Transcript of Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Weekly Press Conference

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi held her weekly press conference today in the Capitol Visitor Center. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good morning. I just came from the Senate side, where I testified – or introduced – Jaime Lizárraga to be Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This is bittersweet for me, because he's been such a trusted intellectual asset – resource to the Congress for a long time.

Why I mention it, though, is because while I was there, Senator Tester was presiding for Sherrod Brown. And he – I could congratulate him and to convey to Senator Moran the great news that the Senate Democrats and Republicans had come to agreement with us on the PACT Act. This is something for our veterans and their families. For many years, people have gotten cancer one way – and tracing it back to these burn pits, which have caused terrible harm to our men and women in uniform, as well as some other water issues at Camp Lejeune, which have affected not just our men and women in uniform but their families as well in terms of cancer, et cetera.

So it's a – this is a very big deal for us this week – a wonderful, wonderful accomplishment in a week that was sad. It started off so sadly and continues to be sad in terms of what happened in Buffalo, not only in Buffalo, where a white supremacist murdered ten people, in Dallas where three women were shot in a Korean hair salon, and in California were worshippers were murdered in an anti-Taiwanese attack there.

Yesterday, House Democrats took action to combat domestic terrorism by passing the Domestic Terrorism [Prevention] Act. This is very, very important. It is – the bill strengthens the fight against the crimes by including – giving federal, state, and local and tribal laws – law enforcement the resources they need to train, to prevent and address domestic terrorism and to weed out domestic terrorism wherever they exist – in law enforcement, in the military, wherever they exist. It's really quite sad. Our Chairman, Bennie Thompson, of the Homeland Security Committee, for years, has been talking about the issue of domestic terrorism. And in his hearings, the head of the FBI even said that America is more exposed to violence from domestic terrorism than global terrorism.

Today, we'll be on the steps of the Capitol, led by CBC Chair Joyce Beatty and the Congressional Tri-Caucus – Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus and Asian Pacific Caucus. We'll go on the steps of the Capitol to honor those killed and to demand action. It's not just about guns. We will never rest until we address the gun issue, until we solve it. But we must loudly call out against the Replacement Theory and denounce those who have allowed and even encouraged the bigotry.

Back to the kitchen table – For The Babies, For The Children. We were very pleased yesterday that we were able to pass two bills that address the baby formula shortage. This is about hungry babies – hungry babies and parents in anguish. We took two bold steps. I think you saw what they were, even though much of the debate was in the evening. One bill to improve access to the WIC program. Do you know what that is? Women, Infant and Children program – and half of all formula nationwide purchased – is purchased with WIC for women, lower income or more in-need families. And then after that, we did the emergency supplemental – that was under Bobby Scott and Jahana Hayes leading that – and emergency supplemental under the leadership of Rosa DeLauro to give the funds to the FDA to do what they need to get formula back on the shelves as soon as possible.

The President took action yesterday, which was very important – which was to enable, which until then, we – it wasn't enabled. The Defense Production Act to be able to deal with baby formula and to make military planes available to bring formula into the country. He's been very clear, though. We want to be as quick as possible, but we must be safe, and we must be cautious For The Children. We proceed, again, to make sure they have the nutrition they [need] to grow and to reach their fulfillment.

Another kitchen table issue is the price gouging – and Democrats worked to protect America's physical security. We're also laser-focused on protecting families' economic security. While families are struggling, and they're having to pay high prices at the pump – some of it caused by the Putin Price Hike, some of it because of lower supply because of COVID or just decisions made by some other countries. We do also see with the seven largest oil companies announcing buybacks that could total $41 billion this year alone. And again and again – why is this not being passed on to the consumer when they have all of the success that they have? We'll soon pass the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act to crack down on Big Oil's price gouging, which spikes prices at the pump for America's families. The bill, what it does is enables the President to issue an emergency – energy emergency declaration that will prevent oil and gas companies from imposing exploitive, excessive gas and home energy prices on families.

