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Showing posts with label Nancy Pelosi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nancy Pelosi. Show all posts
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Pallone Statement on Selection as Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2014
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement today after being nominated by the House Democratic Caucus to become the next Ranking Minority Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee:
“I am deeply honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve as Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity to lead my party in promoting the values that first compelled me to enter public service and that continue to motivate me today. I am fully committed to developing real solutions to the challenges that average Americans face, while building an agenda that will make our party stronger for years to come.
“Over the last year, it has been a privilege to speak with members of the caucus about our shared vision for the futures of both the committee and our party. I am excited to work together to make this vision a reality.
“I want to extend my profound appreciation and deepest gratitude to the entire Democratic Caucus, especially those who have encouraged me along the way. The outpouring of support has been humbling.
“I look forward to working closely with Congresswoman Eshoo and all of my colleagues to continue delivering on the Democratic promise to the American people.”
***********
Congratulations Congressman Pallone on being selected as the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee over Nancy Pelosi's wishes!!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
EDITORIAL: IT IS A TIME TO MAKE PROGRESS ON GENDER EQUITY
By John Currie
Earlier this week, I joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the House, at Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics for a conversation about her career.
Pelosi’s story is incredible, as is her record of working to improve the lives of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. She argued convincingly for the need to promote of women in politics and across society, and I was struck by the truth and simplicity of her message: “When women succeed, New Jersey succeeds.”
Ensuring that women — our mothers, sisters, and daughters — have the same opportunities as their male counterparts is not a political issue. Nor is it a “women’s” issue or a “Democratic” issue. It is a family issue, and an economic issue.
It is in everyone’s interest to keep children learning and parents earning by promoting fair pay, a proper work and life balance, and affordable childcare. Doing so can make us all more prosperous while strengthening the backbone of our country’s economy, the middle class.
Why, then, are we not making progress on these fronts?
Sadly, Republican obstructionism is to blame.
The Republican-controlled Congress is obsessed with repealing and undermining the Affordable Care Act and the protections the historic law includes. For example, they would allow health insurance companies to again consider womanhood a preexisting medical condition. That is not going to happen.
Washington Republicans are also standing in the way of progress. They prevented increases in the minimum wage, delayed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and refused to promote access to affordable, high quality childcare. They would not consider improving paid family and medical leave, and they denied a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act… the list examples goes on.
Such misguided priorities beg the question: is the Republican Party really so out of touch with America’s needs, and those of women in particular?
A recent CNN Poll says yes. A majority of Americans, “do not believe the Republican Party understands the problems and concerns of women today,” the report said.
The irony is that the Republicans know their approach is flawed. After President Barack Obama’s reelection, Republican leaders admitted that their party was alienating huge swaths of voters. Operatives argued for reaching out to communities of color, being more inclusive of gay Americans, and, notably, attracting more women to the party. They commissioned an “autopsy report,” which recommended, “a forward-leaning vision for voting Republican that appeals to women.” Then, they organized seminars to teach their candidates how to talk to women, how to talk about women, and how to run against women. But, mistakenly, they failed to rethink their policy priorities.
Sadly, this is not just an inside-the-beltway dilemma. New Jersey’s scandal-plagued governor, Chris Christie, is no better. His agenda has never been friendly to women or the middle class.
Governor Christie has vetoed equal pay legislation multiple times and he opposed paid family leave. He even argued that raising the minimum wage was “just an irresponsible thing to do” and “a truly ridiculous idea,” despite compelling economic evidence to the contrary.
When given the opportunity to help women access health care services and bring funds to the state, Christie did neither. Our governor eliminated nearly $7.5 million for family planning services that would have been matched 9-to-1 by federal funds.
Yes, you read that correctly. Rather than saving $45 million a year, Christie preferred to deny thousands of women access to mammograms and other basic health care services.
These are fundamental issues, not abstract concerns, that have tangible affects on working women and their families.
