Free Republic

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 07/16/2008 Pelosi Statement on Bush Administration Effort to Redefine Contraception as Abortion Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on reports that the Bush Administration’s is drafting a proposed rule that would place new restrictions on domestic family planning programs. While current law already allows health care providers and professionals to refuse to provide abortions based on their religious beliefs, this provision would threaten the funding of organizations and health facilities if they do not hire people who would refuse to provide birth control. “If the Administration...

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 07/15/2008 Pelosi on Gas Prices: ‘It’s the Economy, Mr. President’ Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders today held a news conference with economic experts following an economic forum this morning. At the forum, five national economic experts endorsed Democrats’ call for the President to immediately release a small amount of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce energy prices for American consumers. Below are selected comments by the Speaker on energy: “The President said today that he would not support the release of the oil...

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 07/14/2008 Pelosi Statement on President Bush Lifting the Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on President Bush's announcement lifting the executive ban on drilling in protected coastal areas: “Once again, the oilman in the White House is echoing the demands of Big Oil. "The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence. It just gives millions more acres to the same companies that are sitting on nearly 68 million acres of public lands...

He was a fighter pilot in World War II, bombing targets in Europe to stop Hitler. But former Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern says that didn't qualify him to run the country--and the same goes for GOP presumptive nominee John McCain. ``I don't have any regrets about that,'' the antiwar Democratic stalwart said in a brief interview yesterday on Capitol Hill. ``While bombing is a terrible thing, we smashed Hitler's oil refineries all over Europe.'' ``But I don't recall ever saying that experience as a bomber pilot equipped me to be very strong on how to run...

"One place where Senator McCain used to offer change was on immigration. He was a champion of comprehensive reform, and I admired him for it," [said] Obama....."But when he was running for his party's nomination, he walked away from that commitment. He said he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote.....If we are going to solve the challenges we face, we can't vacillate, we can't shift depending on our politics."

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 06/18/2008 Pelosi Statement on Bush Call for End to Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in reaction to the President’s comments at the White House urging Congress to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration: “Oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres of public lands they have already leased, but President Bush and Senator McCain want to award them with even more. “Americans are suffering under the Bush-Cheney-McCain...

June 6, 2008 Reid: Bush-McCain Republicans Block Global Warming Bill, Squander Another Opportunity To Strengthen Economy, National Security Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today after Senate Republicans blocked the Climate Security Act of 2008: “We saw this morning yet another example of Bush-McCain Republicans refusing to address one of the most important issues of our time. Given the opportunity to solve the urgent energy and economic crises of today and environmental crises of tomorrow, they ran away from the debate. “Time and again Democrats have given Republicans the opportunity to address the rising cost of...

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama -- Final Primary Night Tues., June 3, 2008 19:02:11 ET Tonight, after fifty-four hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end. Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have been traveled. Millions of voices have been heard. And because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or...

The Wisdom In Talking By John F. Kerry Saturday, May 24, 2008; A21 As President Bush commemorated Israel's 60th anniversary by attacking Barack Obama from overseas, here at home he found an all-too-frequent ally: John McCain. When Bush accused "some" -- including Obama, Bush aides explained -- of "the false comfort of appeasement," McCain echoed this slander. "What does he want to talk about with [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad?" McCain asked, fumbling to link Obama to the Iranian president's hateful words. Soon, a GOP talking point was born. Lost in the rhetoric was the question America deserves to have answered: Why should...

Behold the “global test” in action. Pray tell, dear Waffles, from whom will we be reclaiming it? "Dialogue helps us isolate Ahmadinejad rather than empowering him to isolate us. More important, even if we fail to reach an agreement, engaging Iran will spark three conversations likely to strengthen our position… The third conversation is with the world. By engaging Iran, we reclaim the moral high ground — no small feat. If Iran refuses to budge, we have new leverage to expose it as a threat whose bad intentions cannot be explained away." I’m curious to hear how Iran’s intentions might...