Another kitchen table issue are – Democrats are working to lower food prices by working – for the grocery store – with the Ag Committee yesterday marking up bipartisan bills that will help consumers and agriculture producers. All these issues, like the price of oil, affect the cost to farmers as well. These bills will lower costs by addressing supply chain disruptions – and that's very important – boosting meat processing capacity, which is part of the problem here, a big part of it and holding big meatpacking conglomerates accountable for unfair practices that hurt ranchers and price up – push up prices. It's about increasing competitiveness, competition to lower costs. And we look forward to strong votes on these cost-cutting bills now that they've passed the Committee.

One of the big contributors to inflation and the cost – to the increase of – prices going up is, of course, the supply chain challenge that we have. So we're very excited about the progress that's being made on the COMPETES Act. The COMPETES is a cost-cutting bill to make more goods in America – ‘Make It In America,' as Mr. Hoyer always says – make it in America with American workers and lower costs at home, to lower costs at home.

As you know, $52 billion for chips, chips, chips, chips and semiconductors – 40-some billion dollars for supply chain challenges and make more critical – again, more critical goods made in the United States. And bolstering our U.S. research and innovation, strengthening U.S. global leadership. It is such a busy time. We have so much going on. And we're so pleased that we're proceeding in such a strong, bipartisan way with the COMPETES Act. It's a transformational bill for America – will make us independent, will make us self-sufficient, and so the consumers can benefit from that. Right now, there's a lobbying effort going on. The Chinese Communist Party is having a big lobbying effort going on, but we're confident that we will be able to pass the bill, and hopefully we can do so in time to celebrate our new independence on 4th of July. Again, we have an expeditious timeline. But we're hoping that that will work.

As we gather, we are pleased that the Senate will soon follow the House's lead in passing the $40 billion supplemental spending – funding bill for Ukraine. This funding will make an immediate and substantial difference in Ukraine's fight with funds for security, weapons, humanitarian assistance, food, making – giving them the opportunity to sell their food abroad, humanitarian assistance also to get food to people who need it in Ukraine, economic assistance. And also all of this to combat Putin's brutality – but part of it being part of the discussion we have about sanctions as well.

Today – so I was trying to anticipate your questions in my fuller presentation. Today, shortly, I have the high honor of meeting with the Finnish President and the Swedish Prime Minister. They are here to talk about their entry into NATO. This is so exciting. It's so historic. On behalf of the Congress, I will thank them for their partnership, thank them for their courage – and in the face of Putin's aggression. And I warmly will welcome – we will have a bipartisan meeting with them as we warmly welcome their accession to NATO.

Any questions?

Q. Madam Speaker? Madam Speaker? On – infant formula issue, are you satisfied with the urgency with which the White House has handled this issue?

Speaker Pelosi. Yes.

Q. And with the Senate – may or may not even vote on something before they leave town today?

Speaker Pelosi. I don't know if they will do it when they leave town today. But the bill that we passed, the WIC bill, is a bill that – perhaps you weren't here, but for those who were – we were here with Debbie Stabenow just the other day when she was introducing the bill with Bobby Scott and Jahana Hayes. So we have already gone down that path.

And then in terms of the – yeah, I mean, we have to have the money for the FDA to do its job. So I think that we'll have some successes. What's the – what's the objection? We don't want to spend money on babies who are crying for food? Okay. Let's have that debate. Okay? All right.

Q. But you're fully – but you're fully satisfied with the Administration's –

Speaker Pelosi. I am, yes. The – these things – first, you have to analyze what the problem. How did this happen? How did this happen? Where is the problem? What is the – in the private sector, which has a big contract to supply all of this, where did that fall down?

But in the meantime, you're seeking – you know, there was this one thing to solve the problem for – as we go forward. It's another thing, in the here and now, to get that baby food on the shelves – that baby formula, the infant formula on the shelves. So the President has been very clear. We want to be as fast as we need to be. But we have to be safe, and we have to be, therefore, cautious. And they have taken the steps. I'm very pleased what the President did yesterday, but what they have been doing as we go along. It's never soon enough to have food for crying babies.

Q. Madam Speaker, about the price gouging bill, so even if this does pass the Senate, it will take time to implement. What's your message to the American people who are looking for relief right now, who are asking the question, ‘Why aren't you guys doing something that would have a more immediate impact?'

Speaker Pelosi. Well, we're doing a number of things. We're doing market manipulation, actually, today as well. But the fact is that this situation had to be addressed for now. Everything we talk about, we're talking about, how do we solve it for now, but how do we prevent it from the ongoing? The fact that it might take a little while to implement is not a reason not to do it when they are exploiting the market in the manner in which they are.

So we are very proud of the work our committees have done. We announced that here, again, House and Senate a couple of – about a week ago, a couple of weeks ago. I've lost track of time, but recently. And we will do this and other things to help with the price at the pump. A lot of it is about supply, and those are negotiations that have to go on about supply and countries just not ratcheting up the supply or people here not drilling, using the permits they have to drill in our country. So it's multifaceted. It's not one thing.

But this is for the ongoing. Stop price gouging of the American people. Let us have the market manipulation, tools that – to stop market manipulation, tools that we need for the FTC. That's what these two bills will do.

Q. Madam Speaker, a couple of Members of both parties have expressed a concern. You have another incremental, phased reopening here at the campus May 30th, but I've got Members of both parties saying they'd like it to happen wider and faster because they're saying no to school groups.

Speaker Pelosi. Yeah, no, it's –

Q. Can you use your office to make it happen faster?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, since I'm not the House – Capitol Physician. No, I can't. So that – if I ruled the world, we wouldn't have COVID, and we certainly would have treated it differently two years ago when it reared its ugly head. But this is all based on the Capitol Physician and what he enables us to do, working with the Sergeant at Arms.

But it is – we all want our kids, people to come. This is the People's House. The joy of it all is to see school groups and others come, and there's a lineup. In other words, they're trying to move people in as quickly as possible, but as safely as possible. So this is not up to me. It's up to the officials – the Capitol Physician, as well as the Sergeant at Arms.

Q. Madam Speaker?

Speaker Pelosi. Hi.

Q. Good morning. In order to maintain control of the House, you obviously need all of your Democrats on the same page. It seems like there is a lot of blowback against the head of the DCCC, Sean Patrick Maloney, what district he will run in, all these maps in New York.

Speaker Pelosi. Yeah.

Q. Some younger Members of the party going after him. Is he putting himself in the appropriate position here in terms of his personal race to be able to manage things across the board for the polls?

Speaker Pelosi. I'm not getting involved in the politics of New York and the redistricting. He, as well as other Members of the New York delegation, said they were going to run in districts where their home is. They'll find out what district that is on Friday when the announcement is made. The public period of comment ended yesterday. Friday, they'll make an announcement. That's what that is.

Q. And this doesn't affect the party at large? As you're trying to hold the House –

Speaker Pelosi. Not at all. Not at all. Hey –

Q. Why not? Why not, though? You said – I can understand not wanting to get involved in New York.

Speaker Pelosi. Because it doesn't. It's – it's – it doesn't. We have a great Chairman of the DCCC. He's a master of the three M's: the mobilization on the ground to get out the vote, the messaging that is non-menacing that fuels the get out the vote, and the money, the resources needed to do that.

He has worked very hard. I'm very proud of the work that he's done. He's elected by the Members. He's not appointed by the Speaker. He's elected by the Members and – welcome to our world.

Have you heard any complaints about me in politics? Have you?

[Laughter]

Q. Once or twice, but we get that in journalism, too, sometimes.

Speaker Pelosi. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, well. We don't agonize. We organize. Yeah.

Q. Madam Speaker, I want to ask two questions since we're not here the next couple of weeks. Number one, on COVID relief, when do you anticipate Four Corner negotiations will talk and then – will start? And then the FDA had a whistleblower report on the formula issue and has not even, as of – I mean, I think the FDA Commissioner today was in front of the Senate. Didn't talk about why they didn't respond quicker to that whistleblower report that Rosa DeLauro, I think, was the one that put out. I'm curious if you could address that?

Speaker Pelosi. Yeah, here's the thing. On the FDA – I've got to go, I got two heads of state. But let me –

Q. We're more important than them.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. You're going to be there? Do you care about heads of state or just care about New York redistricting?

Q. New York redistricting.

Speaker Pelosi. NATO, security, the whole thing. Here's the thing. To the point of the whistleblower, there was a whistleblower in October regionally. That was reported regionally, and that was investigated, and there wasn't found to be the problem as described. So it wasn't reported up the line. That's what that is. That doesn't excuse it or anything, but that's what it was. So the FDA, writ large, never really received that report. And that's the report that Rosa, Madam Chair, was telling us about.

The FDA – when I first came here, for years I thought it was the Federal Drug Administration. I didn't even know it had anything to do with food, because they have such a small food budget. And one of the reasons they have a small food budget is because there's resistance from the food industry to pay the fees that – on the drug side – to pay the fees, and that helps fund the FDA, as I understand it.

So we are going to have to – and Mr. Pallone talked about this the other day, and he tried to – but the fees were an obstacle to expanding. So on the food side, they – I think they have, like, eight people who are doing formula. I mean, really? So there has – we have to, again, think in terms of the here and now and the future. And we have to give more resources to the FDA to do its job, to protect the American people.

Now, one more point that you didn't ask, but that I said the other day, is the FDA doesn't have the authority to recall drugs on the drug side. They don't have that. You think they do. Don't you? Didn't you think they had the authority to recall? They don't. They can talk about it, and then by moral persuasion, bad press, or whatever it is, the company would then pull it in.

So we have to – we have in the [COMPETES] Act the ability for them to recall. And Rosa's bill has a small amount now with $26 million or whatever the final figure ends up to be, that helps with this here and now. But we really do have to look at how we deal with the food part of the food and drug. Yes, yes, sir.

Q. I just was curious how concerned you are about the problems that are piling up – inflation, gas prices, baby formula shortage – impacting your ability to hold the House in the fall.

Speaker Pelosi. Well, you know, look, we do our elections one district at a time. And we have our candidates here this week, spectacular, more to come as primaries happen, spectacular. So when I talked about the three M's – money – mobilization, message, money – they are three legs of the stool that hold up the platform for the candidate, and the candidate will largely tell. And that is what we're so proud of.

So there are challenges. There's no question. We would like COVID to have not had other variants emerge. But it did, and it's being dealt with. The inflation issue is related to COVID. It's also related to other factors in terms of supply and the rest. And even – even though some apologists for the very wealthy are saying it doesn't have anything to do with unemployment going down, it does have something to do with that.

So, again, that – those – it's not about whether it exists or not; it's about, what are we doing about it – the recognition and what are we doing about it?

And one of the biggest things we're doing about it, of course, is the COMPETES Act. Another is to take down the price at the pump. Another is to reduce the cost of food in the agriculture bills that we are doing. And then, obviously, the baby formula is something that we don't even consider political. That's – that's right at the kitchen table.

So we think from the standpoint of the kitchen table that there is no comparison between where – I mean, they don't even vote for domestic terrorism. Isn't that sad? Even three of the authors of the – sponsors of the bill on the Republican side didn't vote against domestic terrorism. Safety, safety, it's the oath we take – protect and defend. Safety is a critical issue, and that is where we have to show. And we would hope that all of this would be bipartisan. This is not to find an issue to campaign on. It's about trying to meet the needs of the American people.

So I'm not – I have absolutely no intention of the Democrats not winning again in the House in November. I think that in terms of our – the work that this President has done – and he's been a great President. I don't know about polls, but I do know about winning the races one district at a time.

When we won in ‘18, we won 40 seats, 31 in Trump's districts – they're giving me a clue – 31 in Trump's districts. He wasn't on the ballot. I said, now comes the hard part because he's now on the ballot in 2020. So we lost about a third of those seats, but the ones who won are practically ironclad. Some of them have little – different tweaks for better or worse on redistricting, but we expect them all to come back and to add to our number.

So thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about the optimism we have about how urgent this election is. Our democracy is on the ballot. People expect that to be taken care of. They want to know what we're doing about their kitchen table issues: food, education, prescription drugs. You want to talk about prescription drugs, when only twelve of them voted with us to make insulin cheaper?

So our democracy is on the ballot. Freedom that springs from our democracy is on the ballot. A woman's right to choose is on the ballot, and that is a kitchen table issue.

So we feel – we're comfortable. We love the candidates. They're great. They emerged from their districts, as will our message emerge from the people. And we just have – people really want us to win. So from the standpoint of their generosity in terms of ideas and volunteering of time, as well as the necessary resources to win the day, we feel pretty confident.

And we're very proud of Sean Patrick Maloney.

Thank you.