1/21/2005
Democrats are Ready for the Next Four Years
Thursday marked the beginning of President Bush’s second term, and House Democrats are prepared for the next four years, whatever they may hold. We will find common ground with the Administration where we can, and we will stand our ground where we cannot. This means standing by the key values of the American middle class: national security, prosperity, community, fairness, accountability and opportunity. We will fight to defend and strengthen Social Security for both today’s workers and future generations. We will work to create good paying jobs at home, ease taxes on working families and reward companies that hire American workers here in this country. We will push for better equipment and support for those brave Americans serving overseas and honor our debt to those veterans who have defended us in the past. And we will keep our commitment to make health care affordable to all Americans, including the 45 million Americans who are currently without health insurance.
Democrats are Ready to Defend American Values.
http://democraticleader.ctsg.com/ctt.asp?u=3676799&l=75382President Admits 'bring 'em on' Remark Was a Mistake
As instability and violent attacks continue to threaten security in Iraq, the President finally admitted that saying 'bring 'em on' in references to insurgents in Iraq has had unintended consequences. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has become a magnet for terrorists, and although unintended, the President's remarks increased the dangers that our troops face. As the death toll mounts, our troops continue to pay the ultimate cost for this dangerous, expensive and poorly-planned war. Having admitted the error of his words, the President must now admit the error of his ways.
Read Leader Pelosi's statement.
http://democraticleader.ctsg.com/ctt.asp?u=3676799&l=75383Drop in Real Wages Reflect the Damage of Republican Policies
"Despite Americans’ widespread concern about how to pay for health care, college tuition, heating bills, and other necessities, Congress and the President betrayed their promise to work for all Americans." - Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
For the first time in a decade, Americans' wages shrunk last year, even though Americans are working longer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. This is despite the fact that more Americans are spending more time at work and away from their families. Declining wages for American workers is the result of the record Republican jobs deficit. While corporate profits are riding sky-high on the increased productivity of America’s workers, soaring 41 percent over the past four years, middle-income families continue to be squeezed. And while real wages drop, the cost of health care, education, and even groceries continue to climb. The current policies of tax cuts for corporations that send jobs overseas and tax breaks for those who need them least are out of step with our values and unfair to the American people who work hard and pay their taxes.
Learn More about the Democratic commitment to economic policies that work.
http://democraticleader.ctsg.com/ctt.asp?u=3676799&l=75385Women: The Next Target of Attack on Social Security
At a recent forum on the upcoming changes the Bush Administration and its allies have in store for Social Security, Republican Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) hinted slashing benefits for American women might be part of the plan. "We never have debated gender-adjusting Social Security," Rep. Thomas said, noting that women live longer than men and so theoretically take more out of the system. "We need to take a look at the question of whether or not actuarially we ought to adjust who gets what, when and how." Essentially, Rep. Thomas is suggesting that women take an unfair amount of money out of the retirement system and so their benefits should be lowered to ‘even the score.’
Already, women are at disproportionate risk from attacks on the Social Security system - without Social Security, 52 percent of white women, 65 percent of African American women, and 61 percent of Hispanic women over the age of 65 would live in poverty. This plan to directly target women and punish them for their gender is outlandish. House Democrats will continue to oppose attempts to weaken the Social Security system and are outraged at any changes that discriminate against women.
Read the Letter from Leader Nancy Pelosi and 35 fellow Women Members of Congress to the President.
http://democraticleader.ctsg.com/ctt.asp?u=3676799&l=75386
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