Consider the gender wage gap. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, women in New Jersey are paid 78 cents for every dollar paid to men, creating a yearly $13,413 gap between what full time working men and working women earn. Meanwhile, African American women were paid 64 cents and Latinas just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. The organization estimated that closing that gap would help working women pick up the tab for basic family expenses: 103 more weeks of food; 6 more months of mortgage and utilities payments; 12 more months of rent; or 3,848 more gallons of gas.
Democrats have always stood with women, and we will continue to fight for fair and equal treatment under the law. We understand that the impact of so-called women’s issues is not gender specific — everyone sitting around our kitchen tables is affected by such societal inequities.
As the next election approaches, I am hopeful that the Republican Party will see the error in their ways. It’s time to make progress on gender equity.
John Currie is the Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
Earlier this week, I joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the House, at Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics for a conversation about her career.
Pelosi’s story is incredible, as is her record of working to improve the lives of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. She argued convincingly for the need to promote of women in politics and across society, and I was struck by the truth and simplicity of her message: “When women succeed, New Jersey succeeds.”
Ensuring that women — our mothers, sisters, and daughters — have the same opportunities as their male counterparts is not a political issue. Nor is it a “women’s” issue or a “Democratic” issue. It is a family issue, and an economic issue.
It is in everyone’s interest to keep children learning and parents earning by promoting fair pay, a proper work and life balance, and affordable childcare. Doing so can make us all more prosperous while strengthening the backbone of our country’s economy, the middle class.
Why, then, are we not making progress on these fronts?
Sadly, Republican obstructionism is to blame.
The Republican-controlled Congress is obsessed with repealing and undermining the Affordable Care Act and the protections the historic law includes. For example, they would allow health insurance companies to again consider womanhood a preexisting medical condition. That is not going to happen.
Washington Republicans are also standing in the way of progress. They prevented increases in the minimum wage, delayed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and refused to promote access to affordable, high quality childcare. They would not consider improving paid family and medical leave, and they denied a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act… the list examples goes on.
Such misguided priorities beg the question: is the Republican Party really so out of touch with America’s needs, and those of women in particular?
A recent CNN Poll says yes. A majority of Americans, “do not believe the Republican Party understands the problems and concerns of women today,” the report said.
The irony is that the Republicans know their approach is flawed. After President Barack Obama’s reelection, Republican leaders admitted that their party was alienating huge swaths of voters. Operatives argued for reaching out to communities of color, being more inclusive of gay Americans, and, notably, attracting more women to the party. They commissioned an “autopsy report,” which recommended, “a forward-leaning vision for voting Republican that appeals to women.” Then, they organized seminars to teach their candidates how to talk to women, how to talk about women, and how to run against women. But, mistakenly, they failed to rethink their policy priorities.
Sadly, this is not just an inside-the-beltway dilemma. New Jersey’s scandal-plagued governor, Chris Christie, is no better. His agenda has never been friendly to women or the middle class.
Governor Christie has vetoed equal pay legislation multiple times and he opposed paid family leave. He even argued that raising the minimum wage was “just an irresponsible thing to do” and “a truly ridiculous idea,” despite compelling economic evidence to the contrary.
When given the opportunity to help women access health care services and bring funds to the state, Christie did neither. Our governor eliminated nearly $7.5 million for family planning services that would have been matched 9-to-1 by federal funds.
Yes, you read that correctly. Rather than saving $45 million a year, Christie preferred to deny thousands of women access to mammograms and other basic health care services.
These are fundamental issues, not abstract concerns, that have tangible affects on working women and their families.
Consider the gender wage gap. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, women in New Jersey are paid 78 cents for every dollar paid to men, creating a yearly $13,413 gap between what full time working men and working women earn. Meanwhile, African American women were paid 64 cents and Latinas just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. The organization estimated that closing that gap would help working women pick up the tab for basic family expenses: 103 more weeks of food; 6 more months of mortgage and utilities payments; 12 more months of rent; or 3,848 more gallons of gas.
Democrats have always stood with women, and we will continue to fight for fair and equal treatment under the law. We understand that the impact of so-called women’s issues is not gender specific — everyone sitting around our kitchen tables is affected by such societal inequities.
As the next election approaches, I am hopeful that the Republican Party will see the error in their ways. It’s time to make progress on gender equity.
John Currie is the Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee
Monday, January 18, 2010
Pelosi: "We will have healthcare -- one way or another"
From Slate.com
House speaker sounds confident of reform passage, even with a big loss for Democrats possibly on the horizon
BY ALEX KOPPELMAN
Given what looks like the impending loss of the party's Senate supermajority, Democrats have reason to be down in the dumps about healthcare reform. But if that's the way House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's feeling, she's not showing it publicly.
"Let's remove all doubt, we will have healthcare one way or another," Pelosi said during an event in San Francisco on Monday. "Certainly the dynamic would change depending on what happens in Massachusetts. Just the question about how we would proceed. But it doesn't mean we won't have a health care bill."
There is one way to pass the bill, even without 60 votes in the Senate, that's getting a lot of attention now. But Pelosi probably won't like it, and neither will a fair amount of her members.
The procedure in question would involve simply having the House vote on the bill that the Senate has already passed. That would mean avoiding yet another cloture vote in the Senate, one Democrats would be likely to lose if their caucus is down to 59 members after the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
House liberals will be upset about this idea, and progressive activists would likely be angry as well, but it may well be the only option left, and Democrats are reportedly leaning towards it. On Monday night, the New York Times reported: "The White House and Democratic Congressional leaders, scrambling for a backup plan to rescue their health care legislation if Republicans win the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday, are preparing to ask House Democrats to approve the Senate version of the bill, which would send the measure directly to President Obama for his signature."
House speaker sounds confident of reform passage, even with a big loss for Democrats possibly on the horizon
BY ALEX KOPPELMAN
Given what looks like the impending loss of the party's Senate supermajority, Democrats have reason to be down in the dumps about healthcare reform. But if that's the way House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's feeling, she's not showing it publicly.
"Let's remove all doubt, we will have healthcare one way or another," Pelosi said during an event in San Francisco on Monday. "Certainly the dynamic would change depending on what happens in Massachusetts. Just the question about how we would proceed. But it doesn't mean we won't have a health care bill."
There is one way to pass the bill, even without 60 votes in the Senate, that's getting a lot of attention now. But Pelosi probably won't like it, and neither will a fair amount of her members.
The procedure in question would involve simply having the House vote on the bill that the Senate has already passed. That would mean avoiding yet another cloture vote in the Senate, one Democrats would be likely to lose if their caucus is down to 59 members after the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday.
House liberals will be upset about this idea, and progressive activists would likely be angry as well, but it may well be the only option left, and Democrats are reportedly leaning towards it. On Monday night, the New York Times reported: "The White House and Democratic Congressional leaders, scrambling for a backup plan to rescue their health care legislation if Republicans win the special election in Massachusetts on Tuesday, are preparing to ask House Democrats to approve the Senate version of the bill, which would send the measure directly to President Obama for his signature."
Sunday, July 19, 2009
CBO Scores Confirm Deficit Neutrality of Health Insurance Reform Bill
The estimates also cover important reinvestments in Medicare and Medicaid, including phasing in the closing of the “donut” hole in the Medicare drug benefit.
The estimates issued by the CBO are good news for President Obama and the Democrats in congress because they show that indeed, health insurance reform can be deficit neutral and pay for itself.
Here is what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to say on her blog:
"The CBO report confirms that The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act delivers on a critical promise President Obama and the House have made to the American people: health insurance reform legislation will be paid for.
After an historic day yesterday when two out of three committees in the House passed the legislation, Congress has made major progress on health insurance reform that will put patients and doctors back in charge, ensure quality, affordable, and accessible health care for America’s middle class and control the spiraling costs of health care through innovative reforms.
As the legislative process moves forward, we will continue to look for ways to squeeze more savings out of the system."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Congressional Democrats announce earmark reforms
After this week's media coverage of the heavily earmarked omnibus spending bill, leading congressional Democrats and the Appropriations Committee triumphantly announced two earmark reform recommendations this morning. President Obama, who helped write the committee's recommendations, admitted that the $410 billion spending bill was imperfect but insisted that “important progress” was being made.
