FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 26, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

‘While Republicans Abuse Their Power for the Special Interests, Democrats Will Use Our Power for American Families'

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman James E. Clyburn, Assistant to the Leader John Spratt, and Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel at a news conference this afternoon to discuss the Republicans’ failures during the first five months of the 109th Congress. Below are Pelosi’s remarks:

“We’re here to give an assessment of what happened in the first five months of this Congress, when House Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they are out of touch with the priorities of the American people. This has been a Congress of missed opportunities.

“Democrats want to work with Republicans to use power for the public good. Instead the Republicans are abusing power for the special interest.

“These Republican abuses of power in the House and Senate have resulted in America’s families paying more for prescription drugs, more for gasoline, and being denied affordable health care. And as we approach Memorial Day, Republicans are denying veterans the benefits they need and that they have earned.

“Yesterday, on the Department of Defense Authorization bill, and as recently as today on the Military Quality of Life Appropriations bill for veterans, they have voted against veterans, to the point where the Speaker came to the House floor to break a tie, to deprive veterans of the health benefits they deserve.

“The American people have rejected the risky Republican Social Security privatization scheme. The more Americans learn about the plan to cut benefits for the middle class, the less they like it. That’s because Republicans are asking middle-class Americans who have played by the rules to bear the heavy burden of privatization— deep benefit cuts, trillions of dollars in debt, and a less secure retirement.

“Republicans want to turn a guaranteed benefit into a guaranteed gamble for the American people. Democrats say, ‘No dice.’ We are committed to saving and strengthening Social Security.

“This week, we averted the so-called ‘nuclear option’ in the Senate. Americans can be thankful that a bipartisan majority in the Senate respects our Constitution: our system of checks and balances, the independence of our judiciary, and the duty of all Members of Congress to exercise their independent judgment, not the dictates of the President.

“Democrats will continue to be the check on the Republicans’ abuse of power.

“Don’t take it from me, the Ethics Committee has acted upon some of the abuses of power that affect the American people, and they have done it very clearly.

“This weekend, Americans will pay a record $2.13 at the pump for gasoline, and in my state of California, $2.48. It is even higher in my city of San Francisco. It is no wonder that gas prices are the top concern of the American people, and record gas prices are starting to have a ripple effect in the economy. This is especially harmful in rural America. The airline and trucking industries are feeling the pinch. So are families traveling this holiday weekend, farmers, and truckers driving products all across America.

“The Republicans’ answer to the public’s call for lower gas prices is to pass an energy bill that will actually raise prices at the pump. They invited energy lobbyists to write an energy bill that gouges consumers and pays off big gas and oil. They have turned Washington, D.C. into an oil and gas town, when this is supposed to be the city of innovation, of fresh new thinking and ideas about our energy policy. That has a direct impact on the pocketbooks of the American people, on the environment, and on the air we breathe.

“While Republicans abuse their power for the special interests, Democrats will use our power for American families.

“Democrats will are fighting for a meaningful energy policy that will lower gas prices now, create good paying jobs, restore fiscal integrity, educate the next generation of workers, increase access to quality health care, and strengthen Social Security. Democrats will continue to be a check the Republicans’ abuse of power.

“Congressman Hoyer will show how Republicans in the House are silencing the voices of the American people when they shut down the floor; Congressman Clyburn will discuss the Republicans’ risky Social Security plan; Congressman Spratt will show how the Republicans’ budget hurts the American people; and Congressman Emanuel will show how the Republicans ignore the needs of American people when it comes to the economy and the transportation bill.”

DEMOCRATS ACT AS A CHECK ON REPUBLICAN ABUSE OF POWER

Republicans have been abusing their power, and this is no small matter for the American people. This has had a real impact on America’s families. That is because instead of addressing the concerns of the middle class, Republicans have been spending time overreaching into private family matters, threatening the independence of the federal judiciary, debating the nuclear option, undermining House ethical standards, shutting down debate on America’s priorities, and catering to the special interests. Republicans are out of touch with the values and concerns of America’s families. As a consequence of their abuse of power, Republicans have failed to bring down gas prices, done nothing to create jobs, failed to bring down health care costs, failed to enact a common sense budget, and threatened to privatize Social Security. While Republican abuse their power for the special interests, Democrats will use our power for American families.

This Republican arrogance has meant more power for the special interests, but not lower gas prices for consumers. Look at the impact of the energy lobbyists writing the energy bill. The lack of an energy policy is producing higher prices at the pump. The Energy Department report shows that the Republican energy bill increases gas prices by three cents a gallon. Skyrocketing gas prices are straining the pocket books of American families, but Republicans have spent the last three years fighting to pass a special-interest energy bill that is loaded with tax breaks and royalty relief for oil companies that are reaping record profits.

Republicans have fought to inject the federal government into private family matters and overturn the checks and balances in the Constitution, and threatened the independence of the judiciary. Republicans have said they believe in limited government, but then the majority brought the entire federal government to intervene in the personal tragedy of just one family. Likewise, their thinly-veiled threats toward federal judges are just an irresponsible attempt to undermine the independence of the federal judiciary. Speaking about the federal judges involved in the Terri Schiavo matter, Majority Leader Tom DeLay said, “The time will come for the men to answer for their behavior.” And now Republicans have spent the last several months attacking our historic system of checks and balances to install seven judges on the bench, who previously could not achieve bipartisan consensus.

Republicans have failed to bring down health care costs for families. In fact, with the lobbyists writing the prescription drug bill, Republicans provided a slush fund for HMOs and banned the federal government from negotiating for lower prices. And now we see the prices of pharmaceutical drugs are rising at twice the rate of inflation, placing a tremendous strain on the budget of America’s families, including seniors.

Republicans have fought to lower the ethical standards for House Leaders. Last November, Republicans eliminated the 11-year rule that required congressional leaders to step aside if indicted of a felony, and then in January, made their first order of business for the 109th Congress an attack on the Ethics Committee, rewriting many of its bipartisan rules to make ethics investigations almost impossible to pursue. After relentless pressure from Democrats and editorial pages around the country, Republicans finally reversed both of these new rules.

Republicans have failed to enact a job-creating highway bill. President Bush has the worst private-sector jobs record since the Great Depression, wages over the last two years have been falling, and household incomes are declining. And yet Republicans have failed to pass a job-creating highway bill for nearly two years. Every $1 billion invested in federal highway and transit programs creates 47,500 good-paying jobs, but Republican disagreements have held up passage, as the Bush Administration is fighting to shortchange this investment in good-paying jobs.

Republicans have fought to cut Social Security benefits for the middle class. Recently, President Bush confirmed that his privatization plan would force cuts in Social Security benefits for the middle class. Specifically, the President would cut Social Security benefits for everyone, except workers making less than $20,000. This would affect 70 percent of Americans, with those in the middle class facing huge benefit cuts of more than 40 percent. These would be the largest cuts in Social Security in history, and would cut the guaranteed benefits that workers have earned.

Republicans have failed to enact a common sense budget that embraces America’s values. Instead they have enacted a morally irresponsible and fiscally reckless budget that would cut education, health care and continue us on a path of deficits for as far as the eye can see.

Republicans have fought to shut down debate, instead of having a full airing of views on America’s priorities, including issues affecting our troops and veterans. The Republican abuse of power continues in the House, as debate continues to be shut down. Democrats have been excluded and the voices of tens of millions of Americans are not heard. This week, for example, Republicans abused their power and shut out key amendments for our troops and veterans, including those that would have extended TRICARE military health care for all National Guard and Reservists and ended the unfair taxes on military families and disabled military retirees. This was after Republicans unilaterally struck the TRICARE provision even though it was passed by the Armed Services Committee.

Democrats have a better way to create jobs. We have a plan to create millions of new jobs, by ending incentives to ship jobs overseas, investing in highways, promoting small business, and spurring innovation.

Democrats have a better way to lower gas prices. We are calling on the Bush Administration to use every weapon in our arsenal by immediately urging OPEC to increase oil production and by suspending deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to put more oil in the marketplace, and fighting to protect Americans from price gouging and unfair practices at the gasoline pump.

Democrats have a better way to manage our budget. We have offered common sense budgets that pay-as-you-go and bring us back to balanced budgets, and that value families, by investing more in education, health care, veterans, and the environment.

Democrats have a better way that strengthens Social Security. We are working to strengthen Social Security without slashing middle-class benefits or increasing the national debt.

Democrats have a better way to ensure quality health care for all Americans. We have introduced legislation that could cut the number of uninsured by half, and would cut health care costs for millions.

Democrats have a better way to keep our promises to our troops and veterans. Democrats have introduced the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century to improve benefits for our men and women in uniform today and provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served.

Democrats have a better way to return the Congress to the American people. We are working to raise the ethical standards, reduce the influence of special interests, and open up the process to restore the People’s House.

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi