House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Congressman asks for football break — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Thursday's championship football game between No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Oklahoma is obviously a big game, but big enough to shut down Congress? Rep. Cliff Stearns hopes so. Stearns, a Republican from Ocala, wrote to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday asking her to move votes scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday so House members from Florida and Oklahoma can go to the Bowl Championship Series national title game.... [Tags: big game, bowl championship series, championship football, cliff stearns, congress]

White House: Constructive auto talks with Congress — WASHINGTON — Facing massive job losses, the White House and congressional Democrats are negotiating a deal to provide about $15 billion in loans to prevent Detroit's weakened auto industry from collapsing. The White House said it was in "constructive discussions" with lawmakers in both parties to dole out the assistance as House and Senate staff aides worked through the weekend drafting bailout legislation that is expected to come to a vote next week. A breakthrough on the long-stalled rescue came Friday when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, yielded to President George W. Bush on a key point: allowing the aid... [Tags: army navy football, army navy football game, business decisions, congress washington, congressional democrats]

CBS: $15 billion auto bailout agreement reached — It appears agreement has been reached between the White House and Congress on an auto industry bailout to the tune of $15 billion. The $15 billion will not be drawn from the $700 billion stimulus package, but from the fund supposedly dedicated to getting energy-efficient car production up and running, according to CBS: (CBS/AP) After weeks of tense discussions with the heads of the U.S. auto industry, Democratic Congressional leaders have reached an agreement that may just clear the way for the Big Three to get the money they need to survive ... for now. CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier... [Tags: auto industry, bailout, car production, cbs news correspondent kimberly dozier, chiefs]

Pelosi Expects Rangel Ethics Report By Early January — Right before the Thanksgiving holiday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying she expected the ethics committee investigation into Rep. Charles Rangel by January 3, 2009: "I look forward to reviewing the report at that time." The ethics panel is looking into three things: Rangel's use of Congressional letterhead to solicit donations to City College's school of public service (which is being named after him); his four rent-stabilized apartments; and unreported income from his vacation villa in the Dominican Republic. As allegations and questions have accumulated over recent months (most recently, about a $1 million donation to the school... [Tags: 1 million, allegations, chairmanship, charles rangel, committee investigation]

Change You Can Believe In — File this one under, it's about damn time: When the Bush presidency ends, opponents of embryonic stem cell research will face a new political reality that many feel powerless to stop. President-elect Barack Obama is expected to lift restrictions on federal money for such research. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also has expressed interest in going ahead with legislation in the first 100 days of the new Congress if it still is necessary to set up a regulatory framework. And while the new administration and the majority of Americans favor stem cell research, its opponents won't give up the fight,... [Tags: adult stem cells, american society for reproductive medicine, barack obama, bush presidency, damn time]

Is What's Good For Automakers Good For Us? — At hearing this week, Congress essentially told U.S. automakers "not so fast." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid instructed the automakers to draft a plan of how they would use any financial bailout, before coming back to congress next month. What are the pros and cons of an auto bailout?» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us... [Tags: automakers, congress, e mail, financial bailout, harry reid]

Obama, Congressional leaders grapple with auto industry meltdown — Over on the Hill, the Big Three are getting sternly worded advice about how to approach Congress with a proposal that has a chance of passage, according to the Washington Post: Earlier today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that she and Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will send a letter to the heads of GM, Ford and Chrysler, telling them what they need to show Congress in order to get federal bailout money.... Pelosi said that she wants lawmakers to tell Congress that, if it approves the bailout, Detroit will: -- pay no shareholder dividends, -- give no bonuses... [Tags: automakers, bailout, bankruptcy lawyer, barack obama, bloomberg]

President Bush Extends Jobless Benefits — Right before leaving for his trip to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, President Bush signed an extension of jobless benefits that will allow "millions of laid-off workers will keep getting their unemployment checks as the year-end holidays approach," according to the AP. Bush warmed up to the idea of extending benefits as the economy continued to sour and jobless claims kept growing. The House had passed the bill in October and the Senate passed it yesterday; then it had to be rushed to the White House for Bush to approve. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "With more Americans... [Tags: asia pacific economic cooperation, economic cooperation forum, economic times, extension legislation, graph]

Congress Gives Automakers Homework — Lawmakers considering a $25 billion aid package for the auto industry made getting a plan from carmakers a condition for getting the money. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid say if there's a viable plan, Congress might return to work in early next month for a vote. » E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us... [Tags: auto industry, automakers, congress, e mail, harry reid]

Dow Falls 444 Points, S&P 500 Lowest Since 1997 — Photograph of traders at the New York Stock Exchange by Richard Drew/AP The Dow Jones fell 5.56%, losing 444.99 points to close at 7,552 points; the Nasdaq fell 5% and the S&P 500 plummeted 6.71%. The NY Times reports, "Wall Street doubled down on its losses on Thursday, just a day after financial markets closed at their lowest point in nearly six years." And the Wall Street Journal says, "Stocks' sharp slide continued Thursday, pushing both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to lows not seen since before the dot-com bubble." Jim Paulsen, strategist at Wells... [Tags: big three automakers, chief investment officer, dow jones, dow jones industrial, dow jones industrial average]