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 05/17/2008 Speaker Pelosi Statement on Visit to Iraq Jerusalem - In preparation for Memorial Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a bipartisan congressional delegation flew today from Israel to Iraq to express the appreciation of the Congress to our troops for their patriotism, their courage, and their service to our country. The delegation met with General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Mahmud al-Mashhadani, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi issued the following statement: “In the meetings in Baghdad today, I...

........"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," the President said to the country's legislative body, "We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is –- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

WAHSINGTON, DC – Senator John Kerry made the following statement today, in response to President Bush’s partisan attacks from Israel’s Knesset. “President Bush is still playing the disgusting and dangerous political game Karl Rove perfected which is insulting to every American and disrespectful to our ally Israel. “George Bush should be making Israel secure, not slandering Barack Obama from the Knesset. If George Bush believes engagement with Iran is appeasement, the first thing he should do when he comes home is demand the resignation of his own Cabinet. Secretary Gates and Secretary Rice have both favored negotiations with Iran. “The...

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 05/02/2008 Pelosi Statement on Disappointing April Jobs Report, Fourth Straight Month of Job Losses Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi today released the following statement this morning after the Department of Labor released its employment report for April showing a loss of 20,000 jobs, the fourth consecutive month of job losses: “Today’s jobless numbers, combined with slowing consumer spending and nearly flat wage increases, are additional evidence of the need for Congress and the President to work in a bipartisan way on additional steps to get our economy back on...

The Iraq Status report has a translation of al-Qaeda's Zawahiri's call to do or die in Iraq. The full text follows after the Read More. The most comedic moment comes when he tries to revile Moqtada al-Sadr as a poseur and a loser; saying in effect that the Boy Wonder is all hat and no cattle. What old whiskers fails to realize is that he might very well be talking about himself. "Iraq today is now the most important arena in which our Muslim nation is waging the battle against the forces of the Crusader-Zionist campaign. Therefore, backing the mujahidin...

: ‘I Join You in Issuing a Challenge to Rebuild and Renew America’ Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered the keynote speech at the Regional Plan Association luncheon in New York City today. Below are her remarks as prepared: “Congressman Earl Blumenauer is a leader in the tradition of our Founding Fathers. They were disrupters of the status quo in a time that demanded change. Congressman Blumenauer is a magnificent disrupter today in an era that calls upon us again to reject old ways of thinking. “In our nation’s history books, he will be found among the innovative thinkers...

Pelosi Statement on President’s Announcement on Climate Change Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today ahead of President Bush’s expected announcement this afternoon of Administration efforts on climate change: “After seven years of denying the seriousness of the climate crisis and delaying tough action to save the planet, President Bush finally will discuss the subject this afternoon. With just nine months left in his term, the White House has already made clear that the President’s announcement today will not reverse his record on global warming before he leaves office. “The President should encourage the efforts of...

Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 04/14/2008 Pelosi: ‘President’s Failed Economic Plan Has Stiffed the American People’ Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded this afternoon to President Bush’s comments at the White House this morning. Below are her remarks: “This morning, once again, President Bush demonstrated how out of touch he is with the concerns of America’s working families. Many people in our country are afraid or concerned about losing their jobs and/or losing their homes. But almost everybody in our country is concerned about losing their living standard. As the cost of groceries, gasoline, heath...

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 04/09/2008 Pelosi Statement on House Removing Timetable from Consideration of Colombia Free Trade Agreement Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel held a news conference immediately following their Democratic Caucus meeting this morning. Below are the Speaker’s opening remarks, on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement: “Good morning. On Monday, I received a call from the President saying that he would be sending over the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to the Congress. I recommended against that course of action to the President, because I think we...

Two top Democrats on Friday called for the resignation of U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, citing questions about his leadership and his agency's operations during the national housing crisis... Democrats have raised allegations about potential improper political interference at HUD, particularly regarding to the use of contracts and federal spending. Mr. Jackson has consistently denied wrongdoing. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.) and Sen. Patty Murray, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that controls HUD's appropriations, sent a letter to President George W. Bush on Friday calling for Mr. Jackson's removal. "Unfortunately, the allegations surrounding Secretary...