Pelosi discusses Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) at press conference

During the weekly press conference, Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggles to answer a question about Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) who {indicated that he got encouragement for his position/crusade against the spending} of the stimulus package.

by Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

House passes SCHIP

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) described the House's vote in favor of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) as a symbol of the new direction Congress hopes to take.

"The Bipartisan, fully payed for, Children's health insurance bill represents the new direction Democrats fought for in the last congress," said Pelosi during a press conference immediately following the vote. Also in attendance were a number of Democratic Congressional leaders and families who will benefit from SCHIP, including a couple whose son went through two million dollars worth of medical procedures.

"This is only the beginning of the change we can achieve with our new President," added Pelosi.

SCHIP is expected to be one the earliest, if not the first, piece of legislation signed by Barack Obama. Under the Bush administration SCHIP was vetoed twice, despite support from a number of Republicans.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer touted the range of the bill's support.

"Not only did we get two thirds of the vote but almost 30% of the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for this bill."

Hoyer continued,

"Fixing America's health care will take much longer than an afternoon, but today we made an essential start."

Speaker Pelosi comments on the economic recovery package, Israel

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) discussed the economic recovery package and described the advantageous situation Congressional Democrats have found themselves in.

"We have to think differently about this. We've been so used to an uphill fight, but now we have arrived. We have a strong 80 vote majority in the House, we have a Democratic President in the White House," said Pelosi during her first weekly press conference of the 111th Congress.

"His economic recovery package, almost sight unseen, is supported by 79% of the American people, so we have the opportunity to move...not hastily, but quickly. "

The Speaker promised that the details will be dealt with by the appropriate committees in the following weeks and promised that a bill will be drafted before Congress goes into recess.

Pelosi blamed the Bush tax cuts for upper class Americans as the largest contributor to the deficit and stated,

"Put me down, as clearly as you possibly can, as one who wants to have those tax cuts for the wealthiest in America repealed."

The Speaker also touched on the recent situation in Gaza.

"We will have on the floor, hopefully tomorrow, a resolution about what is happening on the Middle East middle east. I spoke with Prime Minister Olmert Saturday... and expressed to him concerns that we have over collateral damage that is happening in the Gaza Strip.

Pelosi went on to say that she still defends Israel's, and the right of any country, to defend itself.

Pelosi pushes for economic recovery package

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) touched upon the plan for an economic recovery package and explained how it will be different from Roosevelt's New Deal.

"This is not a 1930s public works project: this is a broad band modernization of the grid initiative for the future. The only thing it has in common with the thirties is the bold and persistent experimentation of that era, the entrepreneurial spirit," said Pelosi during her final press conference for the 110th Congress.

While the Speaker did not say for certain the cost of the package, she did allude to a recent meeting between the Democratic Caucus and a series of economists, including McCain economic advisor Mark Zandi, who all agreed that the intensifying economic crisis called for a robust stimulus package.

"Mark talked about 600 billion dollars … 400 billion for investments in infrastructure [and aid to the States] and 200 billion in tax cuts."

Pelosi said that Democratic leadership in Congress has been communicating with the President elect, and is confident that they will arrive upon a consensus.

The Speaker also discussed the auto bailout and reaffirmed her view that Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) funds should be used to help the big 3 auto manufacturers. While the White House has been reluctant to use these funds, Pelosi believes the administration will not allow the companies to go bankrupt following Congress' failure to pass legislation supporting the big 3.

As for the rest of TARP funds, Pelosi said that she has been working with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to create legislation that would only give the Treasury Department the second half of TARP funds when the provisions of the initial legislation, namely the requirement to provide aid to those suffering from the housing crisis, are met.

"It was very clearly spelled out in the initial legislation that funds would be used for mortgage foreclosure forbearance. As you recall, there were no votes to pass this legislation … and it was only until we intensified the provisions that related to keeping people in their homes that this legislation even passed the House of Representatives," said Pelosi.

"It has been totally ignored by the administration. Absolutely nothing has been done to respect that part of the legislation, which is the only part of the legislation that had support in the Congress and enabled it to pass."

Today at Talk Radio News

The Washington bureau will be covering the opening ceremony for the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio
).

The Washington bureau will also be covering remarks delivered by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on "U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue" and a discussion on how the housing crisis began with Jim Carr of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition; and Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.