World AIDS Day is a time to honor the memories of those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS, to remember the progress we’ve made in our fight against this disease, and to rededicate ourselves to ending this pandemic once and for all. The battle to ensure ‘universal access and human rights’ for all living with HIV/AIDS represents one of the great moral challenges of our time. In the United States and around the world, we must continue acting with the urgency, passion, and commitment this fight demands.

Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, we have dramatically increased resources for both domestic and international HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and research. Today, in the U.S., we must continue to do our part to combat this disease by prioritizing increased investments to prevent new infections, keep people living with HIV/AIDS healthy, and accelerate research.

In recent weeks, researchers in San Francisco reported promising advances in prevention using existing treatments to dramatically reduce new HIV infections in high-risk populations. Over the past two years, this Congress has taken enormous strides, expanding investments in HIV/AIDS care, lifting the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange, and reauthorizing the Ryan White Act, 20 years after it was first passed. In passing historic health insurance reform earlier this year, Congress increased access to Medicaid for people with HIV, strengthened the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, and ended discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

We must also maintain and strengthen our commitment to help the more than 33 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. Globally, treatment access has improved, and new infections and AIDS deaths are both declining, but we must keep up the pressure for more long-term funding – from the U.S. and from our global partners.

On this World AIDS Day, those of us from San Francisco are grieving the recent passing of Randy Allgaier, who worked tirelessly to increase funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and improve systems of care. Randy, and so many in our city and nationwide, fought day and night to beat back this disease. Together, we will continue that same fight – working with determination, hope, and compassion to one day end the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

In the last two years, Senate Republicans have repeatedly obstructed job creation legislation and legislation to extend critical unemployment insurance benefits to help Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own make ends meet as they look for their next job opportunity. As 2 million Americans currently stand to lose benefits this holiday season, with 2 million more losing benefits early in 2011, Republicans are once again trying to cut the safety net of hard-working Americans:

Unemployment insurance is one of the best investments we can make, not only for those who have lost their job through no fault of his own, but for the millions more whose jobs are kept secure because of the proven economic boost. As MSNBC explains, it makes sense:

Americans receiving unemployment benefits buy goods and services from businesses—from retail stores to plumbers—which employ millions more Americans. Congress has recognized this since 1959—never letting extended unemployment benefits expire when unemployment is over 7.2%. As Mark Zandi, Chief Economist for Moody’s Analytics explains, “no form of the fiscal stimulus has proved more effective during the past two years than emergency UI benefits, providing a bang for the buck of 1.61–that is, for every $1 in UI benefits, GDP one year later is increased by an estimated $1.61.” A new multi-year study by the Urban Institute found during each quarter of the recent recession, UI benefits kept an average of 1.6 million Americans on the job. In addition, analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds that extending unemployment benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy:

In addition to dismissing economists, Congressional Republicans are also ignoring Americans. According to a Gallup poll last week, 76% say it is important for Congress to extend unemployment benefits for long term unemployed before the end of the year.

While Republicans say we can’t afford to give families without jobs time to find work, they are holding middle class tax cuts hostage, unless they can borrow and spend $700 billion more to give bonus tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. In tough times like these, millionaires should be giving to charity—not getting it. But that’s the exact policy choice Congressional Republicans would have us make, citing concerns about the deficit when it comes to America’s families, but not when it comes to tax cuts for the wealthiest few.

This report from the Defense Department reaches the same conclusions that a majority of men and women in uniform and a majority of Americans have reached: repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ makes for good public policy. By doing so, we will honor the values of our nation and close the door on a fundamental unfairness.

Our troops are our most valuable asset in ensuring our strong national security. And yet, under the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, more than 13,000 gays and lesbians have been discharged from the military; these include fighter pilots, infantry officers, and Arabic translators.

It is my hope that this report encourages the Senate to move forward with the Defense Authorization bill, which contains legislative language repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell;’ the House passed legislation months ago and by a significant margin. Moving forward to end the days of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will honor the service and sacrifice of all who dedicate their lives to protecting the American people.

Tonight, the Senate passed legislation that would provide funding for the African American farmers’ and Native Americans’ settlements reached in the Pigford and Cobell class action lawsuits against the federal government. Speaker Pelosi:

I have long urged my colleagues in the Senate to take up Pigford and Cobell legislation and bring a much-delayed end to serious cases of discrimination. Today, we are one step closer to ensuring that the black farmers and Native Americans in these suits are fully compensated for past failures of judgment by the government.

It is my hope that the House will move forward without delay so we can send this bill to the President and finally close the door on these injustices.

Leader Hoyer:

I am pleased that the Senate passed legislation today that would provide funding for settlement of both the Pigford and Cobell class action lawsuits – an important step toward finally correcting these blights on our Nation’s history. The Cobell settlement would resolve the government’s management and accounting of funds that would benefit over 300,000 Native Americans, and the Pigford settlement would bring to an end a decades old discrimination lawsuit brought by African American farmers against the USDA. I hope to bring this bill to the House Floor for a vote very soon so that our government can continue to move forward in fulfilling our obligation to African American farmers and Native Americans.

Whip Clyburn:

Today is a great day for our nation’s black farmers and Native Americans who were discriminated against by their own government for years. For more than a decade, political gamesmanship prevented thousands of our nation’s black farmers from receiving the settlement fairly awarded to them. What happened to our nation’s African American farmers and Native Americans was wrong, and we are now making a significant step to make it right. President Obama’s leadership on this issue is to be commended, and I especially want to thank my colleagues in the Congressional black caucus for keeping the focus on this issue. Funding for the Cobell v. Salazar settlement would not have happened without the leadership of Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and I thank both of them for their leadership. We never stopped fighting and I look forward to rounding up the votes for this bill and sending it to the President for his signature.

The American people, struggling with high unemployment, continue to look to their leaders for a lifeline until they can get back to work. Today, Democrats voted to extend unemployment insurance to Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own; unfortunately, Republicans did not.

Our first priority is to create jobs; the American people want to get back to work. Unemployment Insurance is a proven economic booster, returning $2 into the economy for every $1 invested. We will continue to work for an emergency short-term extension to get families through the holidays and to work for longer term solutions as well.

According to a report released yesterday by the Center for Automotive Research, government action supporting the auto industry prevented a $26.8 billion loss to the American taxpayer and saved nearly 1.5 million American jobs. And today’s initial public stock offering of the newly-reformed General Motors has analysts predicting taxpayers will be repaid for much of the emergency intervention. Bloomberg:

The U.S. government avoided a $28.6 billion loss and saved more than 1.45 million jobs by bailing out the automotive industry, a research group said today.

The loss would have been caused by increased public welfare payments and lost tax receipts from workers had the government not provided $82 billion of assistance to the industry, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor industry group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan…

“You could argue that because the auto industry is one of the most productive and integrated industries, putting the money there was a better place to put it than job creation in any other sector,” Dziczek said.

Congressional Republicans, working on behalf of the special interests, made no secret of their opposition to Democratic initiatives to save the American auto industry. From Politico, “Republicans Hope General Motors is President Obama’s Hurricane Katrina”:

In news conference after news conference this week, they slammed the administration for taking a roughly 60 percent stake in GM as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. That decision, they argue, will result in lawmakers getting intimately involved with the daily workings of the troubled company…

…House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a New York radio interview Thursday: “Washington, the president, Congress, none … has any business running that car company. They’ll run it into the ground.”

Republicans also argue that the White House has put the taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars, money that they may never see repaid if the company continues to founder.

Speaker Pelosi on General Motors’ initial public offering today:

General Motors’ initial public offering is a sign of progress for America’s auto industry, for our nation’s workers, for our manufacturers and our long-term prosperity. In the midst of a severe recession, Congressional Democrats and President Obama took difficult emergency action to rescue American auto companies and strengthen critical pillars of our manufacturing sector, while protecting taxpayers. Today we have more evidence that those actions are paying off, and the American people are one step closer to being made whole.

Preserving, bolstering, and expanding our manufacturing base is central to our economic growth, our national security, and our competitiveness on the global stage, and key to establishing America’s manufacturers as centers of innovation. Democrats’ ‘Make It In America’ strategy rests at the core of our ongoing efforts to create good-paying jobs, invest in a clean energy economy, and rebuild our middle class. We know that when we make, grow, and build it in America, our country grows stronger; our workers grow more secure; and our nation leads the world economy.

