WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
Democratic leaders held a press availability this afternoon following a
Democratic Whip meeting with President Obama in the Cannon Caucus Room. Below
are the Speaker's opening remarks:
"Thank you very much, Mr. Whip. Yes, it was a great occasion for us to
receive the President of the United States on this day when we will be making
history with our vote and making progress for the American people.
"It is also, as Chris Van Hollen reminds us, the third anniversary of
Democrats winning the House and Senate for the American people - November 7,
2006. So it is appropriate that the New Direction that we promised them at
the time and that we have worked on since then, will be manifested today in
the passage of this important legislation.
"It is very humbling to stand here at a time when we can associate ourselves
with the work of those who passed Social Security, those who passed Medicare,
and now we will pass health care reform. It is also appropriate that as we
were in there with the President, that in the chair on the floor presiding
over the debate was John Dingell, the person who gaveled down Medicare. So
the continuity of this, the dedication over a long period of time, gives us
strength and makes us humble.
"When the President was speaking, I couldn't help but think of Senator
Kennedy. Senator Kennedy called passing health care 'the great unfinished
business of our country.' He also said it was about the character of our
country that we do this. In the same letter that he said that to the
President, as we listened to the inspirational remarks of the President, I was
also reminded that in that same letter, Senator Kennedy said to the President:
'When I first came into public life, we had a young President who inspired a
generation and inspired the world. As I leave,' Senator Kennedy said, 'I have
hope because I know that we again have a young President who will inspire our
country, a new generation and on behalf of our country, inspire the world.'
"Our President is indeed doing that. Without his leadership, we would not be
in position to take the historic step we are doing. He has said to us: 'We
will measure our success in the progress that is made by America's working
families.' Today, we will make not only history, but progress for America's
working families.
"With that, I am pleased to yield to our distinguished Majority Leader, who,
without whose leadership we most certainly would not be in position to win
today. His knowledge of these issues, his strategic thinking about how to get
us from here to there, and just his persistence, and more important than all
of that, the respect with which he is held in our Caucus for his opinion has
gotten us where we are today. Mr. Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader of the
Congress."
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
Brendan Daly, Nadeam Elshami or Drew Hammill, +1-202-226-7616
