January 12, 2009
Posted: 12:59 PM ET

From
Speaker Pelosi and other congressional leaders released a video this week announcing official hubs for online congressional video on YouTube.
Speaker Pelosi and other congressional leaders released a video this week announcing official hubs for online congressional video on YouTube.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President-elect Barack Obama is not the Washington pol capable of a little tech savvy. In a sign of the increasing influence of the Internet on politics, Congress has officially established a presence on YouTube.

“Hello, YouTube,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, says in a nearly two-minute YouTube clip announcing the new online video bulkheads for the legislative branch of the federal government. Reid is joined in the announcement video by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky; and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

“While we may not see eye to eye on everything, one thing we can agree on is the importance of utilizing technology to communicate with our constituents,” Pelosi says in the video.

“Some of us have been posting original video content [on YouTube] for years now,” Boehner says. “YouTube and other new media tools have let us provide you with a level of access and transparency that has never been seen before in government,” added the House GOP leader.

Online congressional video is now available on the site at two destinations: (1) YouTube.com/HouseHub for video from House members and (2) YouTube.com/SenateHub for Senate video.

The new online video initiative includes an invitation for voters to do more than just watch videos posted by their representatives.

“I hope you’ll also take some time to share videos and comments with us,” Boehner tells viewers.

A new rule by the Congressional Franking Commission last fall cleared the way for the establishment of the new congressional video hubs rolled out this week.

Congress has yet to develop rules governing the use of other social networking technologies like Twitter, a situation that stirred a controversy largely along partisan lines in the summer of 2008.

Filed under: Congress


In da Burgh   January 12th, 2009 5:36 pm ET

Yes we doo need new ways to communicate, but something like YouTube is a One-Way street. Can you say Propaganda ?

I did have a good experience recentlty though when Rep. Murphy (Pa.) held a Town Hall Meeting via conference call on the Big Three bailout.. They had over 12,000 people listening in. The only problem was getting an open mike to make comments because of time constraints.

Harry, Nancy, take notes, you have to listen too !

Agnes Fleming   January 12th, 2009 5:23 pm ET

Please tell Nancy no more plastic surgery; it's beginning to show.

WIlly Brown   January 12th, 2009 5:21 pm ET

Pelosi is a loser!!!!

Independent Paul from Phoenix   January 12th, 2009 4:54 pm ET

What an amazing moment for Harry Reid. He was alive when electricity was invented, and now he is the first Senate Majority Leader to appear on You Tube.

Justin from New Haven, CT   January 12th, 2009 4:52 pm ET

No more Reid and Pelosi. Get real progressives like Feingold.

fred   January 12th, 2009 4:52 pm ET

eww, get Pelosi's picture out of my face haha

William, from Cali!   January 12th, 2009 4:43 pm ET

I could care less…..I won't be watching… anytime soon!

Dave, Central Illinois   January 12th, 2009 4:40 pm ET

Keep on talking Pelosi and Reid. 2010 will be 1994 all over again.

Darko   January 12th, 2009 4:38 pm ET

Can someone please tell me how that woman is leading our congress? EVERY decision she has EVER made is purely political and has absolutely nothing to do with the welfare of the people. She doesn't even bother to hide it.

Her mission is anything but serving the people…it's purely to increase democrat power.

Dan   January 12th, 2009 4:36 pm ET

They've been televising Congress on C-SPAN for a decade or more and almost nobody watches it. Do they really think this will be different?

At last!!   January 12th, 2009 4:34 pm ET

Something I can comment about.
Nancy Pelosi should have been replaced along with Harry reid.

Maurice from Ontario   January 12th, 2009 4:33 pm ET

This is a good move. If the American public wants to have a more fulsome understanding of the complexities of issues, better insights into why discussions / debates are so often beset with partisan posturing, and clearer pictures of which representatives / senators are really doing their jobs, this venue can only be seen as a positive stroke.

I look forward to being able to "more fully participate" in this application of citizen involvement.

Mary   January 12th, 2009 4:32 pm ET

I wouldn't let Nancy Pelosi in my home – not even via internet

dallas female   January 12th, 2009 4:24 pm ET

change gonna come!

NEL E BELL ;-)   January 12th, 2009 4:17 pm ET

SOMEONE GIVE ME AND ASPRIN, I'VE LOST THAT WARM FUZZY FEELING. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL SAVE AND REDEEM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL BE A DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT SPENDS UNCHECKED AND BEYOND KNOWN FROUNTIERS. IN OTHER WORDS SPEND, SPEND AND MORE SPENDING WILL PLAY RIGHT INTO THE REPUBLICAN STRATEGY OF FISCAL RESTRAINT, THEY WILL BE PROMOTING.

Indy CT   January 12th, 2009 4:09 pm ET

Please make her go away! Or at least make her explain her personnel stake in the earmark from TARP that she shoved down the House's throat!

Robin   January 12th, 2009 4:06 pm ET

Pelosi and Reid need to go, it's the only way we have a chance.

Tisha   January 12th, 2009 4:05 pm ET

I can not believe the PROFOUND affect Obama has had on our world. Obama made politics sexy and cool and now EVERYONE is jumping on board!

sg   January 12th, 2009 4:01 pm ET

The only thing I'd like to see is on You Tube Pelosi, Reid, Frank and Dodd being run out of town.

Has anyone seen Paulson?   January 12th, 2009 3:57 pm ET

I will forever see her as a coward.She took impeachment off the table.She should be on trial for treason.

Frederick   January 12th, 2009 3:52 pm ET

Thanks to the President-Elect, Barack Obama and his tech savvy, everyone is now seeign how important technology works in gov't. Even republicans taking lessons

believe   January 12th, 2009 3:47 pm ET

pelosi, go away.

cat   January 12th, 2009 3:44 pm ET

Hope it works for them.

jaye   January 12th, 2009 3:33 pm ET

We will be watching.

Franky   January 12th, 2009 3:09 pm ET

Youtube?? You know, I did vote for my boy and thank God I could care less about these Hollywood celebrities, critics, fantasies, etc. Let Hollywood have all the parties they want, let critics scream all they want, let everybody have their crazy fantasies and so on, this is America, let people enjoy their lives the way they want. Unfortunately my boy is not gonna speak for people who wanna party and people won don't, this is the game.

I voted for him because like I said, I'm gonna get my congratulaions later on. I didn't vote for him to tell people what to do…there's a difference. And that my friend, is called character…which I'm sure a lot of people don't know about. By the way, now that's a prediction and bold one too!

You wanna go at it, we'll go at it…old-school! I'm telling you, when inauguration comes, live your life but I'm gonna live history in the making…Dems are gonna owe me way more than what Bill owed Hillary, LOL!! As for the GOP…who cares, they got "Joe" and Gov Palin, they are the future…

Who needs TV   January 12th, 2009 2:57 pm ET

Now that's entertainment!

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