Prepared Remarks at a Media Stakeout

PREPARED REMARKS OF HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA) AND NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATORS PRESISDENT JOE HACKNEY (D) AT A MEDIA STAKEOUT

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SPEAKER PELOSI: Good afternoon, or is it now good evening?

We have just left a very lively meeting with the National Conference of State Legislators. I am very pleased to be joined by the president of the conference, Speaker Joe Hackney of North Carolina. It is wonderful to be able to discuss the economic recovery package and how it has an immediate impact on not only the budgets of our states, but also the lives of the people there.

As I mentioned to you earlier, when I was going into the meeting, it gave many of the Members of the Democratic leadership the opportunity to thank this bipartisan group of state legislative leaders for their support in helping to pass the recovery package - to create and save three and a half million jobs, to help the states stabilize their budgets so they will not have to lay off health care workers, teachers, or public safety personnel as well, and also for how we could meet the needs of their states in a positive way and create more good paying jobs.

Speaker Hackney and I have had an ongoing association to work on issues of concern to our country. I have appreciated the knowledge and wisdom and perspective that he has brought to the issues before the Congress and it is an honor for me to be with him today.

SPEAKER HACKNEY: Thank you very much Speaker Pelosi. I am here to say thank you to you, for your leadership. I am here to say that the recovery package is, in fact, creating and saving jobs already in my state.

The leaders that we have here today are all engaged in putting together our budgets for next year. In speaking with the other leaders, the recovery act is having an enormous impact in saving jobs that would otherwise have to be cut because we all have balanced budget requirements in our states - all except one I believe. And the jobs that would be cut - teachers, health care workers - all throughout our state government apparatus. These jobs are being saved by this recovery act and putting money on the street and back into our economy.

So we are enormously appreciative to the Congress. We are a bipartisan organization - we alternate our presidency each year between a Republican and a Democrat. My state is North Carolina. Approximately half of our deficit is being covered by the recovery package in the areas of health care and education.

And as I said before, we are enormously grateful. We look forward to a continued relationship. Pleased to be here with you Speaker Pelosi.

SPEAKER PELOSI: And thank you very much Mr. Speaker. The Speaker and his colleagues put on the table some challenges for the future for us and we look forward to working with you on those.

Thank you again for your leadership and for your coming today. Thank you all very much.

END.

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