Government accountability offices new report which concluded that the White House Budget Office violated the law when it froze u. S. Military aid to ukraine. Ms. Pelosi spook good morning, everyone. How are you. As ive said over and over again, every day that were involved in this impeachment is a sad day for america. Yesterday was one when we were given no choice but to send to the senate two articles of impeachment against donald trump, the president of the united states. For his the president necessitated this by his abuse of power and obstruction of congress and his actions which undermined our National Security , violated his oath of office to protect and defend the constitution, and jeopardized the pinteg i have to our elections. Everyday new and incriminating information comes forward and you are well aware of the hearing and that speaks very clearly the need for the senate to enter the documentation into their discussion. Today and this is the Government Accountability Office Confirmed that the president s actions at the center of our impeachment articles withholding congresses shale approved military aid from ukraine was illegal. And these are their words. These are the words of g. A. O. Faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those that congress has enacted into law. The office of management and budget withheld funds for a policy reason that is not ermitted under the empowerment control act. The with holding was not a programmatic delay, therefore we conclude that o. M. B. Violated the empowerment act. The o. M. B. , the white house, the administration, broke, im saying this, broke the law. They say, we conclude that they violated the empowerment impoundment act. Empowerment control act. This confirms the need for documents and eyewitnesses in the senate. When i was in grade school there was a sign in the wall that said what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive you see this more and more and more in all of this, this tangled web, to deceive that the administration is engaged in. Also on appropriations matters, im very sad about what has happened in puerto rico. We pray for the families who have lost loved ones and injury to others. The appropriations, its unacceptable that the administration illegally with hold for over a year the federal assistance that congress appropriated and that puerto rico needs. We are concerned that the administration is looking for excuses to create unnecessary obstacles to the timely flow of assistance based on reports of new restrictions on the aid. We hope that it can be interpreted more loosely, but we are concerned. We hope the president will sign a major disaster emergency declaration. He has signed emergency but we need major disaster. Eople in our fellow americans in puerto rico, american citizens all, need assistance now. Thats why today the house will release a text of a bill to provide supplemental assistance for earthquake relief to be taken up soon. We prayner families of the two americans who died in the disaster, but we are concerned about those affected physically and traumatically by the earthquake and by the uncertainty that we are not there for them. Democrats ran on a platform of for the people. We will lower the cost of health care by lowering the cost of prescription drugs. We would Lower Health Care costs, bigger paychecks, by Building Infrastructure of america in a resilient way and we would have cleaner government if we pass h. R. 1 to do that in terms of Lower Health Care costs, right before christmas we passed h. R. 3 to low the cost of prescription drugs. Its been widely and popularly received throughout the country, were very proud of it. Its another bill sitting on the desk of the grim reap Thorne Senate side. 400 bills we have passed, 275 of them bipartisan, sitting on the leaders desk. Violence is about passing that bill and having it signed into law would save lives. Thats just one of many. But in terms of prescription drugs, they have a bill, we have a bill, lets pass them and go to conference. Theyre not only not taking up our bill, theyre not even taking up their bill. Increasing paychecks, when we come back, that first week, we will be rolling out our infrastrubblingture legislation work of measure one committee but led by the infrastructure and transportation committee, peter defazio. It is pretty exciting. Its something we talked about during the campaign. The president talked about its a priority during the campaign. We thought we would be able to move in a positive way on this, so far, they have not come on board. However, we decided now well have to go forward and we do believe that now with the passage of the u. S. Mexicocanada agreement they might be interested in cooperating in other ways. On that score, pleased that the senate is going to be taking up the bill this morning. I think it will be passed and then well sign it and send it over. The legislators will sign it and send it to the president. What is amusing to me is that the leader over there was saying if she doesnt send me the articles of impeachment im going to pass the u. S. Mexicocanada agreement. Ok. Thats good news for all of us. We view that as a jobs bill. I want to commend richard neal and the eight members who were part of our task force to make sure we change the bill they sent us we never could have supported, the treat anyi they sent us. What we sent back to them in erms of again enforcement, enforcement, enforcement, enforcement of labor rights, environmental protections and eliminating their giveaway to pharma that was in the bill along with other improvements we made on the bill. Were pleased we had a big, strong vote in the house and glad that because we didnt send over it gave them enough time to bring it up this morning because the chief justice wont be able to be there until this afternoon. And when we talk about health care, as i mentioned yesterday, we had a beautiful ceremony yesterday, i dont know if any of you saw it, giving the golded me tool steven gleason, former nfl, new Orleans Saints star, and he has hes been diagnosed with a. L. S. , in the very now late stages of it. But in the course of meeting his challenge he helped so many things for other people with a. L. S. Or neuromuscular diagnoses. It was a beautiful thing. But he points out that all of us are one dige know circumstances our families are one diagnosis, one phone call, one accident away from needing really Affordable Quality Health care. We all need it every day but this, catastrophic, so very important. And that is again, were particularly proud of the progress made. What were up against is the president on every front in the congress and in the court is trying to undo the Affordable Care act. The Patient Protection and apordable care act. And right now, he goes out and says hes protector, i mean, where sit again . What a web we weave when we practice to deceive how much can he go out there and say hes protecting the preexisting condition benefit and things like that when hes in court trying to overturn it . Instead of the Justice Department protecting the law of the land, which is their responsibility, theyre trying to overturn the law they have law of the land in the courts. Thats the fight. We have asked for expedited decisions from the court so the public will know what were up against. They have said take it slow, take it slow, take it slow. This is a very, very important issue to the health of the American People. But also the Financial Health of the American People. We were very proud when we passed Elijah Cummings h. R. 3 lower drug costs now. Thats something so remarkable so transformative, in terms of meeting the needs of americas working families. But also taking the money saved