In the spirit of your title of hard talk, you are completely wrong. - Nancy Pelosi

"Why don't we just leave this room today forgetting the word 'earmark'?"-June 2007

Scripture teaches us that for everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. My friends, no matter what title you all, my colleagues, have bestowed upon me — speaker, leader, whip — there is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and to speak for the people of San Francisco. This I will continue to do as a member of the House, speaking for the people of San Francisco, serving the great state of California and defending our Constitution. And with great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect. And I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.

Last Tuesday, we observed the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution on September 17. Sadly, on that day, the Intelligence Community Inspector General formally notified the Congress that the Administration was forbidding him from turning over a whistleblower complaint. On Constitution Day. This is a violation of law. Shortly thereafter, press reports began to break of a phone call by the President of the United States calling upon a foreign power to intervene in his election. This is a breach of his constitutional responsibilities. The facts are these: the Intelligence Community Inspector General, who was appointed by President Trump, determined that the complaint is both of "urgent concern and credible," and its disclosure, he went on to say, that it "relates to one of the most significant and important of the Director of National Intelligence"s responsibilities to the American people." On Thursday, the Inspector General testified before the House Intelligence Committee, stating that the Acting Director of National Intelligence blocked him from disclosing the whistleblower complaint. This is a violation of the law.