By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

Two more House committees have passed versions of health care reform legislation following discussions that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning. That brings the total up to three out of the five House and Senate Committees that have now reported legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) noted in Friday’s press conference that this is the farthest comprehensive health reform has ever gotten in Congress.

The House Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) completed their discussion and reported legislation at around 2 AM Friday. The Committee on Education and Labor chaired by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) had an even longer discussion which lasted till 6 AM and came back at 9 AM to complete the votes.

Pelosi said, “Congress has made historic progress on health insurance reform that will put patients and doctors back in charge and ensure quality, affordable, accessible health care for America’s middle class.”

Pelosi also noted the recent endorsement from the American Medical Association (AMA) of America’s Affordable Health Care legislation.

“This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform…The AMA wants the debate in Washington to conclude with, real, long overdue results that will improve the health of America’s patients.”

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) joined the Speaker and two Chairmen to announce the “historic progress.”

“These next pivitol months will finally be our chance to deliver-and we will,” said Hoyer.

By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

Jonathan Bronstein recounts the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) recent comments during her weekly press conference. Pelosi asserted that the CIA knowingly lied to her and mislead the American people, and she even called for the creation of a Truth Commission in order to illuminate the facts about the CIA’s use of torture.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) responded to Pelosi’s allegations by warning her and other Democrats to be careful what they wish for because the commission’s discoveries may directly implicate them in the investigation.

Furthermore, Peter Brookes, an analyst for the Heritage Foundation, criticized the idea of a Truth Commission because he felt that it may hinder the CIA and other agencies from adequately protecting the American people.

But with each passing day the frustration of the American people mounts as they finally want to know what happened during the Bush Administration. (1:58)

 

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By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service

The slow revelation of the use of torture by the Central Intelligence Agency can be likened to a child slowly pulling off a band-aid and crying louder and louder with each hair pulled out of the follicle.

With each removed hair, or revelation in the news, the groans of the American people are only amplified as they want the truth about the CIA’s use of waterboarding and which U.S government officials knew but remained silent.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who was briefed by the CIA on interrogation techniques during September 2002, virulently denied that she knew the CIA employed water boarding.

In fact during a press conference this afternoon, she repeatedly answered numerous questions regarding her knowledge of when the CIA employed enhanced interrogation techniques, like waterboarding. She did this after her press secretary yelled out “last question.” Pelosi even answered as she was walked out of the room.

“I am speaking from my own experience, and we were told that it (waterboarding) was not being used,” said Pelosi emphatically.

Admitting that she was briefed by the CIA in September 2002, Pelosi said that the unnamed agent did not tell her that they used waterboarding, and promised her that the CIA would notify her if waterboarding was ever employed.

Pelosi said that the briefing in 2002 was “ incomplete and inaccurate,” as the waterboarding of terrorist and Bin Laden confidant, Abu Zubaydah, had occurred a month earlier.

After trying to clear her own name, Pelosi attempted to shift the blame to the CIA because it had not been forthright with information regarding the agency’s true actions.

“They (the CIA) misrepresented every step of the way, and they don’t want that focus on them, and they have tried to shift the focus on us (Congress),” said Pelosi.

At the same time of her briefing, Pelosi stated that “The Bush Adminstration was misleading the American people about the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”

As a result, Pelosi has been a leading advocate in the need for an independent “Truth Commission” that would work “to determine how intelligence was misused, and how controversial and possibly illegal activities, like torture, were authorized within the executive branch.”

However, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the “Truth Commission” a “politically motivated investigation into our intelligence agency.”

Boehner feels that such an investigation is “dangerous and wrong.

But if this investigation does occur, he wants to see all the information presented, including what Pelosi knew, when she knew it and what she did about it.

Additionally, Boehner believes that Pelois’s numerous stories have led to “more questions than answers,” and bluntly questioned if the Democrats were not being truthful themselves.

“When you look at the number of briefings that the Speaker was in and other Democratic members of the House and Senate its pretty clear that they were well aware of what these enhanced interrogation techniques were, they were well aware that they have been used,” said Boehner.

Pelosi’s statements have only stoked the flames of suspicion, and her calls for a “Truth Commission,” at least according to Boehner, may lead to some unintended and unwanted discoveries.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explains how the CIA has repeatedly lied to the American people, whether in Iraq or in regards to torture, and how they are now trying to shift the blame onto the American people. (0:24)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explains how she believes that the government needs to authorize a “Truth Commission” to look into any illicit activities done by the Bush Administration. Until that is done, she calls upon the proper committees to look into these issues. (0:22)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explains how she, as speaker, tried to pass a law banning torture, but it was vetoed by President Bush. Because the Democrats lacked the necessary amount of seats they were unable to override Bush’s decision. She knew that the only way torture would have been banned was through the election of a new president, and with President Obama, torture was once again banned. (0:22)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) attempted to clear-up any questions regarding how much she knew about the CIA’s use of waterboarding and when she knew that they did employ it. She unequivocally stated that she was given an “inaccurate and incomplete” briefing as waterboarding had already occurred at the time of the meeting, though the agent failed to mention this point. Also, she stated that the CIA lied to America at the same time in regards to their statements on weapons of mass destruction. (0:29)

 

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By Kayleigh Harvey and Celia Canon

At her weekly press conference today Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said: “There won’t be any more war supplementals. We have no expectation of that. My message to the members’ is the President has re-focused our efforts in Afghanistan, he has a path to ending the war in Iraq that will happen. So we have a plan for both places and this is the President’s request to fund that. I hope you can vote for it.”

 

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By Kayleigh Harvey and Celia Canon

At her weekly press conference Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her support for President Obama’s plan in Afghanistan. Pelosi said, “At last we have a plan and I support the President’s plan.”

 

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By Kayleigh Harvey and Celia Canon

At her weekly press conference today, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that 50 million seniors and disabled veterans will be receiving checks for $250 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

 

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