Health care bill

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has condemned vandalism and threats of violence against members of Congress in connection with the health care issue, saying such reprisals "must be rejected." She told a news conference Thursday that "I don't want this to be a distraction," but also said that such behavior has "no place in a civil debate in our country." THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.

WASHINGTON - Republicans took to the House floor Thursday to plead with those who oppose the Democratic health care overhaul to refrain from violence and threats.

WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer voiced concern Thursday over warnings of violent reprisals against members of Congress who voted for landmark health care legislation, saying the threats are being taken "very seriously." "The bottom line is, we need to be very careful in public life that our rhetoric doesn't incite to violent acts," the Maryland Democrat said on a network morning news show.

Democratic Congress members are getting lessons from the FBI on how to handle threats such as several directed at their colleagues, including bricks hurled through windows and menacing obscenity-laced phone messages left for those who supported sweeping federal health care legislation.

Unrest over sweeping federal health care legislation has turned to vandalism and threats, with bricks hurled through Democrats' windows, a propane line cut at the home of a congressman's brother and menacing phone messages left for lawmakers who supported the bill.