jackie spear a strong advocate for this project. you have three great champions, and i will also tell you that in working with senator boxer on the transportation bill this project was always at the top of her list. [applause] so i am delighted to be here. i don't know of another place i would rather be, and i know that all of you are so thrilled with the opportunity that this will create. every one of you sitting out there deserves credit. you've all played a role in this in some way or another. this is not about you. it's about the people. it's also about the next generation of transportation for the next generation for san francisco. that's what this is about. this is your vision. it's a clear vision, and so i am delighted, and very proud to announce today $942 million to the san francisco -- [applause] for the san francisco mta to extend the central subway light rail system from the downtown business district to chinatown. thousands of people will be enabled with good transportation as a result of this project. now, i have a lon

thank you very much mayor lee, leader pelosi, jackie spear, david chiu. most importantly i think the finest secretary of transportation we have had, and nancy said what he has done for san francisco. i can tell you this is a secretary for california as well. [applause] whether it's riverside county, whether it's los angeles, whether it's the central valley, whether it's the san francisco bay area secretary lahood has been responsible. he's been available for phone calls. he's listened to the reasons for projects and he has moved ahead. would you give him a big round of applause please. [applause] >> well, it's time to say a prayer. it's bottom of the ninth. they have two on and one out, so everybody -- if the giants win this i think they can win the series but they need to win this so let it happen please. i can't tell you how important i feel this project is. i also can't tell you how hard it is to build anything in san francisco, so this project must move ahead. i think commerce depends on it and i think people depend on it. nancy said it very well but

mayor lee, leader pelosi, jackie spear, david chiu. most importantly i think the finest secretary of transportation we have had, and nancy said what he has done for san francisco. i can tell you this is a secretary for california as well. [applause] whether it's riverside county, whether it's los angeles, whether it's the central valley, whether it's the san francisco bay area secretary lahood has been responsible. he's been available for phone calls. he's listened to the reasons for projects and he has moved ahead. would you give him a big round of applause please. [applause] >> well, it's time to say a prayer. it's bottom of the

representatives george miller and jackie spear both are with us today. our delegation has the pleasure of entering into the permanent record the life, service, legacy of ambassador stevens. additionally, a flag has been flown over the capitol by democratic leader nancy pelosi, represented by her daughter christine pelosi. this flag has been presented to the family. in celebration of ambassador stevens life and in honor of his tremendous legacy. as i mentioned, we entered into the congressional record our testimony honoring the life of ambassador john christopher stevens. in the interest of time i won't read the entire congressional record but only an excerpt. it said mr. speaker, i rise with my colleagues to honor, celebrate and remember ambassador john christopher chris stevens. a son of northern california and the bay area, ambassador stevens tragically lost his life in the greatest service to his country. selflessly and courageously representing american values in a foreign nation he knew intimately and cared for deeply. in his diplomatic capacity, am

joining me now, congresswoman jackie spear, democrat from california and nia-malika henderson, political reporter for the washington post. thank you both for being here tonight. >> thank you, reverend. >> congresswoman, governor romney still endorses richard mourdock. what does that say? >> i think what it says is mitt romney is embracing the extremist apportion party of the republican right wing. it's not just mourdock. it's todd akin, joe walsh, a number of candidates who say women who ra raped should not have the choice to terminate the pregnancy. and there there are as many as 1.3 million rapes in this country. some 30,000 of those victims will become pregnant. >> now, does it bother you, then, given the extremism that is being represented, that he has put this moderate face on? does it worry you or get away with it? >> well, i hope the american people won't stop with that. he was holding olive branches in his hands and his position on women issues is truly unclear and with the gender gap being where it is right now, i think women need to scrutinize what he says and does and when he

that has supporters of abortion rights outraged, especially jackie spear. she talked to cnn's john king about her own abortions. >> i had many pregnancies. i have had miscarriages. i had first trimester abortion. that is dnc and i had second trimester abortions. that's what happened when i lost the fetus at 17 weeks. it had, substantial complications to that pregnancy and i was at risk. i guess i'm frustrated by the fact that there are some members of the congress that can't, can't use science and medicine to make their statements. i mean, they make utterly false statements. >> the uproar has forced walsh to clarify his statements. he's prolife for child and mother. >> when it comes to having an abortion to save the life of a mother, i will say, again, that outside of the very rare circumstances, such as ectopic pregnancies, during which the mother and baby will die if the baby is not aborted and other rare health issues and circumstances, the research is pretty clear. that with the advances in modern medicine and invasive and traumatic procedure like an ab

his comments outraged many, including congresswoman jackie spear of california. last year, after new jersey republican chris smith graphically described the process of abortion, she spoke about her own abortion. >> that procedure you just talked about was a procedure that i endured. i lost a baby. but for you to stand on this floor and to suggest as you have that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought is preposterous. >> i spoke to the congresswoman a short time ago. congresswoman, let's get to congressman walsh's statement that with advances in medical care there's no such exception, should be no such exception when it comes to the life of the mother. you would say what? >> i would tell him that women oftentimes find themselves in complications with pregnancy. it happens very frequently. many times it can be addressed with bed rest. sometimes it cannot, and it is in those situations where infection becomes very highly probable that women are at risk of losing their lives. >> now, the congressman did qua