Pelosi Insists She Is Not Being Shunned By Super Committee

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reassured reporters Thursday that she is not being kept out of the loop with a “super committee” that has begun meeting in more frequently in private with a Nov. 23 deadline fast approaching. 

“I don’t believe that I have been cut out of the super committee discussions,” Pelosi said. “The three people that we have sent to the table have my trust and confidence and that of our caucus.”

Pelosi, instead, called on the Republican leadership to provide their members of the super committee the same freedoms liberal members have. 

“I hope that the same discretion and judgement that I have respected my members with is one that is shared by my Republican colleagues,” she said. “I believe that if they have the same freedom, we have a better chance of getting the job done.”

Recent reports have indicated that various proposals aimed at reaching the committee’s goal of cutting the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion have been discussed privately. Though the House’s top Democrat insisted she was not being excluded from the deliberations, she did not stop short of criticizing the manner in which these discussions have taken place. 

“It cannot be a product of secrecy,” Pelosi said. “At some point, the discussion has to be more public.”

Pelosi Defends Democrats' Rejection Of CR Bill

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) defended Democrats’ decision to reject the lower chamber’s CR bill during her weekly press briefing Thursday.

“We should not go down a different path now than we have done on natural disaster assistance,” Pelosi remarked. “That’s why we fought so hard about what the Republicans put forth. On top of that, we didn’t like the offset because it was a jobs killer.”

The House Republicans’ continuing resolution (CR) included $3.65 billion in funding  for disaster relief and was partially offset by a $1.5 billion cut to a Department of Energy advanced manufacturing loan program.

The bill was rejected by a House vote of 195-230 with only six Democrats choosing to support it. 48 conservative Republicans ultimately voted against it based on the belief that it did not cut enough spending.

“Assistance in the time of a natural disaster should not be a controversial issue,” Pelosi continued. “It hasn’t been before.”

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a mere $215 million left in its disaster relief fund. Pelosi argued that the bill was not about paying for disaster.

“It was clear to us that this wasn’t about paying for the disaster but destroying an initiative that is jobs creating,” Pelosi charged.

Republican leaders are busy working towards a new resolution to fund FEMA and prevent a government shut down at the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Click here to see photos from today’s briefing

Pelosi Predicts Little To No Democratic Support For Boehner Plan

By Vanessa Remmers

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Thursday that she expects few to no Democratic votes for the budget plan crafted by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).

Perplexed at the lack of compromise shown by Republicans on raising the debt ceiling, Pelosi noted that Democrats compromised with former President Bush on such an issue in the past.

In addition, Pelosi said that while the differences between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev) and Boehner plans are stark, many initiatives in the Reid plan, such as using the overseas account and steep cuts, have been supported by Republicans in the past.

“They have a similarity in that neither of them has revenue, but that is not possible to pass in the Senate. But that is where the similarity ends.  The idea of a short-term or a long-term is not about a calendar, it’s about a holding up the process by saying we’re going to do this all over again … it’s just an unending hardship for the American people,” Pelosi said.

During her press conference, Pelosi also said she was not surprised at Rep. David Wu’s (D-OR) decision to resign, declining to comment further by saying, “the issue is closed.”

Pelosi Urges Auto Workers To Denounce Health Care Repeal

By Rachel Whitt

Speaking from the United Auto Workers (UAW) Conference in Washington D.C., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called upon workers to stand against Republicans’ efforts to repeal President Obama’s healthcare overhaul bill.

“To pass health care, you flew into action: making calls, activating your enormous retiree base, and lobbying your representatives,” Pelosi said. “We need you to do so again.”

According to Pelosi, protecting health care reform is the next step to continuing America’s economic growth. The top House Democrat said her party was able to prevent the unemployment rate from reaching 16% and wants to continue “restoring prosperity for all Americans.”

The UAW openly endorsed healthcare reform in October of 2010, saying “the need for reform has never been clearer.” At that time, UAW cited the Census Bureau’s statistic that 29.3 million Americans with no health insurance coverage exemplifies America’s broken health care system.

“We call on the UAW again: make your voice heard,” Pelosi said. “Join us as we stand against repeal and for creating jobs.”

Miller Urges Democrats To Elect Pelosi As Minority Leader

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) said Friday that he is “very encouraged” that outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to run for the position of Minority Leader in the new Congress.

Pelosi announced her decision on Friday via Twitter, citing the need to protect Democratic achievements over the past two years as her main reason for running.

Miller, a close ally of Pelosi’s who impelled her to run shortly after Tuesday’s elections in which Republicans took control of the House, called the 70-year-old lawmaker “the single most effective Member of Congress, period.”

“She has accomplished more than any other Speaker in history and has always acted in the best interest of our country.  She knows full well that job growth is our No. 1 priority and I know that she will stay focused on creating jobs and growing the economy.”

Miller also refuted claims that Pelosi cost her party at the polls.

“She has been attacked and vilified by the right wing because of her effectiveness,” he said. “But we did not lose seats in this last election because the Republicans attacked her in their negative TV ads. We lost seats primarily because of the 9.6 percent unemployment rate and continued record foreclosures caused by the worst recession since the Great Depression.”