Pelosi lists House-passed bills stalled in Senate amid impeachment attacks
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a letter to her congressional colleagues on Saturday outlining a list of House-passed bills that currently await action in the GOP-controlled Senate.
Why it matters: The letter acts as a rebuke against attacks by Republicans, who argue that House Democrats are more focused on impeachment than on passing legislation for the American people. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not taken up any of the eight House-passed packages named by Pelosi, and has pledged to be the "Grim Reaper" for progressive policies.
Read the letter:
Dear Democratic Colleague,
On Thursday, thanks to the courage of our House Members, we continued to honor our oath of office with our strong vote to establish the procedures for the next phase of the inquiry.
At the same time, House Democrats are also honoring the commitment to our For The People agenda. H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, and H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, are both coming to the House Floor soon. We hope to continue further down the path to yes on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
While Mitch McConnell claims the House is only focused on impeachment, there are scores of critical bills sitting on his desk sent to him by the House Democratic Majority. Among them are:
• H.R. 1 – For The People Act – Sent to the Senate 239 days ago.
• H.R. 8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act – Sent to the Senate 248 days ago.
• H.R. 7 – Paycheck Fairness Act – Sent to the Senate 220 days ago.
• H.R. 1585 – VAWA Reauthorization Act – Sent to the Senate 212 days ago.
• H.R. 9 – Climate Action Now Act – Sent to the Senate 184 days ago.
• H.R. 5 – Equality Act – Sent to the Senate 169 days ago.
• H.R. 6 – Dream and Promise Act – Sent to the Senate 151 days ago.
• H.R. 582 – Raise the Wage Act – Sent to the Senate 107 days ago.
On the inquiry, the polling has shifted from 59/34 opposed to impeachment when the inquiry was officially announced to 49/47, not only for impeachment, but also removal from office.
I believe that the truth will set us free, and the facts are clear. President Trump withheld Congressionally approved military assistance to Ukraine for his political advantage and now is covering it up. Ukraine desperately needed this assistance. At least 11,000 Ukrainians have already died in the fight against Russia’s incursions into their country. The President’s actions undermined national security, jeopardized the integrity of our elections and violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
President Nixon resigned office because of the break-in of the DNC Headquarters for his political gain and the cover-up. Some observers of that sad time of our history say that President Nixon’s offenses pale in comparison to what President Trump has done.
House Republicans voted against the rules of procedure for the inquiry because they said what President Trump did was not wrong. As we legislate, investigate and litigate, we recognize that no one is above the law, not even the President of the United States. He will be held accountable.
The times have found each and every one of us to Defend our Democracy For The People. Thank you for your patriotism.
Go deeper: Nancy Pelosi expects public impeachment hearings to start this month
