Congressional Videos

Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled an $849 billion health-care plan that would create new government competition for private insurers, cover almost all Americans and raise a payroll tax on the highest earners. Bloomberg's Lizzie O'Leary reports. (Source: Bloomberg)

Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte. Chair Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) reflects on the Nov. 3 GOP victories in the VA & NJ Gov. races and looks ahead to the 2010 Congressional races.

A new memorial to America s most-esteemed veterans Congressional Medal of Honor recipients will be dedicated at the University of Washington in Seattle on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. Campus leadership and recent students explain why they re honoring those who hold the nation s highest and rarest military honor.

(11.5.09) -- In his initial televised remarks following the devastating American tragedy, Barack Obama first addresses White House conference attendees -- even giving one a chummy shout-out -- before finally turning his attention towards the horrific mass killing at the Ft. Hood Army base in Texas. At least 12 are dead and 31 wounded. For continuing information and commentary on this and other important news stories, visit: http://conservativenewmedia.com/ Join the Conservative New Media group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86588038223&ref=mf Add Conservative New Media founder John D. Villarreal on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JohnDVillarreal?ref=mf Add Conservative New Media founder Paul F. Villarreal on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-F-Villarreal/508914235 Sign up for the free Conservative New Media insider: ConservativeNewMedia@gmail.com *

A new memorial to America’s most-esteemed veterans – Congressional Medal of Honor recipients – will be dedicated at the University of Washington in Seattle on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. Campus leadership and recent students explain why they’re honoring those who hold the nation’s highest and rarest military honor.Author: multivu Tags: Veterans Day Congressional Medal Honor America University Washington military defense Posted: 05 November 2009 Rating: 0.0 Votes: 0

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/10/08/Lawrence_Lessig_on_Institutional_Corruption Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig makes a sweeping indictment of the relationship between special interest groups, their lobbyists, and Capitol Hill politicians. "Members, staffers and bureaucrats increasingly have a common business model in their head as they serve in Washington," says Lessig. "The business model is focused on their life after government - life as lobbyists." ----- Larry Lessig introduces the Safra lecture series with a discussion on institutional corruption. He explores the prevalence of this form of corruption in fields ranging from politics to medicine to journalism, and describes his plan to study and contain this problem. - Safra Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard University Lawrence Lessig is a professor of law at Stanford Law School and founder of the school's Center for Internet and Society. He teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, contracts, and the law of cyberspace. Prior to joining the Stanford faculty, he was Berkman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and a professor at the University of Chicago. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and for Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court. For much of his career, he has focused on law and technology, especially as it affects copyright. Recognized for arguing against interpretations of copyright that could stifle innovation and discourse online, he is CEO of the Creative Commons project, and he has been a columnist for Wired, Red Herring, and The Industry Standard.

