Pelosi Remarks at Press Availability

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a press availability in her office in the Capitol today following the announcement of the 100 percent recycled Congressional Record.  Below is a transcript of the brief question and answer session: 

Q: Madam Speaker, Is Congress actively being briefed on Afghanistan?  Do you have any concerns about . . . 

Speaker Pelosi.  We are in communication with the Executive Branch and they are fully available to brief the Congress, but, of course, we always want the conversation to continue. I had my conversations with the President on the subject, with his leadership of his national security team -- they stand ready, they have offered: "Just tell us how and when and who and we stand available to brief."  And they'll be here this week to brief -- I guess the Senate was this week and we'll have a full briefing of the Members, once again, next week.  And, as you know, the week before the McChrystal Report -- Members were briefed on that. Now there's a further briefing on Afghanistan.

Q: What do you think of the Senate Finance Committee and the health bill?

Speaker Pelosi.  I think it is good. We'll move forward, it takes us in the right direction. Now the Senate will blend its two bills and we'll all go to the floor. So, we're on our way. We will have health insurance reform that will be significant and it will be soon.

Q: [Inaudible. Question was about Chicago not getting the 2016 Olympics.]

Speaker Pelosi.  Chicago. Chicago is our city, our all-American city. This was our bid and the bid for the United States and I congratulate Chicago on an excellent bid -- even though they beat out San Francisco to be the American city.  [Laughter.] They're spectacular. So I congratulate them for the excellence of their bid and we all owe them a great debt of gratitude for representing America so well in that competition. I know that they would have done an excellent job being the host city in 2016 and I take great pride in the effort that they made and the leadership they provided.

Thank you all very much.