I hope GM’s progress spurs leaders on both sides of the aisle to work together to continue investing in our manufacturers, in our workers, and in jobs for our middle class.

Learn more about what Congress has done to bolster our auto industry»

On Veterans Day, we come together as a nation to honor the patriotism, courage, and service of all of our men and women in uniform. We pay tribute to those who served; those who returned from battle forever changed; those who gave their lives abroad so we could be safe here at home. These bands of brothers and sisters volunteer on our behalf, in the name of freedom, in defense of liberty. We honor their valor, draw inspiration from their deeds and their bravery, and commit to never forget their actions nor forsake their sacrifice.

Our soldiers and sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines, unite all Members of Congress – Democrats and Republicans – behind the common cause of gratitude for our veterans and their families. From the New GI Bill to the largest increase in veterans’ health care funding in history, I am proud that the accomplishments of the last four years mark the greatest progress for America’s service members since the original GI Bill of 1944. All of this work is grounded in a solemn promise: just as the military pledges to leave no soldier behind on the battlefield, we will leave no veteran behind when they come home.

Our troops pay any price and bear any burden for our security. They are a true testament to our strength as a people. Because of them, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Today, let us honor their contributions to our nation and express our undying gratitude for their service.

This morning, Speaker Pelosi was honored to join Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation Lois B. Pope, and Gary Sinise at the groundbreaking ceremony for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial:

Currently, there are more than 3 million living disabled American veterans, including 53,000 who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The new memorial will be across from the Botanic Garden, just below the Capitol, and is expected to be completed in two years. The Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation explains the significance of the design:

At this sacred spot, all of us—sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, wives, husbands and friends—will learn the important lessons of courage, sacrifice, tenacity, loyalty and honor by bearing witness to the experiences of our heroes who are disabled.

The focal point of the Memorial will be a star-shaped reflecting pool, its surface broken only by a single eternal flame. A grove of trees will stand sentry beside the pool, signifying the persistence of hope.

Dedicated to both the living and the deceased—a setting for coming together or quiet meditation—the Memorial will hold a special place in the hearts of all Americans, and will serve as a never-ending reminder to all of the cost of human conflict.

Speaker Pelosi:

Today, in breaking ground on the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, we set down a marker in that same tradition – to remember the true cost of war, as the Secretary said, the cost of war and conflict to our troops and their families.

We pay tribute to the sacrifice of those who served and came home changed forever but not their spirit, just physically and gave part of their lives abroad so that we could be safe at home. In a bipartisan way, we in Congress know that protecting the American people is our first responsibility. And our veterans do just that. And when they are disabled, we need to be there for them and make sure everyone remembers the sacrifice.

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In the name of all veterans – past, present, and future – we break ground today to ensure that time does not dim the glory of their deeds; that time holds their deeds in the highest esteem; that, like the flame at the center of this memorial, the flame of their deeds burns eternal. Very important.

My uncle, Johnny D’Alesandro, died at the Battle of the Bulge. There wasn’t a day that went by that my father didn’t mourn the loss of his brother, but he also took enormous pride that his brother, our family, sacrificed for our country. And so the tributes to those who lost their lives continue. But today, we take a very specific step in recognizing those who were disabled and who still continue to contribute to this strength of America in so many ways.

As we approach Veterans Day, we reaffirm our commitment to honor the patriotism, the courage, and service of all of our men and women in uniform. Whether they are in the theater of battle or wherever they serve our country, because of them, because of you, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave.

In building this memorial, we are taking a critical step forward in fulfilling our pledge: that just as our troops leave no one behind on the battlefield, when they come home, we leave no veteran behind.

Read the Speaker’s full remarks»

Our nation is facing two challenges: the need to create jobs and address our budget deficit. Any viable proposal from the President’s Fiscal Commission must strengthen our economy, but it must do so in a fair way, focusing on how we can effectively promote economic growth.

This proposal is simply unacceptable. Any final proposal from the Commission should do what is right for our children and grandchildren’s economic security as well as for our nation’s fiscal security, and it must do what is right for our seniors, who are counting on the bedrock promises of Social Security and Medicare. And it must strengthen America’s middle class families–under siege for the last decade, and unable to withstand further encroachment on their economic security.