Blog Post

Speaker Pelosi sent the following letter to Leader Boehner in response to his letter regarding proposed franking changes allowing Members of Congress to post web videos outside of the house.gov domain.

July 10, 2008

The Honorable John Boehner

House Republican Leader

H-204, U.S. Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Leader Boehner:

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership today held a news conference reiterating Democrats' call for the President to immediately release a small amount of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce energy prices for American consumers. Below are the Speaker's comments on her call to the President:

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-23) rebuts Republican arguments for increased drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Reserve and offshore, which according to President Bush's own Energy Department would only reduce the price of gas by pennies on the gallon many years from now.

The Senate's vote today is a remarkable testament to the powerful voice of America's seniors, who made it clear that they would not allow the Bush Administration's stubborn insistence on bloated, unnecessary subsidies for insurance companies stand in the way of quality, affordable, and reliable health care under Medicare.

I join our Senate colleagues in welcoming back Senator Ted Kennedy, who was able to vote for this legislation despite his courageous battle against cancer.

The House has just passed the Electronic Message Preservation Act, H.R. 5811, by a veto-proof margin of 286-137. The bill modernizes the requirements of the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act in order to ensure that the e-mail records of the White House and of federal agencies are properly preserved.

American families and businesses continue to struggle with record high prices at the gas pump as the national average hovers above $4.10 per gallon. Yet the Bush-Cheney policy, an energy plan crafted by two oilmen in the White House, relies solely on expanding domestic oil and gas drilling and protecting tax breaks for Big Oil. Newspapers across the country are dismissing "drill only" as a flawed energy policy -- saying the argument for opening the Arctic Refuge and lifting the offshore drilling ban is a 'ploy' and a 'pander,' and would not reduce gas prices in the short term.

The Veterans Affairs Committee is currently holding a hearing, "Why Does the VA Continue to Give a Suicide-Inducing Drug to Veterans with PTSD?"

'Disposable Heroes': Veterans Used To Test Suicide-Linked Drugs

Brian Ross and Vic Walter, ABC News and Washington Times - June 17, 2008