Pelosi Has No Regrets Over Passing Climate Bill

By Linn Grubbstrom - Talk Radio News Service

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) discussed the importance of investing in renewable energy during her weekly news conference. Pelosi said the oil spill in the Gulf along with a push to pass energy legislation in the Senate has convinced her that passing the America’s Clean Energy and Security Act was the right thing to do.

“It was absolutely essential for us, from a national security standpoint, to reduce our dependence on foreign oil…to reduce the emissions of fossil fields into the air…and be number one on the new green technology,” she said. “We staked down a bold position, one that was a consensus within our caucus, one that received some Republican votes. We are very proud of it.”

Pelosi also slammed Senate Republicans for delaying passage of a bill to extend unemployment benefits to millions of jobless Americans.

“It shouldn’t have been so hard,” she lamented. “Republicans in the Senate have stood in the way of so many initiatives, including unemployment insurance, until now.”

The House is expcted to finally pass the bill later today.

Senate Majority Leader Accuses Republicans Of Trying To Tank The Economy

Robert Hune-Kalter - Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accused Republicans of trying to tank the economy to undermine the Democrats in the midterm elections.

“They’re betting on failure,” said Reid during a press conference to discuss the small business agenda.  “They think that the worse the economy is come November, the better they’ll do election wise.  We’re not dealing with just numbers here, we talk about the almost two million people who are long-term unemployed.  These are not numbers, they’re people.”

Reid says that the new small business bill currently under Congressional consideration will help small businesses grow and hire.  He pledged that the government will continue cutting taxes, make it easier to get loans and write off investments.

“It does not happen automatically, government must be involved.  More than any other part of our economy, small business fuels our growth,” said Reid.

Reid, Solis Urge Republicans To Support Extension Of Unemployment Benefits

By Rob Sanna-Talk Radio News

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis held a press conference Wednesday urging Republicans to lift a filibuster on the extension of unemployment insurance.

“Nobody is getting rich on unemployment insurance,” Reid said. “Every day we deny it to those who are out of work, we weaken our nation.”

Reid emphasized that Republicans share the responsibility of helping those who have lost their jobs in the tough economic climate.

“It’s the right thing to do, it’s what’s needed and it’s what the people of this country deserve,” Reid added.

 According to Solis, the lag in the Senate has cost over one million individuals their benefits.

Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who joined Reid and Solis, were also tough on opponents of the extension. Reed went as far as to say people who argue that the unemployment benefits are a disincentive for people to work, “don’t know what they’re talking about.” Stabenow characterized the decision as very simple: “It is a choice between the wealthy and powerful in this country and the middle class families.”

 Reid told reporters that two unnamed Republicans currently support the extension and that recently deceased Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) would have been the 60^th vote.

Top Senate Democrat Leads Charge To Protect Privacy For Military Families

By Alexa Gitler
Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) met with reporters Friday to discuss his plea to urge the Supreme Court to protect the right of military families to a peaceful private funeral. “The Synder family, as well as other military families have been robbed of the proper chance to say goodbye and that needs to end,” Reid said.

The funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, an American soldier who died in combat in Iraq in 2006, was marred with ugly, hateful protests by a Kansas church.

Reid, along Joe Davis of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Phil Riley of the American Legion and Steve Stobridge of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), filed a brief with the Supreme Court on Friday seeking the prohibition of protesting during military funerals.

According to Riley, the brief “is not a freedom of speech issue...but a right to privacy that must be respected.” 48 U.S. state legislatures have agreed to sign on to the brief, which also has bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate.

“I have a responsibility to provide for the common defense and to take care of the military,” Reid said. “The very least we can do for the families during their time of mourning is to make sure their privacy is respected.”

Obama Senses Victory After Senate Passes Key Vote On Financial Reform

President Barack Obama thanked the Senate on Thursday for voting to end debate on a key financial regulatory reform bill. The 60-40 vote means that the bill can now proceed to the floor for a final vote.

Though two Democrats, Sens. Russ Feingold (Wisc.) and Maria Cantwell (Wash.), broke with their party and voted no to ending debate for a second straight day, three Republicans, Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, and Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.) voted yes, giving 57 Democrats the minimum number of votes they needed to block a filibuster.

Addressing reporters in the White House Rose Garden following the vote, the President praised the Senate for moving the bill forward, but cautioned against celebrating prematurely.

“We’ve still got some work to do,” he said, reminding supporters that the Senate still must pass its bill before it moves to conference. “There’s no doubt that during that time, the financial industry and their lobbyists will keep on fighting.”

But so will the administration. Four weeks ago, Mr. Obama memorably went to Wall Street to make the case for reform. Since then, the President and his financial reform team have hit the road in an attempt to sell the public on the plan. And earlier this week, the President was successfully able to convince Senator Brown to break with Republicans and change his vote, from no to yes.

As a result, the White House feels confident that they’ve won Round One of the battle.

“Over the last year, the financial industry has repeatedly tried to end this reform with hordes of lobbyists and millions of dollars of ads,” said the President. “Today, I think it’s fair to say that these efforts have failed.”