June 14, 2019
Monet Peoples
News Writer
Politics
Photo by DC Spotlight Newspaper/Monet Peoples
On Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), held a press conference and addressed several matters, some of which included, President Donald Trump, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and the NBA Finals. The Speaker wore a yellow motorcycle jacket along with blue pants in support of the Golden State Warriors. Pelosi in a jovial mood entered the room, and immediately remarked about the unusually high number of women who attended the press conference.
The ‘Grim Reaper’
At the conference, Pelosi displayed a poster titled ‘McConnell’s Graveyard’, which satirized McConnell’s attitude toward recent bills to be passed in Congress. Pelosi said that McConnell admittedly “wants to bury” all of the bills listed, thus the phrase “graveyard.” Pelosi referred to McConnell as the “Grim Reaper” to address his inattentiveness towards the various legislation that the public had requested. The ‘McConnell’s Graveyard’ poster contained a quote from McConnell himself where he embraced the nickname ‘Grim Reaper.’ The poster listed legislation such as the For the People Act, the Equality Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Save the Internet Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. There was also legislation listed that protects the Dreamers, calls for comprehensive gun violence laws, firm climate control action, and lower healthcare costs.
She expressed that the public wants a “cleaner government,” and she is in strong support of these bills, which are going to ensure equality for all. The Democrats have the vote in the House and now need the vote of McConnell in the Senate, as well as the final approval from the President. However Pelosi was realistic in stating that “None of these things are going to pass. They’re not even going to get voted on.” The Speaker insisted that rather than burying legislation, McConnell and other Republicans need to listen to the public’s wants and needs.
Pelosi: “An assault to our democracy”
The press conference turned to President Trump’s vocal support of accepting dirt on a political rival from foreign countries. The press corps asked Pelosi to speak on it and asserted her firm disapproval of the president’s behavior. She defined this as “an assault to our democracy,” and expressed that it speaks to his character. She stated that the President has proven that he is “indifferent to law and any sense of ethics.” To protect the electoral process, Pelosi ensured the press corps that Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is working to form bipartisan support for a security bill which would restrict foreign involvement.
During the press conference, the congressional press corps demanded clear answers on impeachment, but Pelosi skirted the issue several times and responded: “What we want to do is have a methodical approach… not any one issue is going to trigger, ‘Oh now we’ll go do this’.” The Speaker also added, “It’s about investigating. It’s about litigating. It’s about getting the truth to hold everyone accountable. And no one is above the law.” After she was questioned on how Trump’s actions will play into the upcoming election, Pelosi stated that simply seeking the truth has “everything to do with patriotism,” and nothing to do with partisanship.
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is still pending
At the conference, Pelosi addressed that the status of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously agreed to move forward with funding the cause to support the 9/11 responders. Pelosi acknowledged the work of the House and their success in passing the bill, yet she urged the Senate to do the same. Instead of regarding this bill as a partisan issue, she urged Leader McConnell to acknowledge the heroes by helping the bill move forward. She assures the people that “we are on that path.”
Pelosi: “Are you ready for game time?”
Lastly, Pelosi shifted the conversation from politics to basketball, and mentioned her excitement for the NBA Finals. Her enthusiasm was apparent by her attire of yellow and blue in support of the Golden State Warriors. She went even farther to mention a bet she made between herself and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, regarding his own Canadian Toronto Raptors. She ended the conference with the yell, “Are you ready for game time?” (Later that week, the Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 114-110, and Pelosi lost her friendly bet with Trudeau.) The loss resulted in the Speaker giving Trudeau a basket of chocolates and wine. If Pelosi had won the bet, she would have been given some of Canada’s favorites, such as bagels and beer. In the fun spirit of victory, Trudeau gave Pelosi a collection of his team’s sporting gear, calling it his “Raptors swag.”
Editor-in-chief Wendy Thompson contributed to this article.
