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Pelosi makes final plea for signature legislation
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06/26/09 02:53 PM ET
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave a short, impassioned speech Friday night before the House voted on her signature climate legislation.
Pelosi addressed the chamber for two minutes after Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) spent over an hour in the chamber in a filibuster-like speech designed to delay the vote.
Democrats had objected to Boehner's lengthy speech but House tradition allows leaders to speak beyond their allotated time. Boehner was objecting to changes made to the measure at just after three a.m. on Friday.
Pelosi offered to forgo her time and submit her statement for the written record.
She ended her brief remarks with the "four words" she asked lawmakers to remember the bill would bring: "Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs. Let's vote for jobs."
Pelosi spent Friday prowling the House floor looking for votes. Some leadership aides said Pelosi and her leadership team had rounded up enough votes to pass the bill with Democratic votes, and would go forward with a vote Friday. Leaders usually don't put a major bill on the floor unless they know they have the votes to pass it.
Pelosi addressed the chamber for two minutes after Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio) spent over an hour in the chamber in a filibuster-like speech designed to delay the vote.
Pelosi offered to forgo her time and submit her statement for the written record.
She ended her brief remarks with the "four words" she asked lawmakers to remember the bill would bring: "Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs. Let's vote for jobs."
Pelosi spent Friday prowling the House floor looking for votes. Some leadership aides said Pelosi and her leadership team had rounded up enough votes to pass the bill with Democratic votes, and would go forward with a vote Friday. Leaders usually don't put a major bill on the floor unless they know they have the votes to pass it.
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