House Republicans Demand Energy and Health Care Alternatives

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service
Leading House Republicans warned that the Democrats health care agenda harms all Americans because it sacrifices millions of jobs while at the same time creating billions of dollars in tax hikes.

“The 852 pages of the Democrat health care plan,” Boehner said during a press conference Wednesday, “is a complete government takeover of our health care system, which is going to lead to higher taxes, rationing, and lower quality in our healthcare system.”

Health care is not the only concern of the Republicans. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) introduced the American Energy Act, an alternative to a cap-and-trade national energy tax, arguing “the president himself said that utility rates would quote ‘necessarily skyrocket’ . . . as utility rates rose that those would be passed along to consumers.”

At this point, House Republicans believe they are well positioned, claiming that the Democrats do not have enough votes to pass either their health care or energy agendas. Boehner said House Republicans are “encouraged” that their Senate colleagues are standing-up to this “bizarre notion” of a government run health care system.

Pelosi: Democrats Stand By The IMF

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

Despite the uncertainties that Congressional Republican leaders have on the efficacy of the reform of the International Monetary Fund, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is adamant that “The IMF will have a strong support from the Democrats.”

Pelosi defended the international organization today at her weekly press conference where she also mentioned the success of her recent bipartisan trip to China.

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Senate Minority Whip Eric Cantormay, backed by other House Representatives who fear that Democrats are fusing two very different entities, the IMF and a bill, together, said that "Weighing down this critical legislation with non-defense spending will only drag this process out further and cost it essential Republican support needed for passage."

Cantor added that “We should not be having this discussion. IMF funding has no business being included in the war supplemental bill,” while adding that the funding may result in helping terror-sponsoring states such as Pakistan.

The debate over funding of the IMF has stemmed from President Barack Obama’s announcement at the April Group of 20 meeting that $100 billion will be granted to the IMF as part of the U.S war-bill which should further the fight against the global economic crisis.

Obama also said that the U.S would support the IMF as it sell 400 tons of gold, whilst Pelosi reminded that “It [the IMF] has been reformed so that it will help the poor. They wanted to sell gold, we said you can, but the proceeds have to go to help the poor.”

Responding to Cantor’s allegations, Pelosi said “I don’t know why anyone would say that the money is going to the hands of terrorists, it’s simply not based on facts and is a scare tactic.”

Pelosi also said “There are two contradictory things: one says that one shouldn’t be on war funding, which is our responsibility to support our troops in the war in Iraq, end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and fight terrorism where is it a threat to our country, which is in Afghanistan, and we know that we have to do that." She added that “The IMF, in its reformed state, can be a force for alleviating the despair amongst people in the world. It’s a very important national security initiative.”

“The issue of the IMF, I think, has strong support on the Democrats’ side; not any support we’re hearing on the Republican side,” Pelosi said.

This war-bill, which involves military and diplomacy costs for Iraq and Afghanistan, will skyrocket to over $100 billion.

Middle-Class First Victim Of The Stimulus Package, Says Boehner

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) criticized the $787 billion economic stimulus package for having too many repercussions in the daily life of American middle-class taxpayers. The middle-class has been hit the hardest by measures taken by the Obama administration said Boehner during a weekly press conference in Washington.

“The pattern here is pretty clear”, said Boehner. “Every time the President makes a so-called tough decision, it is the American middle-class that gets hit the hardest... People who follow the rules, people who pay their mortgages on times, pay their credit cards on times, go to work every day, they’re the ones who” are getting hit upon every day, he said.

Boehner said that “people are really fed up and Washington is hanging up the middle-class in to dry” and require them to pay for the stimulus package, the financial bailouts of AIG and General Motors.

The usefulness of the stimulus package was questioned by Boehner with the attempt of a Georgia town to use stimulus funds “in order to lure” a company with 1,200 jobs based in Ohio.

On the recent bankruptcy of General Motors, Boehner said that the Obama administration is “going to control the board at General Motors and so the government will make the decisions... Auto companies force Americans to buy cars they don’t want to buy. This is lunacy, and all of this is going to get stuck on the back of American middle class’ taxpayers.”

Boehner Seeks Commission on Pelosi CIA Allegations

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is proposing a bi-partisan commission to investigate whether Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have made false accusations to the CIA or that the Agency has effectively lied to Congress. Boehner said that Pelosi must either produce evidence such as classified documents to support her allegations or make a public apology to the Agency.

“Her allegations that the CIA had lied to her and that they misled Congress all the time is a very serious charge. Members of both parties, I think, have a responsibility to take this situation seriously including the Speaker herself,” said Boehner, adding that “the Speaker had a full week to produce evidence to back up her allegations. And frankly, I am disappointing that she has not done so.”

“I would have hoped the Speaker would have come forward by now, and neither put documents out there supporting her claims or retract her statement and apologize to our Intelligence professionals,” said Boehner.

While this commission still needs the approval of the House, Boehner said that it would lead to the unveiling of top secret documents showing who from Pelosi or the CIA is right.

Boehner added that “we are still in the midst of a war against people who want to end our way of life. And this is where our Intelligence people out on the field play a critical role and they don’t feel like they can do their job, they feel like someone is looking over their shoulders and is going to question every move that they make. It’s going to have a chilling effect.”

Minutes after the press conference ended, the House voted against the setting up of this commission.

Boehner: Cheney Is A Private Citizen And Has The Right To Speak

House Minority leader John Boehner (R-OH) discusses about how the knowledge and experience of former Vice-President Dick Cheney "are helpful to the debate." (0:39)