Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on Tuesday she is not responsible for Congressional Democrats' slow response to the Wuhan coronavirus and the relief bill that was finally approved last week. Pelosi instead blamed lack of leadership on the issue on Trump.
"We’ve obviously for the last weeks, several weeks, cataloged the failures of the White House, the failures of the President, the failures to take seriously what is now obviously a pandemic and a crisis in cities across the country, but the good news is we live in a federal government with equal branches of government and your body has great power as well. So as you look back on the last, say, three months or so, do you believe that you all in Congress should have moved quicker? Do you take any responsibility for this slow response?" MSNBC host Willie Geist asked.
"No. Not at all. We have — first of all we had hoped there would be leadership from the White House, because the President has to sign the bill, but we’ve had, as I say, three very strong bills that we had passed in a very positive way," Pelosi said. "Again, addressing the shortcomings that we saw. Testing, testing, testing. That was the theme of our first legislation way back when. I do think that as we go into this fourth bill, that will be important for us, for the Republicans, to recognize the challenge that is out there."
Pelosi said considering the House is controlled by Democrats and the Senate is controlled by Republicans, she is proud of the "speed" they were able to make compromises and pass a relief bill.
After returning from a vacation in California, Pelosi threw a wrench into negotiations and helped torpedo the Senate's relief bill. Republicans are also accusing Pelosi of wasting congressional time on Trump's impeachment when the virus was beginning to spread outside of China.
FLASHBACK: This is what House Democrats were doing the day coronavirus came to America. https://t.co/dBu8HrPX9w
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 31, 2020
Remember the ceremonial march of Democrat impeachment managers? That was the same day corona came to America. pic.twitter.com/qOOSpmR1rV
— John Ashbrook (@JohnAshbrook) March 31, 2020
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