lisa koman, debbie stabenow. [applause] >> thank you so much.[applause] >> thank you, senator, now it is my pleasure to introduce houston mayor annise parker. the first openly lesbian mayor of in a major american city, there are only 10 women over these populations that she got attention for her stewardship as the comprehensive equal rights ordinance, which includes this and she found herself in the headlines recently that her daughter was denied a driver's license because her document listed two mothers. the contributing editor is here to talk about all of this. a queue. >> thank you. it's good to be here, mayor. i want to start with the equal rights ordinance which produces a lot of controversy and some national public commentators. and it prevents discrimination based on other criteria. so what did you learn about that in this type of environment? >> i talked about this back in the 70s and what i was reminded of his a lot of the things i went through back then that i was going through again and the world has changed profoundly for decades. so

--senator that be stevan now debbie stabenow. >> thank you. it is my pleasure to introduce houston mayor annise parker. the first openly lesbians mayor of a major city. only 10 female mayors. she got attention for her equaldship of the houston rights ordinance which extends nondiscrimination protection 2k and transgender people. 2k and in -- protection protection to gay and transgender people. she was in the news again when her daughter could not get a drivers license because gerber certificate listed to mothers. which prevents discrimination on sexual orientation and other criteria. what did you learn through the promotingt politics lgbt rights and a red state environment? >> i started as a lesbians activist in the 70's. reminded that a lot of the things i went through then, i'm going through again. the world has changed or bound plane it -- changed profoundly in those decades. we passed the ordinance for the city, we were late to the dance. we had no local nondiscrimination ordinances. we were not doing what most major cities have done, goin

in addition, senator debbie stabenow was elected vice chair. a new congress convenes in january. we have senator schumer back. we will return for the remainder of his remarks. >> i hope she runs. if she runs, she will win a huge majority. she is just right for the times. >> yahoo! news. can you hear me? >> i can. thank you, i appreciate that. it was announced there would be at they can see at the top of the pentagon. the first thing the republican majority might do is to confirm a nominee. one thing we have heard is that sequestration threat have unduly affected the military. i am wondering if you are new republicane majority may roll back those cuts without talking about cuts to social programs that were paired with them. >> the budget deficit is in better shape than it was three or four years ago. they don't have the velocity to make the same magnitude of cuts on the defense and nondefense side. democrats believe in 50-50. the president feels strongly in 50-50. should they try to violate the 50-50, they face a president who would not support with a past. hello, senator. globali

debbie stabenow of michigan will be ddvp vice chair. and elizabeth warren of massachusetts will serve as strategic policy adviser to the dpcc. house minority leader nancy pelosi held a news conference earlier today. one question concerned her future as minority leader. her response, she suggested there was a gender bias to the question. >> -- leadership after democrats lost seats last week in the election. i'm wondering if you gave any thought to stepping down as the leader, and what you thought about -- >> okay. why don't we start with the second question because i've heard it from you, from you all, a number of times and what i said to the most recent person asked. he said you've lost now three times. why don't you step aside. we've heard that question the last two times and one time. i said, what was the day that any of you said to mitch mcconnell when they lost the senate three times in a row, lost making progress and taking back the senate three times in a row, aren't you getting a little old, mitch? should you step aside? have you