No political epiphany as Congress begins its new session, Pelosi says | McClatchy Washington Bureau

There was no political epiphany Friday for Nancy Pelosi.

The House Minority Leader opened her weekly Capitol Hill news conference by noting Friday was the Feast of the Epiphany.

“I always pray on this day that we’ll all have a wonderful epiphany coming together in this first week of the new Congress,” she said.

It was not to be, she lamented.

When the new Congress convened this week, the California Democrat said she was hoping for an economic initiative from the GOP, which controls the House. Instead, Republicans first discussed curbing the clout of the independent ethics office, before changing course and dropping the matter.

“I don’t think it was a good opening,” she said.

Then, “Instead of focusing on creating jobs, they declared war on the health of our country,” she said. Senate Republicans Wednesday began debating a measure that’s the first step toward repealing Obamacare.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Thursday said the process of revamping the health care law will be deliberative.

“What we’re doing is we’re going to be methodical,” he said.

“We’re going to get this law repealed. We’re going to get this law replaced. And we’re going to have a transition period so that people do not have the rug pulled out from underneath them while we get to a better place.”