The reforms were published today in a joint release from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. The Democrat-led initiative has two facets, both focusing on increasing the power of the executive branch. The first part of the reform specified a review by an “appropriate executive branch agency.” A review, according to the document, will ensure that “the earmark is eligible to receive funds and meets goals established in law.” The second part of the recommendation is aimed at cutting down for-profit earmarks; earmarks directed towards for-profit entities will have to undergo a “competitive bidding process” in order to be a part of legislation. The bidding process will also be run by the executive branch.
If these recommendations are enacted by Congress, this will be the third stage of reforms aimed at fixing the earmark problem. In January 2007, the House of Representatives enacted a set of rules concerning earmark ownership and fiscal interest, as well as a 1-year earmarking moratorium. And starting with fiscal year 2010, new earmarks come with a homework assignment for their owner; all Members’ requests for earmarks are to be publicly disclosed on their website with an explanation of why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer money. The new fiscal year will also bring a permanent earmark 'budget'. No more than 1% of the total discretionary budget will be used for congressional district's pet projects.
Read More >>>Here
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Dems: GOP will pay political price for stimulus vote
Democrats are blasting House Republican leaders for pressing their conference to vote against the stimulus bill and warn the party that it will face political consequences.
In a memo on the “Republican Problem” to “interested parties” that was e-mailed to reporters on Thursday morning, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) charged Republicans with acting in a “partisan and irresponsible manner.”
By voting against the $819 billion stimulus package, spokesman Brendan Daly said Republicans were rejecting tax cuts, jobs in their communities and critical services such as health care. He also rejected arguments that a Republican alternative bill focused on additional tax cuts would have created more jobs.
Republicans say their bill would have created 6 million jobs, while Democrats count 3 million jobs created from the package approved by the House.
Daly all but explicitly said Republicans were playing politics on the bill against a Democratic Congress and president, noting that in 1993, the last time a Republican minority faced a Democratic majority and president, they voted against a budget bill en masse.
“There’s a pattern here of Republican economic mismanagement and Democrats stepping up to do what’s needed for the good of the country while Republicans acted in a partisan and irresponsible manner,” Daly wrote.
Read more >>> Here
Obama gets his stimulus but not bipartisan support
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) herself rose to the chair to call the final vote, which was 244-188. Eleven Democrats joined every Republican in opposing the bill.
Although Democrats erupted in cheers after final passage, it was somewhat of a bittersweet victory for the majority, which has been championing what it claimed to be the bipartisan nature of the economic recovery bill.
The massive bill – which has been the top priority of both President Obama and congressional Democrats – will have to be reconciled with a companion bill working its way through the Senate that is now nearly $900 billion with the inclusion of a one-year patch for the alternative minimum tax intended to prevent its application to middle-class taxpayers. Democratic leaders are preparing for a bicameral conference to iron out what could be significant differences between the two bills.
The House bill was a mixture of tax cuts and spending proposals that deviated in detail from the president’s initial proposal, and that divided the chamber along party lines.
Although Democrats erupted in cheers after final passage, it was somewhat of a bittersweet victory for the majority, which has been championing what it claimed to be the bipartisan nature of the economic recovery bill.
The massive bill – which has been the top priority of both President Obama and congressional Democrats – will have to be reconciled with a companion bill working its way through the Senate that is now nearly $900 billion with the inclusion of a one-year patch for the alternative minimum tax intended to prevent its application to middle-class taxpayers. Democratic leaders are preparing for a bicameral conference to iron out what could be significant differences between the two bills.
The House bill was a mixture of tax cuts and spending proposals that deviated in detail from the president’s initial proposal, and that divided the chamber along party lines.
Read more >>> Here
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Rangel To Reintroduce Military Draft Measure
The Hill - Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) likely will introduce his controversial legislation to reinstate the draft again this year, but he will wait until after the economic stimulus package is passed.
Asked if he plans to introduce the legislation again in 2009, Rangel last week said, “Probably … yes. I don’t want to do anything this early to distract from the issue of the economic stimulus.”
