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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks to the press on Capitol Hill on Oct. 9.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparred with CNN host Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday evening, calling him a “Republican apologist” during a heated exchange over the holdup of coronavirus stimulus.
Pelosi, D-Calif., slammed Blitzer for having “no knowledge” on the details of relief proposals as he pressed her on why she wouldn’t accept a $1.8 trillion package offered by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — a package that is roughly $400 billion less than the relief legislation the House passed earlier this month.
“[Americans] really need the money right now…even members of your own caucus, madam speaker, want to accept this deal,” said Blitzer.
Blitzer went on to quote a tweet from Rep. Ro Khanna
“I don’t know why you’re always an apologist — and many of your colleagues, apologists for the Republican position,” Pelosi responded. “Ro Khanna, that’s nice. That isn’t what we’re going to do. And nobody’s waiting until February.”
The conversation grew tenser when Blitzer asked “what’s wrong with $1.8 trillion?”
“Why not work out a deal with [President Trump] and don’t let the perfect as they say here in Washington, be the enemy of the good?” Blitzer said.
“Well I will not let the wrong be the enemy of the right,” Pelosi responded.
At one point she told Blitzer: “With all due respect, and we’ve known each other a long time, you really don’t know what you’re talking about. . . Do a service to the issue and have some level of respect for the people who have worked on these issues, written the bill to begin with.”
Pelosi in her defense for pushing back against the Republican relief stressed that child tax credits and earned income credits were “eliminated” in their version.
“They minimize the need for childcare, which is the threshold with which people, mothers and fathers, can go to work if they have that,” she said.
The exchange wrapped in a remarkably unhinged fashion as Blitzer and Pelosi spoke over each other — each fighting for the last word — while Blitzer tried to sign off.
“Madam speaker, these are incredibly difficult times right now and we’ll leave on that note,” Blitzer said.
“No, we’ll leave it on the note that you’re not right on this, Wolf, and I hate to say that to you,” Pelosi responded,
The sign-off managed to carry on for another 50 seconds.
“Thank you for your sensitivity to our constituents’ needs,” Pelosi said with dry sarcasm.
“I am sensitive to them because I see them on the street begging for food, begging for money,” Blitzer said.
“Have you fed them? We feed them,” she responded right before the commercial break.
