Target Dems Disregard American People, Vote to Maintain Job-Killing Agenda By Voting for Pelosi for Speaker

January 5, 2011

FYI, a version of this release below went out to the following districts: Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cueller (TX-28), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Jim Himes (CT-04), Maurice Hinchey (NY-22), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Dale Kildee (MI-05), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Dave Loebsack (IA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), Brad Miller (NC-13), Chris Murphy (CT-05), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Tim Walz (MN-01), David Wu (OR-01), and John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Ben Chandler Disregards American People, Votes to Maintain Job-Killing Agenda by Voting for Pelosi for Speaker

First Vote Foreshadows Another Irresponsible Session for House Democrats as They Preserve the Status Quo

Washington— Despite America’s resounding rejection of the failed policies forced on the American people over the last four years, Ben Chandler showed that it’s business as usual in Washington today as he voted to keep former Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. In handing Pelosi the leadership of their party and voting to keep her in charge of the House, Democrats have proven that they plan to completely ignore any lessons from the midterm elections and will continue to advocate for the same job-killing policies that have contributed to America’s economic decline.

“This vote is symbolic of the complete disregard Ben Chandler has for the American people and the message they sent in November,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “With this first vote, Chandler’s constituents can clearly foresee that he will continue to support the same job-killing and big-spending policies rejected by the American people at the ballot box. Instead of learning from the midterm elections and listening to voters, Democrats have rehired the one person who may be most responsible for the reckless agenda that has left middle-class families with fewer jobs and mountains of debt.”

Even more troubling for Democrats is that Pelosi’s far left ideology causes splintering and dissonance as members of her party broke ranks and voiced their opposition. North Carolina Democrat Heath Shuler took it a step further by challenging Pelosi for the role of Minority Leader:

“Shuler, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats, challenged Pelosi for the party leadership post, contending Pelosi was too liberal for a party that lost the House majority to Republicans. Shuler, a former Washington Redskins quarterback, mustered 43 votes to Pelosi’s 150.

“Even after what happened in the last election, we’re still not being heard,” Shuler, D-N.C., told Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Congress. “The American people heard it. That’s for sure. …” (Camia, “Heath Shuler won’t vote for Nancy Pelosi,” USA Today, 1/4/11)

On her last day as Speaker, Pelosi vowed that she has no regrets for the job-killing agenda she forced on the American people:

“Democrat Nancy Pelosi says she has no regrets on her last day as House speaker, a reign that last four years and is ending after the November elections.” (“Pelosi says ‘no regrets’ on last day as speaker,” AP, 1/4/11)

Pelosi, who was first handed the Speaker’s gavel in 2007, has set an impressive legacy as a Democrat who gave no thought to bankrupting future generations. If this is the kind of leader Democrats want to represent them, then they are continuing to prove they are the party voters can’t trust.

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