Blog Post

This morning, President Bush announced his plan on force levels in Iraq. The AP reports:

No reduction of forces in Iraq this year

WASHINGTON -- President Bush will keep roughly the same number of U.S. forces in Iraq through the end of the year and pull about 8,000 troops home by February, a drawdown that's both slower and smaller than long anticipated.

Congressman John Larson of Connecticut, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, delivered the Democratic Radio Address this morning. In his address, Congressman Larson discusses energy legislation the New Direction Congress will bring forward to combat rising energy and gas prices and to ensure our energy independence. Larson explains, "for eight years, two oilmen in the White House have crafted this country's energy policy...Barack Obama summed up our sentiment on this Bush-McCain policy, in one word: enough!"

Listen:

There is not a person in our country who has not seen a loved one suffer because of cancer. Cancer kills 565,000 Americans annually, and each year there are more than 1.4 million new cases. All Americans must work together to make eradicating the scourge of cancer a national priority of the highest order.

The federal government's role in our nation's fight against cancer has been significant but more must be done.

Today, the Department of Labor released its employment report for August showing a loss of another 84,000 American jobs, and an unemployment rate that climbed to 6.1 percent -- the highest since September 2003. The economy has lost jobs for eight straight months, with a total of 605,000 American jobs lost this year.

The State of the Bush Economy

For months, the President has ignored the bipartisan request of Congress to release a small portion of oil from our national stockpile to bring relief to consumers struggling with soaring gas prices at the pump. Today, the President announced that he responded to the request from an oil company to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement in response to President Bush's comments today on energy:

As Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan, a month of inner reflection, spirituality, and charity, it is an opportunity for all Americans to remember and celebrate our nation's religious diversity.

The observance of Ramadan offers Americans a chance to celebrate our nation's tradition of religious freedom that allows for the free exercise of all faiths.

To those observing the holy month of Ramadan, may you and your family be blessed. Ramadan Mubarak.

From House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers: