Transcript of Pelosi Press Conference Today

Leader Pelosi.  Good morning, everyone.  Here we are again, grieving with our friends in France after yesterday's terrorist attack.  France is our oldest ally, and we are so saddened by, once again, France being the target of this kind of action.

We especially – we mourn every loss, but let me especially mention two Americans identified among the dead:  Sean Copeland of Austin, Texas and his 11 year old son.  They were there on vacation, and they got caught in that attack.  It's an attack that came on Bastille Day, as you know, as they were watching fireworks and celebrating.  And I thought one of the statements of one of the officials of France was particularly moving.  He said, "In response to all of this, we will honor the values of July 14th."  We, too, in responding to it, should honor the values of July 4th.  They were celebrating liberty, equality, fraternity and became a target.  It's so sad.

We began our vigil on the steps of the Capitol last night to call attention to the fact that Congress is leaving without passing any gun safety legislation.  We began that vigil with a moment of silence for the people of France, those who lost their loved ones, those who were lost.  We then went on to hear from so many families who had lost their loved ones to gun violence in our country, making the point that 91 people die every day from gun violence in our country.  It's hard to find an answer why – why we can't pass a bill that expands background checks, just to include Internet sales and gun shows.

On the debate on the Floor yesterday, I talked about Lyndon Johnson.  After the assassination of Kennedy, he tried to pass a bill.  But then after Martin Luther King was assassinated and then Robert Kennedy, he then doubled down on his attempt.  And he said at that time, "We have to act fast.  We have maybe 10 days, 2 weeks before the NRA gets into the offices of the Members of Congress."  Well, they live in the offices of Congress.  I can't imagine what sway they have that is more important than the lives of children, young people, people in church – the list goes on and on.  It's so sad.

Not passing gun violence protection legislation is only one thing that the Republicans hightailed it out of town without doing.  Imagine – I don't read too much about this in the press, but it's absolutely appalling that once again they cut off a day and a half of legislative time when we're supposed to be doing the people's business, supposed to be passing legislation, our appropriations bills.

We're supposed to be passing the Zika legislation.  We have offered a compromise to the Speaker on that subject in terms of the funding and the rest, and his response is:  Just know that we're not doing anything that has contraception in it.

Just think of this.  A sexually transmitted disease which would cause serious malformation in children, and Republicans are saying, in the House and in the Senate:  We're not putting anything for contraception in the bill.  It's just another example of not depending on evidence, data, science as to what we should do.

Over 4 months ago, President Obama asked for the $1.9 billion [emergency supplemental] to address Zika – over 4 months ago.  And the Republicans still will not take action.  They leave town without doing it for 7 weeks.  It will be almost 6 months by the time we come back, and Lord knows what excuse they'll have then.

But we have, of course, no funding for opioids.  It's just stunning.  Recognizing the problem, passing good legislation in a bipartisan way, but no money, so no effectiveness.  And, again, the President made that request.

Flint.  Flint.  I don't care if they don't know – whatever it is.  How could it be that we would ignore the needs of America's children in Flint, Michigan, who are affected by a decision made by the Governor to have them be drinking poisoned water?

A Supreme Court Justice.  The Constitution says, when there is a vacancy, the President shall nominate and the Senate shall confirm.  But not even the courtesy of a hearing.  Such disrespect for the Constitution of the United States.

So it's stunning, but they seem to be getting away with it, because they just – you all just say, "Congress is leaving for 7 weeks."  No, the Republicans are leaving.  They have shut down government and any action on issues of concern to the public safety of our country, the public health challenges that we have, whether Zika or opioids, whether it's what's happening in Flint, not to even have a complete Supreme Court.

The American people are saying:  Do your job.  Do your job.  And I think that, you know, we've tried to – and the President, more than anyone, tries to act in a nonpartisan and bipartisan way.  But because that is his strength, they try to undermine it by obstructing.

I keep reading your journals, that we have dysfunction in Washington.  It's not dysfunction.  It's pure and simply obstruction.  Obstruction.  We've always been able to negotiate our appropriations bills in a non-partisan, bipartisan way on the bills.  And then, from on high come the poison pills, policy that shouldn't be in an appropriations bill, and which they'd be the first to say, if we tried to put policy in a bill, you can't legislate on an appropriations billings.

