speaker.gov | Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s The Situation Room to discuss the resumption of COVID relief talks after the President’s decision to walk away and other news of the day. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:
Wolf Blitzer. Madam Speaker, thank you so much for joining us, and as you know, there are Americans who are being evicted from their homes. They can't pay their rent. Many Americans are waiting in food lines for the first time in their lives. Can you look them in the eye, Madam Speaker, and explain why you don't want to accept the President's latest stimulus offer?
Speaker Pelosi. Well, because – thank you very much, Wolf. I hope you'll ask the same question of the Republicans about why they don't really want to meet the needs of the American people. Let me say to those people, because all of my colleagues, we represent these people. I have for over 30 years represented my constituents. I know what their needs are. I listen to them. And their needs are not addressed in the President's proposal.
So, when you say to me, ‘Why don't you accept theirs?’ Why don't they accept ours? Our legislation is there to do three things primarily: to honor our workers, honor our heroes, our health care workers, our police and fire, our first responders, our teachers, our transportation, sanitation, food workers the people who make our lives work. We couldn't be doing what we are doing without them. Many of them have risked their lives so that they – to save lives and now will lose their job because Mitch McConnell says, ‘Let the states go bankrupt.’ ‘Let the states go bankrupt.’
[Crosstalk]
Wolf Blitzer. Excuse me for interrupting, Madam Speaker, but they need the money right now. And even members of your own –
Speaker Pelosi. I understand that. You asked me a question.
Wolf Blitzer. Members of your own Caucus, Madam Speaker, want to accept this deal, $1.8 trillion. Congressman Ro Khanna –
[Crosstalk]
Speaker Pelosi. Wait a minute. Wait a second.
Wolf Blitzer. Let me just quote Ro Khanna, a man you know well. I assume you admire him. He’s a Democrat. He just said this, he said, ‘People in need can't wait until February. 1.8 trillion is significant and more than twice Obama stimulus.’ ‘Make a deal, and put the ball in McConnell court.’ So what do you say to Ro Khanna?
Speaker Pelosi. What I say to you is, I don't know if you're always an apologists, and many of your colleagues apologists, for the Republican position. Ro Khanna, that’s nice. That isn’t what we’re going to do, and nobody is waiting until February. I want this very much now, because people need help now.
But it's no use giving them a false thing just because the President wants to put a check with his name on it in the mail that we should not be doing all we can to help people pay the rent, put food on the table, to enhance benefits, that they don't lose their jobs if they’re state and local, that they – this – we are talking about the consequences of a pandemic, symptoms of a problem that the President refuses to address and that is the coronavirus. That is the coronavirus.
[Crosstalk]
Wolf Blitzer. But we know, Madam Speaker, we know about the problem out there, but here are millions of Americans who have lost their jobs. They can't pay their rent. Their kids need the food.
Speaker Pelosi. That’s right, and that’s what we’re trying to get done.
Wolf Blitzer. $1.8 trillion and the President just tweeted, ‘Stimulus go big or go home.’
Speaker Pelosi. Right.
Wolf Blitzer. He wants more right now
Speaker Pelosi. That’s right.
Wolf Blitzer. So, why not work out a deal with him and don't let the perfect, as they say here in Washington, be the enemy of the good?
Speaker Pelosi. Well, I will not let the wrong be the enemy of the right.
Wolf Blitzer. What is wrong with $1.8 trillion?
Speaker Pelosi. You know what? Do you have any idea what the difference is between the spending they have in their bill and that we have in our bill? Do you realize that they have come back and said all of these things for Child Tax Credits and Earned Income Tax Credits or helping people who lost their jobs are eliminated in their bill? Do you realize they pay no respect to the fact that child care is very important for people whose children cannot go to school because they are doing remote learning and, yet, they minimize the need for child care, which is the threshold with which people, mothers and fathers, can go to work if they have that? Do you have any idea at how woefully short their concern, their concern –
[Crosstalk]
Wolf Blitzer. That is precisely why, Madam Speaker, it's important right now. Yesterday, I spoke yesterday to Andrew Yang who said the same thing. It's not everything you want, but a lot there.
[Crosstalk]
Speaker Pelosi. Okay you know what? Honest to God. You really – I can't get over it because Andrew Yang, he’s lovely. Ro Khanna, he’s lovely. But they are not negotiating this situation. They have no idea of the particulars. They have no idea of what the language is here. I didn't come over here to have you – so you're the apologist for the Obama – excuse me. God forbid. Thank God for Barack Obama
Wolf Blitzer. Madam Speaker, I’m not an apologist. I'm asking you serious questions because people are in desperate need right now.
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