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Nancy Pelosi sets record with eight-hour speech
Washington, Feb 8 (IANS) US politician Nancy Pelosi spoke for a little more than eight hours in the House of Representatives to oppose the budget deal to lift spending caps and avert a government shutdown because the plan does not address immigration issues.
The House Historian’s office told CNN that Pelosi’s speech on Wednesday was the longest on record on the House floor.
The House Minority Leader started speaking shortly after 10 a.m., and wrapped the speech a little after 6.10 p.m.
“I have had the privilege of reading the testimony from Dreamers, I still have more,” she said, receiving applause in the chamber. “I thank all of you.”
A source close to the California Democrat told CNN that she thought of the idea overnight to speak for hours on the House floor.
She was wearing four-inch-heels while delivering the speech and only sipped water, the source said.
The budget deal, which was proposed by Senate leaders on Wednesday, will require Democratic support to pass the House, so the House Democratic leader’s comments make the plan’s future unclear.
Pelosi said she opposed that the spending deal because it does not include a permanent solution for undocumented immigrants affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.
Pelosi has been sharing statements from DACA recipients about themselves and their successes in the US.
“We have to be strong as a country … to respect the aspirations of people who are our future,” the leader said on the House floor.
“The young people are our future and these dreamers are part of that. They’ve been enriched … by the greatness of our country.
“Our plea to the speaker is for us, for ourselves, to honour the values of our founders,” she continued.
House Democrats will likely spend the next 24 hours pushing to get a commitment from House Speaker Paul Ryan on floor consideration of DACA bills.
Before Pelosi’s Wednesday speech, the longest floor remarks from a leader came from then-House Republican Leader John Boehner in 2009 speaking against the Democrats’ cap and trade legislation, reports CNN.
Boehner’s roughly one hour speech was dubbed a “fila-Boehner”. He took to the floor to make a political point because as the minority leader he had little power to hold up the legislation he opposed.
There are no filibusters under House rules, but top leaders are allowed unlimited “leader time”.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.