Rangel’s military draft bill did create a distraction for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) soon after Democrats won control of Congress after the 2006 election.
In the wake of that historic victory, Pelosi said publicly that she did not support the draft and that the Democratic leadership would not back Rangel’s legislation. She also said Rangel’s legislation was not about reinstating the draft but was instead “a way to make a point” about social inequality.
Reintroducing the military draft bill, which would attract media attention, will be trickier for Rangel in 2009 than it was a couple years ago because the Ways and Means Committee chairman is now under investigation by the House ethics committee.
Democratic leaders have given Rangel a leading role in helping craft the new economic stimulus bill despite an array of ethics allegations that have surfaced over the last several months. The charges have ranged from failing to report rental income on a villa in the Dominican Republic to an alleged quid pro quo involving a legislative favor for a donor to an education center bearing Rangel’s name.
Read More >>>HERE
Asked if he plans to introduce the legislation again in 2009, Rangel last week said, “Probably … yes. I don’t want to do anything this early to distract from the issue of the economic stimulus.”
Rangel’s military draft bill did create a distraction for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) soon after Democrats won control of Congress after the 2006 election.
In the wake of that historic victory, Pelosi said publicly that she did not support the draft and that the Democratic leadership would not back Rangel’s legislation. She also said Rangel’s legislation was not about reinstating the draft but was instead “a way to make a point” about social inequality.
Reintroducing the military draft bill, which would attract media attention, will be trickier for Rangel in 2009 than it was a couple years ago because the Ways and Means Committee chairman is now under investigation by the House ethics committee.
Democratic leaders have given Rangel a leading role in helping craft the new economic stimulus bill despite an array of ethics allegations that have surfaced over the last several months. The charges have ranged from failing to report rental income on a villa in the Dominican Republic to an alleged quid pro quo involving a legislative favor for a donor to an education center bearing Rangel’s name.
Read More >>>HERE
Friday, January 9, 2009
HOLT ENCOURAGED BY AGREEMENT ON IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE INVESTMENT TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Rush Holt (NJ-12) today was encouraged by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee’s forum on the components of an economic recovery plan to spur job creation and create long-term growth – a discussion that included an exchange about the importance of investing in science innovation and infrastructure. Holt, a member of the Steering and Policy Committee, has long argued that investment in physical sciences and energy research can lead to sustained economic growth.
“Today’s forum strengthened the case that we can’t view science research and development as something the government can fund only in times of good economic health,” Holt said. “Innovation infrastructure will create jobs in the short term and drive the economy in the long term, and I am confident we will include it in the recovery plan we send to President Obama.”
Last month, Holt hosted a roundtable discussion at Princeton University, along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressional leaders, and national leaders in the science and technology community to highlight the importance of innovation infrastructure to ensure long-term American competitiveness. Today, two of those participants - Norman Augustine, Former President and CEO, Lockheed Martin and author of the “Rising Above the Gathering Storm”, and Maria Zuber, E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – reiterated the need to include science funding in an economic recovery bill. Speaker Pelosi and Chairman George Miller, also participants at the Princeton roundtable, today voiced support for including science funding.
“We need to bolster existing high-innovation areas, and we will need to create new areas….The United States has led virtually every technology revolution since the mid-1800s, but it is by no means certain that we will lead the energy revolution,” Zuber said.
Contact: Zach Goldberg
202-225-5801 (office)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Rush Holt (NJ-12) today was encouraged by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee’s forum on the components of an economic recovery plan to spur job creation and create long-term growth – a discussion that included an exchange about the importance of investing in science innovation and infrastructure. Holt, a member of the Steering and Policy Committee, has long argued that investment in physical sciences and energy research can lead to sustained economic growth.
“Today’s forum strengthened the case that we can’t view science research and development as something the government can fund only in times of good economic health,” Holt said. “Innovation infrastructure will create jobs in the short term and drive the economy in the long term, and I am confident we will include it in the recovery plan we send to President Obama.”