THE PRESIDENT: It is an extraordinary privilege to be here today. And let me begin by acknowledging this distinguished group gathered on the platform: our extraordinary Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi; Majority Leader Harry Reid; Republican leader Mitch McConnell; majority leader Steny Hoyer; Republican leader John Boehner; Senator John Kerry; Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton; Representative Patrick Kennedy; my dear friend, Vicki Kennedy; to our honoree, Senator Edward Brooke, his wife, Anne, and family. It is a great privilege to be here today as we confer the Congressional Gold Medal on a man who's spent his life breaking barriers and bridging divides across this country -- Senator Edward Brooke. Now, with his lifetime of achievement, Ed is no stranger to a good awards ceremony. He's been through a few of these. (Laughter.) He's won the Bronze Star, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, honorary degrees from 34 colleges and universities, and more. So he's a pro when it comes to getting awards. But I think today's honor bears a unique significance: bestowed by this body of which he was an esteemed member; presented in this place where he moved the arc of history; surrounded by so many -- myself included -- who have followed the trail that he blazed. Ed's journey to this day was, by any measure, an unlikely one. Raised nearby in a neighborhood so fiercely segregated that black residents needed a note from a white person to pass through -- at a time when so many doors of opportunity were closed to African Americans, others might have become angry or disillusioned. They might have concluded that no matter how hard they worked, their horizons would always be limited, so why bother? But not Ed Brooke. Serving in a segregated army, barred from facilities at the base where he trained, he fought heroically in Europe, leading a daring daylight attack against a heavily armed enemy. Rejected from Boston's old-line firms despite his success in law school, he established his own practice, handling everything from wills and divorces to real estate and criminal cases. And when he ran for statewide office in Massachusetts, and one reporter pointed out that he was black, Republican, and Protestant, seeking office in a white, Democratic, and Catholic state -- and also, quote, " a carpetbagger from the South and poor" -- Ed was unfazed. It was, to say the least, an improbable profile for the man who would become the first African American state attorney general, and the first popularly elected African American senator. But that was Ed Brooke's way -- to ignore the naysayers, reject the conventional wisdom, and trust that ultimately, people would judge him on his character, his commitment, his record and his ideas. He ran for office, as he put it, " to bring people together who had never been together before." And that he did. I don't know anyone else whose fan base includes Gloria Steinem, Barney Frank, and Ted Kennedy -- as well as Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, and George W. Bush. (Laughter.) That's a coalition-builder. (Laughter and applause.) And few have matched his reach across the aisle -- from working with Birch Bayh to protect Title IX so girls can compete on a level playing field, to sponsoring the Fair Housing Act with Walter Mondale and small business legislation with Ted Kennedy -- one of the many bills he would sponsor with the senior senator from Massachusetts. He didn't care whether a bill was popular or politically expedient, Democratic or Republican -- he cared about whether it helped people, whether it made a difference in their daily lives. That's why he fought so hard for Medicare, for mass transit and the minimum wage, for civil rights and women's rights. It's why he became a lifelong advocate for affordable housing, establishing protections that are the standard to this day. So it's a record that defies the labels and categories for which he had little use and even less patience. When pressed to define himself, he'd offer phrases like "creative moderate," or "a liberal with a conservative bent." But in truth, Ed Brooke's career was animated not by a faith in any particular party or ideology, but rather, by a faith in the people he served. Ed always got to see the best in people -- because that was the effect he had. Maybe it was his old-fashioned manners -- his unfailing courtesy and warmth. Maybe it was his charm and charisma -- known to melt even the staunchest adversary. Or maybe it was his genuine interest in people's stories -- the way he listened to their concerns and worked to ease their struggles. Whatever it was, even if people didn't fully agree with him, they saw how hard he fought for them and how much he respected them, and they respected him back. They rose to meet his esteem for them. Around Ed, people wanted to be their better selves. Over the years, he made an impression on just about everyone he encountered, including a young Congressman named John F. Kennedy, whom he met back in 1952. The two men had a lively conversation, and as they parted ways, the future President said, "You know, you ought to be a Democrat." (Laughter.) And Ed smiled and replied, "You know, you ought to be a Republican." (Laughter.) It was a sentiment that many in my party would share, including the President's brother, our dear friend, Ted Kennedy. While Ted campaigned vigorously for Ed's Democratic opponent, the two later became lifelong friends. And four decades later, Ted would campaign even more vigorously to secure Ed's nomination for this medal. So while we grace Senator Brooke with this honor today, perhaps a better tribute to him would be to embrace that spirit: to compete aggressively at the polls, but then work selflessly together to serve the nation we love. (Applause.) To look for the best in each other, to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and to remember that we're here for a purpose far greater than the sum of our own hopes, needs and ambitions. That's the legacy of our friend, Senator Edward Brooke. And may we each do our part to carry it forward. Thank you. God bless you. Congratulations, Senator Brooke. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)**http://The-UpTake.groups.theuptake.org/en/videogalleryView/id/2531/

Author: nxn8690 Keywords: The Military Industrial Congressional Complex Pt1 Added: October 27, 2009

http://www.pbs.org/ttc On this week's TTC Extra: The National Republican Congressional Committee s statement about the Speaker of the House has caused an uproar. See what our panelists think on this week's To The Contrary Extra. And make sure to tune into this week's edition of To The Contrary on your local PBS station (check local listings). For more information visit our website http://www.pbs.org/ttc

Author: jimleeforcongress Keywords: Jim Lee Congress Congressional District Four Candidate Bob Inglis Greenville SC South Carolina BMW PULSE Young Professionals New Contract for America Contract with America frontrunner tea party glenn beck trey gowdy Added: October 17, 2009

Author: jimleeforcongress Keywords: Jim Lee Congress Congressional District Four Candidate Bob Inglis Greenville SC South Carolina BMW PULSE Young Professionals New Contract for America Contract with America frontrunner tea party glenn beck trey gowdy Added: October 17, 2009

Author: jimleeforcongress Keywords: Jim Lee Congress Congressional District Four Candidate Bob Inglis Greenville SC South Carolina BMW PULSE Young Professionals New Contract for America Contract with America frontrunner tea party glenn beck trey gowdy Added: October 17, 2009

"Unheard Voices in Latin America: The Plight of Afro Latinos" panel organized by the Congressional Black Caucus 2009 Conference. Video 2 of 2Moderator: Dr. Eva T. Thorne, Meyer and W. Walter Jaffe Assistant Professor of Politics at Brandeis University.Panelists: Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-NJ 10); Mr. Gilberto Amaya, Central American Black Organization (CABO, ONECA); Mr. Leonardo Reales, Afro Colombian Movemente CIMARRON and Consultant for Creador Pictures; Dr. Maria Moreno Vega, Global Afro Latino Dr. Shelton Davis, Consultant formerly with the World Bank; Ms. Juliet Hooker, Assistant Professor at University of Texas Austin.

C-SPAN coverage of Santa Claus asking Congress for a financial bailout of the North Pole - Present Giving Industry. If they don t approve his aid package, Christmas may be ruined. Happy Holidays from National Lampoon! See more at http://nationallampoon.com