Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, led by Co-Chair Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, voted to recommend the following committee appointments to the Democratic Caucus.

“The decision by Secretary Gates to reopen the competition on the Air Force tanker contract is an appropriate response to the Government Accountability Office’ s conclusion that the original contract award process was flawed.”

“President Bush refuses to heed the clear warnings of our military leaders about the harmful impact the war in Iraq is having on the readiness of our armed forces and our country’s ability to fight the real war on terrorism in Afghanistan and around the world.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent the following letter to President Bush today urging him to use his authority to draw down a limited portion of the oil held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to expand available supplies in the market and help reduce the record prices adversely affecting American consumers and businesses.

“The news that America has experienced its sixth straight month of job losses is no surprise to most Americans; they feel the economic anxiety and uncertainty every day – as they worry about their own employment, and as they face the rising prices at the pump and at the grocery store.”

The American people heard from the President today more of the same failed policies of the past: drill, drill, and drill. Drilling in places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Outer Continental Shelf could only save consumers a couple of pennies a gallon, 22 years from now.”

“The news that three Americans and their fellow captives held by Colombian rebels have been freed is the answer to the hopes and prayers of so many.”

“This morning, President Bush signed the emergency supplemental bill into law and with it a new GI Bill for our troops, veterans and military families and an extension of unemployment benefits for millions of jobless American workers.”

“As we approach the Fourth of July, we can be proud that we are thanking the heroes of our time–our troops and veterans–with a new GI Bill that provides a full, four-year college scholarship. With this new GI Bill, our troops and veterans will become the next ‘Greatest Generation’ and help spur job creation for our economic recovery.”

“The House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation that directs the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use all its authority, including the agency’s emergency powers, to ‘curb immediately’ the role of excessive speculation in energy futures markets.”