Last month, Holt hosted a roundtable discussion at Princeton University, along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressional leaders, and national leaders in the science and technology community to highlight the importance of innovation infrastructure to ensure long-term American competitiveness. Today, two of those participants - Norman Augustine, Former President and CEO, Lockheed Martin and author of the “Rising Above the Gathering Storm”, and Maria Zuber, E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – reiterated the need to include science funding in an economic recovery bill. Speaker Pelosi and Chairman George Miller, also participants at the Princeton roundtable, today voiced support for including science funding.
“We need to bolster existing high-innovation areas, and we will need to create new areas….The United States has led virtually every technology revolution since the mid-1800s, but it is by no means certain that we will lead the energy revolution,” Zuber said.
Contact: Zach Goldberg
202-225-5801 (office)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Liberals have a trillion reasons to accept tax cuts in stimulus
The most liberal members of Congress huddled together in early December, and decided they needed to push their fellow Democrats to be bold with the economic stimulus legislation being drafted.
So the Congressional Progressive Caucus fired off a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urging a stimulus of at least $1 trillion.
Now they find themselves in the mainstream, as they see the stimulus climbing toward a figure few expected to reach.
“We were figuring people would be talking about $300 billion to $400 billion,” said one participant. “Who knew we were going to be out-liberaled?”
The sheer size of the stimulus goes a long way toward explaining why there has been little liberal opposition to President-elect Obama’s decision to adopt the conservative Republican mantra of tax-cutting as part of his signature “recovery” legislation.
Rather than being carved out of a finite stimulus plan, the tax cuts have essentially been loaded on top of a package so big it has something for nearly everyone. Public works projects and job creation haven’t been displaced from the massive package, which Obama and Congress are hoping can shake the economy from its downward slump.
Read More >>> Here
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
HOLT: INVESTING IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CAN SUSTAIN LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH
Makes Remarks at Roundtable on Innovation and Competitiveness at Princeton
PRINCETON - At a roundtable discussion today with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other Congressional leaders, and national leaders in the science and technology community, Rep. Rush Holt argued that failure to invest in physical sciences and energy research will continue to impair the nation’s economic health. Holt hosted the roundtable, along with Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman, to begin an ongoing dialogue about how to ensure our nation’s leadership in basic research and innovation. Holt argued that innovation and infrastructure are necessary for sustained economic growth.
"We cannot view research and development as a luxury to be invested in only during good economic times. Rather, it is vital to our economic growth and quality of life," Holt said. “"The federal government needs to be a leading force along with the private sector.”"
"A critical step to jump-starting our economy and restoring economic security for the American people is a commitment to innovation that ensures America’s competitiveness in the 21st century global economy,”" Speaker Pelosi said. “"With an Innovation Agenda that invests in our intellectual infrastructure the 111th Congress will work to stimulate the research and development that drives economic growth.”"
Said President Tilghman: “"I salute Speaker Pelosi, our own Congressman Rush Holt, and other members of Congress who have understood the importance of expanding our national investment in the kind of long term basic research -- in the physical sciences as well as in the life sciences -- that historically has fueled American competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Our roundtable discussions provided compelling evidence that it is imperative to firmly commit to doubling the federal investment in the agencies that support basic research in the physical sciences. If we fail to make this investment, we not only risk falling behind other countries, but we also fail to produce the seed corn that is essential to our long-term prosperity. I believe it is also time to commit to a very substantial increase in the federal investment in energy research. This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it, for reasons that are economic and environmental, and I am confident that this is an investment that would be repaid many times over.”"
Today's roundtable on U.S. competitiveness provided an opportunity for members of Congress to discuss with industry leaders, university presidents, federal government officials, and research scientists the necessary steps for maintaining U.S. scientific leadership.