But that's what they have been doing, placing in doubt whether we will even have an appropriations process, whether we'll even have a bill by the end of the fiscal year, much less the calendar year.  Zika, opioids, gun violence, Supreme Court [Justice Nominee, Merrick] Garland.

On a positive side, I'm really very, very proud of the House Democrats coming out with our agenda yesterday.  Some of you were there.  Thank you.  Hard-working families look to this Congress and see a reckless, special interest Republican majority that refuses to address their needs.  I'm very proud of our Stronger America Agenda.

Securing our Nation, our first responsibility, protect the American people, whether it's global security, national security, homeland security, neighborhood security, personal safety – all of it related, from funding our military and our veterans to passing gun safety legislation.

Securing our future, innovative platforms to create good paying jobs to keep America number one.  Innovation, bigger paychecks so that families can buy a home, pay for college tuition, and save for retirement.

And securing our democracy, overturning Citizens United and the poisonous influence of secret money to ensure our goals, to ensure that all American voices are heard in the country.

I'm very pleased with the overwhelming response we have received from those who care about the threshold issue of money and politics.  We're never going to succeed on so many things that money has an impact on – climate change, has an impact on gun safety, has an impact on the minimum wage.  You name the subject, money in politics is a problem.

And so, in order for us to achieve the other initiatives that we have, we have to take down the role of money in politics.  And I'm very pleased with the response we have received to that.

Members will be taking this home, listening to their constituents on the subject.  And we are very proud that we have come together for a Stronger America for everyone.

Any questions?

Yes, sir.

Q:  On the campaign message of tax fairness, what would you say to the argument that that might not have enough appeal or traction with middle class voters, who might prefer middle class tax cuts? 

Leader Pelosi.  Well, I thank you for your question, because this is the heart of the matter.  This is the heart of the matter.  What we're talking about here is trickle down economics versus middle class economics.

And, as you have seen, we have been the victim of the tax cuts – of the high end tax cuts for the wealthy that President Bush had, which took us deeply into debt.  We were on a path of reducing the deficit under President Clinton.  President Bush took us deeply into debt, reversing the trend that we were on.

President Obama has taken us in the opposite direction.  When he became President, the deficit was $1.4 trillion, and now it's down to, like, $500 billion.  It isn't – we want it lower, but, nonetheless, it's 70 percent lower than what the Republicans left us.

So these very same people who want tax cuts for the wealthy are saying, "We want to reduce the deficit."  So you have to do that on the backs of food stamps, Pell grants, investments in education, investments in science and technology – because science is a four letter word around here, as you know.

So this issue of – I think we should have – and I'm hopeful that we will, but they're making it harder to do – a whole initiative on tax fairness, on tax fairness.  Subject everything to scrutiny – what really helps grow our economy, helps us reduce the deficit, and to do so in a way that honors the middle class because we are a consumer economy.  Seventy percent of our economy is consumer-oriented.  And, if middle income people cannot have stronger paychecks, they can't consume, spend, and help turn around our economy.  Until we do, it will not be fully recovered.  Even though the President has made giant strides, it cannot be fully recovered until we strengthen the paychecks of American workers.

So I think the issue of the budget, tax fairness, and investments in the future – and for the Republicans to say, "Give me a tax break and cut investments in education, that's our value system," I say nothing brings more money to the Treasury than investing in education – early childhood, K through 12, higher education, post-grad, lifetime learning for our workers.  So that's a false economy on their part.

But that whole issue has to be taken in terms of the budget.  And the battle of the budget is what the difference is between Democrats and Republicans, right?  Now we can't even have that discussion within the appropriations and the rest because they insist on bringing in the poison pills.  It's unfortunate.

But the fact is that we are having this divide in our country, the gap that we have in income inequality.  And the very same people who want these tax cuts for the rich are talking [about] not raising the minimum wage, not raising the minimum wage, not giving people the opportunity for education.  Education reduces the deficit.  Education keeps America number one.  Innovation begins in the classroom.

So this is not the argument.  The argument is that – we gave the middle class cuts in the Recovery Package, so we fully subscribe to that.  But that's not what the fight is here.  The fight is about tax cuts for the rich and special interest breaks within the Tax Code.

And we have over a trillion dollars, well over a trillion dollars, in tax expenditures in the Tax Code.  They are expenditures.  They cost money.  To give a rich person another tax break costs money to the taxpayer.

We should subject all of that to scrutiny – what really grows our economy, what's about growth, what's about reducing the deficit, what's about keeping America number one; not what's about making the rich richer at the expense of investments in our future.  This is what elections are about.

Chad?  Because you're always here.

Q:  Good morning, Madam Leader. 

Leader Pelosi.  Good morning.

Q:  You were very involved with the intelligence committees after 9/11 fifteen years ago.  We're told that sometime imminently there may be a release of the Special Committee that was put together here on Capitol Hill of the 28 redacted pages. 

From your perspective and having been involved in that, what is the concern about those pages and the impact that the release of those pages may have? 

Leader Pelosi.  Well, I'm not going to talk about the substance of the pages, because that will be released.  But right now the Administration has taken it to the next step, as they said they would, to release the documents.  The documents are coming to Congress today.

When I was the ranking member during the investigation, the joint investigation, House and Senate, Porter Goss and I wrote a letter at the end of it saying that, at some point, the classified information – it addressed the next Congress – the classified information would be released.

The Parliamentarian – this may be one of the subjects you never wanted to know in your life.  The Parliamentarian has said that this information coming over cannot be released just because of our letter.  It will take some act of Congress to do.

Q:  So the intelligence committees have to review it, and then there has to be action on the Floor? 

Leader Pelosi.  Maybe not, maybe not that much, but the Committees of Jurisdiction have to act upon it in some way.

Now, we're finding out, because you would think that if it's been declassified by the President of the United States, that's what – he's the ultimate declassifier, the declassifier-in-chief.  And that's come over to us from the DNI, from the Director of National Intelligence.

So we thought that our letter directing that for the next Congress could hold for now.  I don't think the Parliamentarian would have thought that it even held for then.  You need something more than just a letter from us to say when it's declassified it should be released.

Q:  And thank you for the clarification on the process here.  Without getting into state secrets here and things, what was the concern about – you know, there's a reason why that was redacted.  People have speculated about Saudi Arabia, and the Administration has expressed concern about messing up our relations with the States in the Middle East. 

Leader Pelosi.  On any declassification like that, the main concern is sources and methods, in terms of how the declassification takes place.

But in terms of the substance of it, why don't we just wait and see when it comes out, and then we can talk.  Okay?

Yes, ma'am.

Q:  Madam Leader, I wanted to ask something else, but just to clarify on this:  So is it not clear at this point whether those pages will be released to the public?

Leader Pelosi.  No, they will be.  They will be.

Q:  Today?

Leader Pelosi.  Hopefully today, but imminently.

Q:  But the committees have to act in some way for that to happen, or no? 

Leader Pelosi.  Well, you know, we're at the, shall we say, mercy of the Parlimentiarian.  It could be that just a bipartisan agreement within the committees could…

Q:  Okay.

Leader Pelosi.  See, we should be here right now.  This is the reason why we should be in Congress – to pass legislation, but also to act upon other issues that Congress needs to act upon.  If we were here, this wouldn't be so much of an issue.

It now could be that the Senate could do it and then release it on their website, and then it would be out there.  But, obviously, we want to release it, as well, on the House side.

It's not – it's a parliamentary issue.  It's not anything holding it up except to do it according to what the parliamentarians think is the appropriate approach.  But it will be imminent.  And that's what we're trying to do, is to move it quicker.  What is your objection?  What do you need?  How do we get that done?  It would be easier if we were in session.

Q:  On a different topic, may I ask how you would compare Speaker Ryan – how you would evaluate his tenure at this point.  Has he made good on his promises of a more open House, et cetera?  And would anything different have happened if Speaker Boehner were still here? 

Leader Pelosi.  I think you can make your own judgment on that.  I'm not here to talk about that.  But in terms guns, we can't bring a bill.  In terms of Zika, they won't give us a vote.  In terms of – the list goes on.  The list goes on.

I would say that – and I have greet respect for the Speaker.  He has a difficult job.  I know it well.  He doesn't have kind of a unity within his caucus that we had, so I had it easier in that respect.  Didn't mean that we had consensus all the time or unanimity, but at least we were not obstructing, so when Members disagreed, they weren't obstructing.

But here's the thing.  I would distinguish the Republicans in Congress, not necessarily the Speaker, as a Congress of obstruction and a Congress of investigation, but not a Congress of any constructive action on behalf of the American people.

They have two more investigations coming up.  You know, I've called this, you know, the nesting dolls.  First we do Benghazi, then we do emails, then we do Comey, now we do investigation of whether Congress was dealt with honestly.  Now we're talking about other things and other things.  And it's like, do your job.  What is it?  Subpoena, subpoena, subpoena, and nothing in terms of getting the job done for the American people.

They left with a dereliction of duty in terms of public health issues – Zika, opioids, Flint.  They left without addressing these concerns and helping us have just a vote, which we think we would win, on background checks, on guns, and ‘No Fly, No Buy'.

They do nothing.  What are the accomplishments?  They have a bill signing on opioids that hasn't one red cent.  But it's who they are.  So I'm not addressing his leadership; I'm just saying what this Congress has not done.

And for us to leave here at this time – two times they – last time, it was in the dead of night.  They ran out the door – they ran out the door on, what, a Wednesday night, when we were supposed to be in more, to end that session so they can go out and have another break.  And now leaving for seven weeks with that unfinished business.  It's stunning.  I don't know what they have to be proud of.  I really don't.  And I feel sad for the country.

And, as I said, we said:  Okay, you don't want to do this?  Let's just take what the Senate passed in a bipartisan way on Zika.  I don't like it, it's not enough money, but let's get that done.  Why don't you do what the Senate did in a bipartisan way?  "No, I can't do that, we got to – I can't do that.  And, besides, we're not going to have anything that has conception in it."

And now the Senate is on to the conception thing too.  So they're both a mess.  Both Republican majorities are a mess.

But Ronald – what's his name?  Donald Trump is an exact reflection of them.  And that's what I keep saying.  There's not one dime's worth of difference between Donald Trump and the Republicans in the House of Representatives.  I can speak to this body on a daily firsthand basis.  Whether it's anti , anti , anti , anti everything; and now he's considering a Vice Presidential candidate who – the whole country rejected his attitudes toward gays in Indiana, that he had to modify his position there.  When he was in this Congress, he was supportive of privatizing Social Security.

I can't wait until we have a debate.  I don't know who he will choose.  I don't know if he was ready or not ready to make that announcement.  But whatever it is, it's very clear that what Donald Trump has said, the Republicans in Congress have beaten him to that punch over and over again over a long period of time and with power – and with power.

Any other questions?  Because I have to go.  Yes?

Q:  Leader Pelosi, when you spoke to Speaker Ryan last week after the Dallas shooting, did you raise with him the idea of establishing a select committee on gun violence?  And, if so, what was his response? 

Leader Pelosi.  Yes, I did bring it up with him.  I said our Members are interested, [Congressman] Mike Thompson in particular, who's the chair of our gun violence prevention committee, who's worked in a very bipartisan way.  The King-Thompson bill is a bipartisan bill on background checks, and we are supporting the King bill on ‘No Fly, No Buy,' that kind of thing.  So there is some basis for doing something in a nonpartisan way or a bipartisan way.

So I suggested to him that our Members would be interested in participating in such a bill.  I think he thought that the timing was not good, you know, just on the heels of – it was a question I was going to ask him anyway, and then along came Dallas.  And he said, well, right now I'm not sure this is a good idea.  He said, I don't know if the timing would be right now.

Q:  On a different topic, can you tell us what your views are about the Democratic veep stakes?  Who would make a good running mate for Hillary Clinton?

Leader Pelosi.  I have no idea.  I think we have – contrary to other side that has sort of a contest without a winner, on our side we have fabulous candidates.  And, you know, it's completely up to the Secretary, as we all know.  Whoever she chooses we will fully embrace, because all the names that she has put out there are values based, popular choices.  And we'll see.  I have absolutely no idea.  Absolutely no idea.

Yes, sir?

Q:  Thank you very much.  What did you make of Newt Gingrich calling for the deportation of Muslims who believe in Sharia?  And what do you think Congress should do in response to France? 

Leader Pelosi.  I just – the statement that was made about Sharia and the rest, I don't even want to dignify his comments.  As I said earlier, in response to events like this, we have to honor the values of our Fourth of July as they honor the values of their Fourteenth of July.  So I just think that it is – it's really sad.  It's just not what our country needs in terms of healing and bringing people together.

And what was it?  We were going to interview every Muslim in the country?  And then if we didn't like their views on sharia law, they would be deported?  Not a good idea.  Not a good idea, but in keeping with the Trump attitude as well.

This is – look, I still am an intelligence person after all these years.  I have the benefit of knowing some things, and I observe and make judgments.  And I do think that ISIS is losing on the battlefield, they're losing on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, and they perhaps have encouraged people to do these kinds of things – pathetic souls, you know, pathetic souls, lone wolfs mostly, as far as we know.

We don't have all the facts on France right now.  But to show some acts of cowardice, where they attack noncombatant people in a vulnerable situation that make it look like they have some strength, when, in fact, they're losing on the battlefield.

So we have to think in a very careful way.  We have to share our intelligence and our resources with countries so that we are protecting our people.  France is a valued ally – our first ally, as a matter of fact.

Those of you who follow the Congress know there are only two painting in the Chamber: one of George Washington, the patriarch of our country, whom we all love, and the other of the Marquis de Lafayette.  I'm not even sure if some of our Republican colleagues know that Lafayette's picture is staring right at them on their side of the aisle when they start calling French fries "freedom fries" and the rest of that.  But, nonetheless, the country that helped us win the revolution.

So we've had a long relationship with France.  Shared values – in their case, liberty, equality, and fraternity; in our case, liberty and justice for all.  And, again, shared values.

So, in the interest of global security, we really need to work together, share intelligence and some planning, and, of course, call upon the Muslim nations to work with us on this subject as well.  But I don't think it serves any purpose to put forth an idea – don't let me say "idea."  It does not rise to the level of an idea.  A silly notion.

I think that's it.  Oh, you had a question.

Q:  Yeah, just real quickly.  In 2010, when Democrats were in control, you guys didn't do a budget resolution.  Now, this year, the Republicans have not done a budget resolution.  They say mitigating factors.  In fact, the last two year agreement, the Ryan Murray 2.0…   

Leader Pelosi.  Oh, really?  Do you buy that?

Q:  Well, that's what I was going to ask you, is: A, do you think that is a mitigating…   

Leader Pelosi.  You usually do buy what they're saying.  But, anyway, I didn't know – you always have their case in your question each time.  No budget, no pay.  No budget, no pay.  I subscribe to that.  That's what they said.  Now, they, who place such a high value on it – this is their idea, no budget, no pay.  Since it's their idea and they don't have a budget, no budget, no pay.

Thank you all.  See you in a few weeks.

Q:  Did you get your bracelet? 

Leader Pelosi.  It's on.  But the Speaker's not coming anyway.

Q:  Well, that's what I said.  You know, there's no backup.

Leader Pelosi.  Let me just say this about bracelets.

We had last night a whole array of people – I had on the ribbons from Dallas, blue and yellow, that I had when I went to Dallas with the President.  Everybody wore these ribbons.  We had these from Orlando.  We had the orange shirts that we had on the steps, and they were there last night too, of the 91 people who die every night.  We wear red for the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram.  We wear all these colors.  Now we'll have the Tricolor for France.

So much violence.  So many colors.  It's just stunning, that we really just have to elevate our conversations in a way that are worthy of the American people and worthy of our responsibilities to the world.

And the very least we can do, the very least we can do, is to say that we will have these background checks for guns and ‘No Fly, No Buy' in our own country to honor our oath of office to keep the American people safe.

So, hopefully – I mean, even this rainbow is taking on different colors.  It's the rainbow for our LGBT community, but it has the orange, it has the colors of all of the pain that people are feeling and all of the recognition that we want to do.

So, you know, I almost was ready to sing "Blowin In The Wind" last night, how many more people must die – how many more people must die.  But we already had scheduled to sing another song at the end.  So we'll save that for another day.

Anyway, thank you all.