CNN's Jake Tapper pressed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on when Congress would pass another Wuhan coronavirus relief package. According to Pelosi, the White House hasn't met the Democrats' list of demands, something Tapper disagreed with.
"The White House has moved closer towards your position on a lot of issues: coronavirus testing, contact tracing strategy, unemployment benefits, local government –" Tapper explained.
"You see, they haven't yet," Pelosi interjected. "That's what we're waiting for."
"They haven't?" Tapper asked, clearly not buying what she said.
"We're waiting for the final–" Pelosi replied.
"They said they would and you're waiting to see It on paper," the CNN host replied.
"Yeah," she said with a laugh. "And also, they keep moving the goal post. Every time they say we move the goal post that means they're projecting what they did."
A glazed over Tapper looked amazed by the speaker's statements.
"Let's be hopeful. We're nine days before an election and we're trying to unify the country. One way to do it is to come together to crush the virus so that we can open our economy, open our schools, feed our people," Pelosi explained. "Seventeen million children [are] food insecure in our country. Again, the answer is crush the virus."
The CNN host reminded the speaker Republicans have been willing to compromise, but Democrats have not.
"I get that you're waiting for it on paper but it just seems like you're winning. I mean, that's what it seems like to me. I'm looking at all the things that the White House is moving towards your position on and it seems like you could take yes for an answer," Tapper said.
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According to Pelosi, White House negotiators agree to one thing but when it's produced in writing it's not what was agreed to. She said on Friday she sent her list of concerns about the latest version of the bill to the White House. She expects to receive an answers about those on Monday.
"Twenty-three million Americans are on unemployment benefits right now, as you know. One study shows the poverty rate is higher now than it's been in the whole pandemic. Three Democratic governors in the midwest – Whitmer of Michigan, Evers of Wisconsin and Walz in Minnesota – three Democratic governors wrote to you, President Trump and other congressional leaders saying, among other things, 'We implore you to put differences aside and agree to another, much-needed COVID-19 relief bill.' ... You're getting a lot of messages from Democrats saying, 'This is good enough, we need to say yes.'"
A smiling Pelosi defended her position, saying the White House needs to agree to "what's in our bill" otherwise "we're just giving money to the president to spend anyway he wants and that has not been in furtherance of crushing the virus."
CNN's @JakeTapper calls out @SpeakerPelosi for refusing to pass a Covid relief bill despite the GOP caving: "It seems like you could take yes for an answer" pic.twitter.com/QUs2aAEiU9
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 25, 2020
People like Pelosi say they care about the American people – especially the improvised people in their district – yet they're playing politics with people's lives and livelihoods. Instead of agreeing to meet in the middle and giving up their left-wing wish list, they're trying to force Republicans to completely roll over. The White House has made an effort to compromise since Americans across the nation are struggling as a result of the coronavirus. And what does Pelosi do? Sit on her high horse, smile and tell Americans what's best for them.
Sadly, this is proof of her politics as usual.
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