Other participating members of Congress included Bart Gordon, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology; John Larson, Chairman, U.S. House Democratic Caucus for the 111th Congress; Edward Markey, Chairman, U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; and George Miller, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. Other participants included Norman Augustine, Former President and CEO, Lockheed Martin; Dr. Craig Barrett, Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation; Dr. Robert Berdahl, President, Association of American Universities; Dr. Bruce Bursten, President, American Chemical Society; Dr. Francis Collins, Former Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute; Professor Phillip Griffiths, School of Mathematics, The Institute for Advanced Studies; Professor John Holdren, Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; President Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Dr. Peter Kim, President, Merck Research Laboratories; Dr. Thomas Mason, Director, Oak Ridge National Lab; Professor Michael Oppenheimer, Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Geosciences, Princeton University; Professor Jeremiah Ostriker, Director of the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PICSciE); Professor Harold Shapiro, President Emeritus and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University; Dr. Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering and Vice Chair, National Research Council; Professor Maria Zuber, Head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"What we learned today from the discussion with these distinguished leaders will start a conversation that we will take back to Washington," Holt added. “"This discussion highlighted the importance of our innovation infrastructure to ensure American competitiveness in the long-term. I look forward to working with my colleagues on ways to strengthen that innovation infrastructure in the future.”"
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Dems lower expectations
LEADING THE NEWS- The Hill
Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on the nation’s tiller.
“The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday. Repeating themes from election night, she said she plans to emphasize “civility” and “fiscal responsibility.”
Her comments emphasized that after an election consistently referred to as “historic,” Democrats face the daunting task of dealing with the plunging economy and two wars.
Yet, they face massive expectations for change and deep-seated fears of overreaching. But senior aides say they’ve learned from the mistakes of the past. Nearly every member of the current Democratic leadership in the House served through the 1992 election, when Bill Clinton was elected president. Two years later, the GOP gained control of Congress.
More recently, they’ve watched Republicans go from complete dominance to minority status in the space of two elections.
“The difference is we have the benefit of experience in seeing what happens when you gain control,” said a senior Democratic aide. “I do not envision a scenario where we’d go off on an ideological mission in an undisciplined way.”
There are similar sentiments in the Senate.
Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on the nation’s tiller.
“The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday. Repeating themes from election night, she said she plans to emphasize “civility” and “fiscal responsibility.”
Her comments emphasized that after an election consistently referred to as “historic,” Democrats face the daunting task of dealing with the plunging economy and two wars.
Yet, they face massive expectations for change and deep-seated fears of overreaching. But senior aides say they’ve learned from the mistakes of the past. Nearly every member of the current Democratic leadership in the House served through the 1992 election, when Bill Clinton was elected president. Two years later, the GOP gained control of Congress.
More recently, they’ve watched Republicans go from complete dominance to minority status in the space of two elections.
“The difference is we have the benefit of experience in seeing what happens when you gain control,” said a senior Democratic aide. “I do not envision a scenario where we’d go off on an ideological mission in an undisciplined way.”
There are similar sentiments in the Senate.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Rep. Frank On GOP: ‘Because Somebody Hurt Their Feelings, They Decide To Punish The Country’
As soon as the bailout proposal failed in the House, Republican lawmakers began blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for its defeat. In a press conference, the GOP leadership faulted Pelosi for giving a “partisan” speech prior to the vote. In the subsequent Democratic press conference, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) responded to their absurd charge:
"Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity.
We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working with them — don’t believe they had the votes, and I believe they’re covering up the embarrassment of not having the votes. But think about this. Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country. That’s hardly plausible. And there are 12 Republican members who were ready to stand up for the economic interest of America, but not if anybody insulted them.
I’ll make an offer. Give me those 12 people’s names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them and tell them what wonderful people they are and maybe they’ll now think about the country."
"Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity.
We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working with them — don’t believe they had the votes, and I believe they’re covering up the embarrassment of not having the votes. But think about this. Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country. That’s hardly plausible. And there are 12 Republican members who were ready to stand up for the economic interest of America, but not if anybody insulted them.
I’ll make an offer. Give me those 12 people’s names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them and tell them what wonderful people they are and maybe they’ll now think about the country."
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Quote of the Day
"She took over at the last minute. The last hour-and-a-half she really brought things together and made it possible to reach this point."
-- A House staffer, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's role in reaching an agreement early this morning on a $700 billion bank rescue package.
-- A House staffer, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's role in reaching an agreement early this morning on a $700 billion bank rescue package.
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