Press Releases
"The long-overdue withdrawal of the dangerous extradition bill is welcome news, but much more must be done to fully realize the legitimate aspirations of the Hong Kong people, as guaranteed under ‘One Country, Two Systems.' The people of Hong Kong deserve the future of justice, real autonomy and freedom from fear that they were promised, and for which they have long been courageously fighting.
"The pro-Beijing leadership in Hong Kong must ensure a political system accountable to the people, including granting universal suffrage and investigating police violence. The escalating violence and use of force perpetrated by the Hong Kong authorities against their own people in recent weeks, which has led to tragic loss of life, must end now.
"The Administration's irresponsible decision to transfer funds from appropriated U.S. military construction makes America less safe and dishonors the Constitution. The President is negating the Constitution's most fundamental principle, the separation of powers, by assaulting our Congressional ‘power of the purse,' and is undermining the oath of office we take to protect and defend the Constitution and the American people.
"Canceling military construction projects at home and abroad will undermine our national security and the quality of life and morale of our troops, making America less secure.
"Labor Day offers us all an opportunity to reflect on the innumerable contributions that working Americans have made to strengthen our nation and bring us closer to our founding promise of liberty, equality and justice for all. The hard-working men and women of labor are the backbone of our democracy and the foundation of our strength, safeguarding the right to negotiate a better wage, retire with dignity, work in clean and safe conditions, access quality, affordable health care and ensure inclusive workplaces.
San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration's attempt to divert money from FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund to fund its family incarceration policy:
"The President's brazen assault on the Congress's most fundamental Constitutional power, the power of the purse, is cruel, deeply dangerous and made in bad faith.
"Stealing from appropriated funds is always unacceptable, but to pick the pockets of disaster relief funding in order to fund an appalling, inhumane family incarceration plan is staggering – and to do so on the eve of hurricane season is stunningly reckless.
"I urge the Administration to swiftly reconsider this deeply irresponsible action, and to begin to work in good faith with Congress so that we can deliver progress For The People."
San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement marking Women's Equality Day, commemorating the 99th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment:
"Today, on Women's Equality Day, we celebrate 99 years since American women took a momentous step forward in the fight for equal rights by securing their right to suffrage. Women did not wait for this change, they worked for change, fighting over generations for their voices to be heard as full and equal citizens in our democracy.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week's address, the Congressman highlighted progress House Democrats have made For The People, including the passage of H.R. 1, the For The People Act, an historic reform package to restore the promise of our nation's democracy, end the culture of corruption in Washington and reduce the role of money in politics. Video and audio of the Weekly Democratic Address can be downloaded here.
Below is a full transcript of the address:
San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after the President agreed to abandon his short-sighted proposed State Department rescissions package:
"The President's proposed State Department rescissions package was harmful to our national security, opposed by the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committees of jurisdiction on a bipartisan basis and a violation of the good faith of our budget negotiations as it sought to override the Congress's most fundamental Constitutional power of the purse. It was also clearly illegal, as stated by the Government Accountability Office.
"It is important for us all to recognize first and foremost our national security interests and Congress's Constitutional power of the purse as was acknowledged in a bipartisan way in the rescission discussion, as we move forward in the upcoming budget negotiations."