from big pharmas ripoff and greed and using it to transform medicare in a way that it hasnt been transformed since its inception. That is to take about a half trillion dollars out of pharma and use it for dental, hearing and visual benefits. Were very excited about that. And again on the preexisting conditions, about 130 million families are affected by preexisting conditions and president the president is in court trying to overturn that. No longer will that benefit be available to people no longer will the benefit of lifetime no lifetime limit or annual limits on it. The list goes on and on about that. When we come back, well also be ddressing surprise billing issues. When we come back, the first week, well rollout infrastructure probably on the floor, itll be up to the democratic leader but hes told me, told our caucus that we expect in the first week wed be bringing up the ro khanna bill which says no funds for war in iran unless Congress Approves that and also barbara lees egislation which repeals the authorization of use of mill fair force, the aumf, thats beyond its scope. So there we are. Again were very pleased since we returned from christmas we passed the pfas to clean up toxic chemicals, these are forever chemicals, you practically cant get rid of them. It impacts millions of families and many of them are on our own military bases who are affected by these chemicals that are in the water supply and they serve families and their are negatively affected. Ive met with some of the families. Its such a tragedy. Such a tragedy. Then we passed the war powers resolution about the president s actions in iran, soon the senate will be taking up senator kaines version of that then we passed the c. R. A. To reverse an Administration Rule denying debt relief to students defrauded by predatory institutions. Its just a stunning thing, these kids, they incurred debt, the institutions had disappeared, their degrees are not worth what they have borrowed money to obtain. And this administration wants to protect not the student bus the predatory lenders. So with that, ill take any questions. You had the last question yesterday. Reporter madam speaker, whats your response to Senate Republicans who say they shouldnt have to consider new evidence like the parnas material because it wasnt included in the house investigation . Ms. Pelosi theyre afraid of the truth. The American People have seen the allegations and theyre allegations we need to see more evidence that would be contained in the documentation. So this is just another avoiding of the facts and the truth on their part. They dont want to see documents, dont want to hear from eyewitnesses, dont want to they want to ignore anything new that comes up. , an a strong case undeniable case for the impeachment of the president. No future president would ever think that she or he could get away with what President Trump as been getting away with in , Public Opinion will have a lot to do with this. Since we passed ours and sent it over, Public Opinion has grown enormously for seeing witnesses, eyewitnesses, and documentation. And theyll just have to contend with the public on that reporter thank you, madam speaker. A question on the role of facebook. In a new New York Times buttigieg talked about Mark Zuckerberg and others having too much power. Do you agree . Ms. Pelosi the facebook Business Model is strictly to make money. They dont care about the impact ops children they dont care about truth they dont care where this is all coming from. They have said even if they know its not true theyll print it. I think they have been very abusive of the great opportunity that technology has given them. My thought about them is, they they want the tax against them, es they schmooze the administration. I think what they have said very blatantly, very clearly, they intend to be accomplices for misleading the American People with money from god knows where. They didnt check on the money from russia in the last election. Never even thought they should. So they have been very irresponsible. And again as you say these are people that weve known and worked with over time. Actually facebook does have an office in my district, i think their behavior is shameful. Collins said or e timing of the parnas documents was suspect to her. Can you lay out why the documents are being released now and if more are coming . Ms. Pelosi they were released now because this is when they were obtained and hes going further into public interviews on that is very compelling. Again, why would they not want to find out under other circumstances if somebody like parnas came forward and there was evidence, there was reason to believe that there was some of that was factual, there one a special prosecutor opainted. Does anybody think that the rogue attorney general is going o support appoint a special prosecutor . No. Because hes implicated in all of this. This is an example of all of the president s hinchmen, and i hope the senators do not become part of the president s hinchmen. Reporter madam speaker, given the parnas interview last night, do you believe les parnas should be a witness at the trial and would he be credible . Ms. Pelosi credible relates to the documents and the rest. It raises questions. I have appointed the managers, who haunted me, tracked me, who are they, when are they coming, theyre here and they have a responsibility. Im confident in how they will proceed. And the again, there seems to be documentation that would validate what parnas is saying. That has to be subjected to scrutiny. Reporter but parnas is under federal indictment so would he be a credible witness . Ms. Pelosi hed be a credible witness if it relates to what hes testifying to, but theres a process about how you go forward with witnesses, thats not done in the basement of the Congressional Visitors Center but in, you know, among those who are making those decisions about how to go forward. Im so proud of our manager, our members have been so positive about it. And you know, this is not without risk. Theyre going to give a great deal of their intellect, as an intellect chal resource, as patriots, giving a great deal of time, of course. Theyre courageous, let me say it that way. Heyre courageous. I told you i wasnt answer, you had a question yesterday. When i said that the attorney general was implicated as i said this testimony implicated the rogue attorney general who has i dont puppet of know whos the puppet, trump or the attorney general, but this is not, he says this is my attorney general. This is my department of justice. Really . So in any case, its not a question of saying it says what allegations have been made. And that has to be subjected to scrutiny as to how we go forward. But it should not be ignored in the context of other events that have happened that would substantiate some of that. Reporter do you think it would be appropriate to delay the state of the union until after e impeachment trial is concluded . Ms. Pelosi thats up to the president. He can come that day, were prepared to welcome him that day. He can send a printed copy, which was for a long time the tradition, the president would send a copy of his state of the union address, or he could ask us to postpone it if in fact he wants to have it after all of this is resolved. But the timing of the investigation of the trial of the president for obstructing congress and abuse of power should not be hastened because of a speech he wants to make to the congress of the united states. Thank you all very much. For the third time in history, a president son trial in the u. S. Senate. The impeachment trial of President Trump has begun. The senate trial be
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