Pelosi Remarks at Press Conference with the Congressional Black Caucus Introducing the Jobs & Justice Act

Leader Pelosi.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Thank you Cedric Richmond for your great leadership.

I am here to join you and the Congressional Black Caucus and Marc Morial and Debra Lee and acknowledge that our Black Caucus is the conscience of the caucus.  I am here to bring commitment and support in every way to the proposals that are being made in the Jobs and Justice Agenda.

I know, I spoke this morning at the National Urban League and saw the State of Black America that the Urban League puts forth each year, and I said to Marc, ‘I look forward to seeing you here.’  He said, ‘The State of Black America is incorporated in the Jobs and Justice Agenda going forward.’

We are all coming together.  I am honored to be here with the former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Marcia Fudge, who is a champion right now fighting the fight for the unfair – no values involved in terms of Republicans in the present moment, our champion on the agriculture committee to fight for our children and seniors and veterans and nutrition.

I am here with Chairman Bobby Scott – did I say Chairman?

[Laughter]

Soon-to-be Chairman Bobby Scott as well as soon-to-be-Chairwoman Maxine Waters, Benny Thompson, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Elijah Cummings.  In any event, whether it’s jobs, justice, peace, protecting the American people, taking us into new world of science, the Congressional Black Caucus will have the leadership on so many of those committees in a very short period of time.

Let me just say one thing.  What you see here is the work of the Urban League and Marc Moral is such an icon in this country.  I admired him, I admired his father, Mr. Mayor. His practical application of ideas is so essential.  The Black Caucus, under the leadership of Mr. Richmond and the guidance of Assistant Leader Mr. Clyburn, has taken some of these issues in one form or another.

So, I bring back to you the commitment of the House Democratic Caucus to work with you on the Appropriations Committee, on the Ways and Means Committee, on the Judiciary Committee, on every committee, on Bobby Scott’s committee that he chairs and other committees I mentioned – to make sure that whatever is happening in terms of public policy is not standing in the way: get out of the way of what we want to get in the Voting Rights Act; get out of the way in how we want to end discrimination; get out of the way of creating good-paying jobs; workplace safety, equal pay for equal work.  The list goes on and on.

So you have the commitment of the House Democratic Caucus.  Your agenda is our priority because your agenda is about jobs and justice.  Mr. Chairman has been a champion for the pledge we take every day: liberty and justice for all.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to speak here.

[Applause]

I was at an event with Maxine Waters where she was taking the lead on fighting for the security of our country and I’m going with Elijah Cummings to speak on lowering prescription drug prices.  So, your Black Caucus Members are either here or present elsewhere making the fight.

Thank you for the honor, [Congressman] Richmond.

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