Media

The Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, "Black Carbon and Global Warming," with testimony from experts regarding the global and regional impacts of soot, its sources, and the risks it raises for public health.

Watch the hearing live >>

Chairman Henry Waxman gives opening remarks:

At his press conference today, President Bush continued his misstatements regarding H.R. 976, the Children's Health Insurance bill. The President gave three key reasons why he vetoed the bill, which would provide health care coverage for 10 million children, on October 3rd. Each of the three reasons he gave for vetoing the bill reflect a misunderstanding of the bill and its provisions, as shown below.

PRESIDENT'S REASON #1 FOR VETO: President Bush: "There are [only] 500,000 children who are eligible for the current program who aren't covered. ... I want to provide enough money to make sure those 500,000 do get covered. That ought to be the focus of our efforts."

The President's criticisms today only highlight that his Administration opposes the priorities of the American people and the New Direction Congress. While the Democratic Congress works to pass children's health insurance, to protect Americans while preserving civil liberties, and to end the disastrous Iraq war, the President chose to launch another partisan attack.

The President's statements this morning, as with his past mischaracterizations about the children's health bill, distort and misrepresent the facts. The children's health bill is supported by advocates for children, leading voices of the medical community, enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support, and is fully paid for.

The bipartisan children's health insurance bill that passed the House and Senate by strong majorities provides health insurance for 10 million children. The House will vote tomorrow to try to override President Bush's veto, which denies critical health care coverage to children of hard-working families struggling with the high cost of insurance.

President Bush has often referred to himself as "The Decider," but which one of these families would the President forbid health care coverage?

The Wilkerson family in St. Petersburg, Florida?

Speaker Pelosi will award His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal today at 1 pm, in the Capitol Rotunda. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is recognized in the United States and throughout the world as a leading figure of moral and religious authority. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace and non-violence throughout the globe, and also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

The House has just passed the Free Flow of Information Act, also known as the federal shield law. The bill passed by a vote of 398-21, a margin that would easily override the veto which the White House has promised (pdf). The bill provides journalists with a qualified privilege as to sources and information, while at the same time, recognizing the need for effective law enforcement and robust national security.

Despite evidence of official corruption in Iraq that the State Department's Iraq coordinator has characterized as 'real, endemic and pernicious,' the Bush Administration continues to deny the American people the facts about how corruption finances the insurgency and threatens our troops.

The Iraq war has its roots in false information. Congress must now insist that the Administration stop abusing the classification process to conceal information and prevent public scrutiny. Today's resolution again demonstrates that the House of Representatives will demand full accountability from the Bush Administration in all aspects of the war in Iraq.