“‘Today’s announcement just underscores the fact that the burden of the war in Iraq has fallen upon our troops and their families. The Bush Administration has failed to create a plan to fully equip and train our troops, bring them home safely and soon, and provide our veterans with the quality care they deserve.”

“‘Like Americans all across the country, I want to express my deep disgust with the despicable words used by Don Imus. What he said was indefensible, and hurtful. Such racist and sexist words have no place in our society. His words do not reflect the values of hope and opportunity that these outstanding young women represent, nor do they represent the aspirations of our nation. As we commemorate the 35th anniversary of Title IX this year, we should celebrate the achievements and contributions of our young women athletes, not denigrate them with reprehensible comments.”

“‘Democrats in Congress want to sit down with the President to talk about the best way to both fully fund our troops and move forward in Iraq. We have sent him repeated requests to do so, the most recent today. We have been disappointed with the President’s decision to avoid a serious, substantive discussion with Congress on Iraq.”

“‘The American people want the President and the Congress to work together to bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq. Congressional Democrats are willing to meet with the President at any time, but we believe that any discussion of an issue as critical as Iraq must be accomplished by conducting serious negotiations without any preconditions. Our goal should be to produce an Iraq supplemental bill that both fully funds our troops and gives them a strategy for success.”

“‘The President should work collaboratively and on a bipartisan basis to pass comprehensive immigration reform. He should embrace proposals such as the STRIVE Act by Congressmen Gutierrez and Flake, which provides an excellent framework and reflects a strong commitment by a bipartisan group of House Members toward realistic and comprehensive immigration reform.”

“‘The new scientific report on global warming warns that global warming is already affecting the earth and that the effects are likely to be significant and widespread in this century, causing increased drought, drinking water shortages, and widespread extinction of species. Poor people around the world are especially vulnerable to the hazards of climate change.”

“‘The purpose of the visit to the Middle East was to assess the impact of events in the region on the national security interests of the United States. There is no separation between this delegation, Congress, and President Bush on the commitment of the United States to fight terrorism, end the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and pursue peace. We have no illusions about the complexity of the challenges facing this region, but hope that recent diplomatic activity will generate some momentum for progress.”

“‘The proposal passed by the House gives our troops everything they need and more. The House and Senate acted quickly to respond to the needs of our troops and our veterans, but also to the strongly held views of the American people. The executive and legislative branches each have a role in this process, and the Speaker encourages the President not to assign blame to Congress for doing its job.”

“‘The Bush Administration is becoming increasingly isolated in its refusal to take action to prevent global warming. The scientific consensus on global warming is rock solid. The House and Senate are moving ahead. The Administration insisted that the Environmental Protection Agency’s hands were tied, but the Supreme Court today debunked that argument. It’s time for the Administration to join the search for solutions to climate change.”

“‘Cesar Chavez was one of America’s greatest advocates for justice and equality, and a model of service to others. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to witness firsthand Cesar Chavez’ tireless commitment to improving the lives of America’s farm workers by securing their rights to organize and bargain collectively for fair working conditions.”