Pelosi praises Dingell and Waxman — Blog: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praises John Dingell and Henry Waxman... [Tags: blog, henry waxman, house speaker nancy pelosi, john dingell, nancy pelosi]

Congress wants business plan from automakers — WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in Congress have put off a vote on bailing out the auto industry until next month, and want the top companies to present a plan showing the money will make them financially viable. "The executives of the auto industry have not been able to convince the American people or the Congress that this bailout would be their last," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said at a news conference. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: "Until they show us the plan, we cannot show them the money." The industry has been asking for $25 billion in... [Tags: auto companies, auto industry, automakers, bailout, car companies]

Dem Leaders Split Over Heated Committee Chair Race — The top two Democratic leaders in the House are expected to vote for different lawmakers to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee in the next Congress. Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) have taken neutral public stances in the high-profile contest between Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) and his challenger, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). But lawmakers, aides and lobbyists following the race believe that Pelosi will vote for Waxman and Hoyer will back Dingell when the vote takes place later this week.... [Tags: aides, chairman john, challenger, commerce committee chairman, committee chair]

Carl Pope: The Peculiar Politics of Bailing Out Detroit — DETROIT -- As of this morning, it appears that the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress are perfectly prepared to let General Motors go into bankruptcy, and that President-elect Obama and the Democrats in Congress are trying to simultaneously reform and rescue GM. Since the auto industry has been, after Big Oil, the most faithful business handmaiden of the Republican Party, you might find this a mite peculiar. And since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi comes from the metropolitan area with probably the lowest percentage of Detroit-made vehicles of any in the country, it seems stranger still. Let's be clear: The... [Tags: auto industry, bailout, bush administration, business relationships, carl pope]

Top Republican Senators Oppose Automaker Bailout — WASHINGTON — Top Republican senators said Sunday they will oppose a Democratic plan to bail out Detroit automakers, calling the U.S. industry a "dinosaur" whose "day of reckoning" is coming. Their opposition raises serious doubts about whether the plan will pass in this week's postelection session. Democratic leaders want to use $25 billion of the $700 billion financial industry bailout to help General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Jon Kyl of Arizona said it would be a mistake to use any of the Wall Street rescue money to prop up the... [Tags: bailout, barack obama, barney frank, democratic plan, detroit automakers]

Pelosi Pledges Aid To Automakers, Strings Attached — WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday the House would provide aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, requiring that the industry meet new fuel-efficiency standards, produce advanced vehicles and restructure "to ensure their long-term economic viability." Pelosi, D-Calif., did not disclose the amount of funding House leaders intend to seek for the industry _ automakers have been seeking $25 billion in loans to stabilize their sinking companies. But she said the funding should come from the $700 billion financial bailout approved by Congress in October. "A restructured, competitive American automobile industry will continue to play a crucial role... [Tags: 60 minutes, american automobile industry, auto industry, barack obama, blank check]

Democrats Push Auto Industry Relief in Congress — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is asking lawmakers to be prepared to come into session next Wednesday to consider either an economic stimulus package or $25 billion in loans to help the sagging auto industry.... [Tags: auto industry, congress, democrats, economic stimulus package, house speaker nancy pelosi]

Kenneth Roth: Delay Consideration of Colombia Trade Deal — In the midst of the economic crisis, the Bush administration has decided to spend its final days in office pushing for a trade agreement with Colombia that few Americans even know about. The White House has even suggested its support for an economic stimulus package during next week's lame-duck session may turn on Congress dropping its opposition to the Colombia deal. Yet there are many important reasons why Congress delayed a vote on the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier this year. Colombia has for years had the world's highest rate of killings of trade unionists. As many as half... [Tags: barack obama, business figures, close ties, colombia trade, colombians]

Democrats Telegraphing Upcoming Automaker Bailout? — WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats are marshaling support for a rescue package to pump $25 billion in emergency loans to U.S. automakers in exchange for a government ownership stake in Detroit's car companies. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., are developing legislation that would let the auto industry tap into the $700 billion Wall Street rescue money, approved by Congress last month, to fund their business operations. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC are lobbying Congress to approve the aid, citing an economic downturn that has choked off... [Tags: barney frank, carl levin, congressional democrats, economic downturn, emergency loans]

Pelosi supports new help for ailing US automakers — WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants Congress to support a financial bailout for the troubled U.S. auto industry, which is suffering under the weight of poor sales, tight credit and a sputtering economy. Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday she was confident that lawmakers would consider "emergency and limited financial assistance" for the auto industry under the $700 billion bailout measure that passed Congress in October. She urged the outgoing Bush administration to support a compromise. "In order to prevent the failure of one or more of the major American automobile manufacturers ... Congress and the Bush administration must take immediate... [Tags: american automobile manufacturers, auto industry, business decisions, cbs early show, democratic leaders]