Representatives spoke in front of more than four hundred tourists in the chamber. Putnam said that every day the House is out of session is another day the U.S. is dependent on foreign energy. The crowds in the chamber gave a massive standing ovation when Foxx declared the United States “the greatest country in the world.”

In his weekly pen and pad briefing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer discussed the schedule for the week ahead in addition to the achievements that the House Democrats have accomplished this session. Hoyer stated that H.R. 6049 The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 will be on the floor Wednesday and Thursday and the S.Con.Res. 70 on the Conference Report on the Concurrent Budget Resolution for 2009 will pass in the House, the first time a report such as this has passed since 2000. In addition to these bills, H.R. 5658 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 will finish with discussion on Friday. (more…)

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

MS. PERINO: Hi. The President had his normal briefings at 8:00 a.m. At 11:35 a.m. he will interview with Mike Allen for a Yahoo.com news interview in the Roosevelt Room. And then at 5:30 p.m. he and Mrs. Bush depart the White House on their way to the Middle East. We’ll go to Jerusalem tonight.
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Speaker Pelosi held a press conference today to discuss the current gas price crisis. Speaker Pelosi was insistent that work is being done to address the issue citing many experiences from ordinary Americans and their gas tribulations. She recounted stories from citizens that not only are having trouble finding work near home, but the fact that they then have to drive farther to find work making there income become seemingly non-existent factoring in the gas costs to travel to and from work.

The Speaker also addressed strengthening GI programs. She was adamant about welcoming our veterans home and having appropriate health care and educational programs available to them.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks about high gasoline prices at her press conference with children and media for National Take Your Kids to Work Day. (0:59)

 

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During her press conference on National Take Your Kid to Work Day, Speaker Pelosi answers a question from a young man about who the next president should be. (0:27)

 

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held a briefing to speak with children and their parents on “Take Your Kid to Work Day,” but did not pass on an opportunity to allege President Bush of not doing enough to lower high gas prices beforehand.

Pelosi called on the President to suspend purchases of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which she said could lower gas prices from anywhere between 5 to 24 cents a gallon. Speaker Pelosi said that more affordable gas prices would provide our economy with the “critical” first step it needs to rebuild our dreary financial situation. (more…)

On the steps of the Capitol Building, Speaker Pelosi discusses the benefits of the House passing mental health and addiction bill at a Wellstone Action rally. (0:30)

 

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Non-profit organization Wellstone Action led a rally on the steps of our nation’s capitol building supporting the House passage of a bill ending insurance discrimination against the mentally handicapped. Speakers at the rally included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

The speeches of Pelosi and Hoyer were preceded by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN). Each speaker urged that the mentally ill should be treated and insured just as other sickly patients are.

The most emotionally stirring sentiments of the afternoon came from former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Carter, with a distinct soft Southern accent, addressed the crowd with a short speech voicing her satisfaction about finally seeing the bill passed by the House, after years of failed efforts.

Rep. Kennedy was particularly hopeful that the bill would be passed by the President in coming weeks. Pelosi reminded supporters that passage of this bill would help insure that soldiers returning from Iraq could have access to the mental health care they would likely need upon returning from duty.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) addressed the media following a walkout of the House staged by Republican Representatives this afternoon, regarding the democrats’ lack of urgency to pass the soon to be expired FISA bill.

Pelosi alleged that the “urgency” Bush stressed in his speech regarding FISA this afternoon, was not as pressing as the President made it seem.

Also, Pelosi noted that Bush “manipulated the facts” with FISA and that the democrats were trying hard to get a bill passed. She stressed her hope that a bi-partisan agreement could be reached as soon as possible.