Pelosi Floor Speech in Opposition to Republican Assault on Women to Protect Subsidies for Big Oil

Pelosi Floor Speech in Opposition to Republican Assault on Women to Protect Subsidies for Big Oil April 27, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the House floor today in opposition to the latest Republican assault on women’s health with the House GOP’s refusal to end subsidies for Big Oil, which would ensure affordable student loans for middle class families. Below are the Leader’s remarks:

“Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I thank him for his leadership in presenting a common sense piece of legislation to ensure that the interest on student loans is not doubled in July and to pay for that by cutting subsidies to Big Oil instead of, as the Republicans do, continuing their all-out assault on women’s health. So much of the time that we spend on this floor seems completely irrelevant to America’s working families, as they’re struggling to make ends meet. Imagine them around the kitchen table as we talk about this, that, and the other thing, seems disconnected from their emergency and urgent need.

“What we’re talking about today directly relates to what keeps people up at night. Their economic security, the education of their children, the health of their families, the list goes on. Some of those are addressed in this legislation. I think we all agree, the greatest thing the country can do, and that a family can do, is to invest in the education of the next generation. The education of our children. Imagine if we’re sitting around that kitchen table, as a family, as we are, and we say as a family ‘in order for your to go to college, we’re not going to be able to immunize your little brother or sister, we’re not going to be able to have preventative care, in terms of screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, the list goes on and on, for your mom, or any other preventative care for men and women, in our family. That just would be wrong. As a nation, is that a statement of our values? That you must choose between the education of your children and the health of your family? It’s just not right. Especially, when you have a situation where we had this fight over and over again.

“But let me put it in context. In 2007, the Democratic majority in the House, working in a bipartisan fashion with our Republican colleagues, passed a bill that ratcheted down the interest rates to 3.4 percent. We were proud of that legislation passing with 77 Members of the Republican party voting with the Democratic majority. The bill was signed by then President George W. Bush and we all celebrated that legislation. That is expiring in July. And if no action is taken, those interest rates at 3.4 [percent] will go back to the level of 6.8 percent. We have been making that our [focus] over and over again. That in our budgeting, we must provide for the education of our children in a way that enables them to acquire a higher education should they desire and be qualified to do so. That's in their interests and their families priorities.

“Republicans have grown ‘impatient,’ they’ve said, with hearing about student loans. ‘Don’t look at us.’ Until the President went to the public and clearly spelled out the public policy debate that was going on here. That in the Republican budget, the Ryan-Republican-Tea Party-budget, it enabled the doubling of the interest rate. In our House Democratic budget, we provided for keeping it 3.4 percent. A big difference if you’re sitting at that kitchen table and you have a college age child. It’s about the children and the debt they incur. It’s about the families, and the parents, and the debt that their families incur.

“Because the President took the issue to the American people, he made the issue too hot to handle, so the Republicans this week are doing [an] about face from what they did last week. Which was to vote overwhelmingly for their budget, which enabled the interest rates on students loan, the Stafford Loans, to double – an about face. But what did they do? They say ‘okay, we won’t allow it to double but we’re going to take the money from women’s health.’ Should be no surprise to anyone because they have an ongoing assault on women’s health. And this is in their budget. And this is just a continuation of that. But I think it’s important to note the following: that they know, not only in their bill, call for taking the amount of money that would cover the cost of keeping the interest rate at 3.4 percent, they say ‘while we’re at it, let’s eliminate the entire fund, lets eliminate the entire fund for prevention, for the immunization, for the screening and the rest, for Center for Disease Control to do its public health work. Let’s eliminate it.’ That should tell you something about where their priorities are. If they’re saying ‘we stand here,’ once again, handmaidens of the oil industry, protecting subsidies for Big Oil. And instead, we want mom and the children to pay the price with their health. It’s just not right. It’s just not right.

“The President made clear to the public the difference in our approach on the student loan issue. Now he has made it clear that he will veto this bill if it contains this pay for. Unfortunately, rather than finding common ground in a way to pay for this critical policy, the Statement of Administration Policy says ‘this bill includes an attempt to repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund created to help prevent disease, detect it early, and manage conditions before they become severe. Women in particular will benefit from this prevention fund, which would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer.’ This is already happening. This would have to stop under this bill.

“So, let’s back up for a moment and say we all want the most educated population in our country. So people can reach their self-fulfillment, whatever they decide that is. So that we can be competitive in world markets. So that we can have an informed electorate. In the spirit of the G.I. Bill, which educated our soldiers when they came home, created a middle class in our country, which is the backbone of our democracy. And in a global economy, even more necessary for us to be able to have the skills and trained workforce to compete. Let’s also recognize that nothing brings more money to the Treasury than the education of the American people, whether its early childhood, K-12, higher education, post-grad, lifetime learning. Nothing brings more money to the Treasury. So, it would be a false economy to deter people from seeking more education, and it’s adding insult to injury to say ‘now that we’ve finally had to fold on the issue, and agree with the Democrats, that we should keep the interest rate at 3.4 instead of doubling [it] to 6.8 [percent], we’re going to put women and children first as those who will pay for that.’ It’s just not right.

“I congratulate the President for his message to the American people, for the message of his Administration, the Statement of Administration Policy, that a veto would be recommended, urge my colleagues to vote ‘no’ and yield back the balance of my time.”

The “sitting around the kitchen table” scenario: At my house we would have some discussion about whether or not it would be right for us to use other people’s hard-earned money, just to be sure we got to have everything we thought would be nice to have. I think she left out that part.

Republicans are assaulting women in order to protect oil subsidies?!?!?

Wow...

And that makes perfect sense to a San Francisco liberal.

If people believe this nonsense they deserve what they get. Do your homework! Do not rely on these assinine speeches from either party.
Those college students will be the ones paying for all these entitlements. I hope they understand that you can’t soak the rich like the ‘collectivists’ tell them.

Aye, anytime the phrase “kitchen table” makes its way into a politician’s speech you know a big load of pandering is headed your way.

Progressive Utopia alert!! Big Oil stops kids from getting college education while simultaneously starting a war on women!

TAX and TAX some more. Everyone is equal. If you haven’t worked a day in your life you deserve the same luxuries as someone who does! Ah Utopia it feels so good! /sarc

Imagine if we’re sitting around that kitchen table, as a family, as we are, and we say as a family ‘in order for your to go to college, we’re not going to be able to immunize your little brother or sister, we’re not going to be able to have preventative care, in terms of screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, the list goes on and on, for your mom, or any other preventative care for men and women, in our family. That just would be wrong.
_____________________________________________________

Now she tells me...

I didnt have the money for those extra things when i went to college...

I plead GUILTY !!!

Pelosi spews incoherent linkage of focus group buzz words.

Makes her sound nuts.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.