Pelosi at San Francisco AAPI Roundtable: "Our seniors and children are not waste, fraud and abuse."
San Francisco – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi hosted an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month roundtable with San Francisco's Asian Pacific Islander Council, bringing together community leaders to address the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration’s budget cuts on AAPI communities.
The roundtable featured key speakers, including Cally Wong, Executive Director of the API Council; Lance Toma, CEO of the San Francisco Community Health Center; Dr. Jian Zhang, CEO of Chinese Hospital; Jon Osaki, Executive Director of JCYC; Judy Young, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Development Center; Luisa Antonio, Executive Director of the Bayanihan Equity Center; and Tammy Hung, Deputy Director of Programs at the Chinatown Community Development Center.
The event highlighted how Republican attacks on health care, housing and educational resources have compounded the challenges facing AAPI communities—particularly in San Francisco. Participants shared firsthand accounts of the real-world consequences of these policy decisions and emphasized the urgency of standing united to defend the health, dignity and opportunity of AAPI families.
Watch the full roundtable here. View photos from today's event here.
Read excerpts of Speaker Emerita Pelosi's remarks as delivered below:
Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Good afternoon. It is my privilege to join this distinguished group of AAPI leaders for this important roundtable discussion.
Thank you for your leadership in so many ways. And to each of you—thank you. We’ve had our interactions at your places of leadership and service. Thank you for what you all do.
To the AAPI leaders who are gathered here for this roundtable discussion: I salute Cally Wong for her tireless leadership at the API Council, an unyielding voice for equity and justice in the Bay Area and well beyond that.
It’s a thrill to be here at the Japanese Community Youth Council. Thank you, Jon, for your leadership as a model of culture and diversity in the Bay Area.
…
How special it is that we gather during AAPI Heritage Month.
…
Asian Pacific Americans’ entrepreneurial spirit, courage and patriotism has strengthened the foundation of our nation and made America more American.
…
We take great pride in our vibrant, diverse—very diverse—community, as we can see here. And the Bay Area has been so enriched by the community. And you know that. We’ll hear more about that.
Now then, I want to just say that—you know, we’re in a situation right now where the Republicans have said, 'Whatever you want to do for your communities, it cannot have anything to do with health, education, the arts, museums, libraries, diversity…' I mean, they’re just undermining the culture that is America. Because diversity, of course, is our strength.
But I was able to get the Southeast Asian Development Center to help purchase a new building with $1 million, and $850,000 for AsianWeek Foundation. But what they’re doing is such an insult.
It’s because the cuts that are in the budget already—and I say already because I’ll get to another point—help older Asian American adults learn to use digital technology. They’re cutting that. Combat anti-Asian hate? They’re cutting that. Advise low-income tenants facing eviction? They’re cutting that.
Here at the JCYC, President Trump’s budget cuts $2.6 million in funding, which provides college advising and preparation services for thousands of low-income youth in San Francisco. They’re cutting that.
Republicans are hurting our most vulnerable communities to provide tax cuts for the richest people in the country.
At the same time, they’re pushing a bill through Congress that slashes $300 billion from SNAP. Food out of the mouths of babies to give billionaires a tax cut. $700 billion from Medicaid. That means $1 trillion in cuts just from those two things.
Now, the Congressional Budget Office—the CBO, which we’re supposed to obey (but they have said they’re not necessarily going to do that)—has said with those cuts, it generates $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. Medicaid: $700 billion. Medicare: $500 billion. SNAP: $300 billion.
In meeting the needs of people—and you know what they call it? 'Waste, fraud, and abuse.' We say back to them: Our seniors, our children—they are not waste, fraud, and abuse! You’ve got a claim? Show us what it is. But we haven’t seen that yet.
In any event—it’s Robin Hood in reverse. Take from the needy and give to the rich. That’s the Republican Robin Hood in reverse.
…
And when they say 'waste, fraud, and abuse'—show us. What is it? We don’t want any waste, fraud and abuse. But we don’t consider feeding our children waste, fraud and abuse. Or helping our people with disabilities. Or our seniors who need long-term health care and the rest of that. We don’t consider that waste, fraud and abuse.
If you do—because you want to give tax cuts to billionaires—that’s your waste, fraud, and abuse. Because that’s not what our—A budget should be a statement of values.
What is important to us as a nation should be reflected in our budget. For our children, their health, their education, the economic security of their families, safe, clean neighborhoods in which they can thrive—including from gun violence—and a world at peace in which they can thrive.
That’s not what this budget is about. It’s about tax cuts for the wealthiest people.
Now, you may recall that when—what’s his name—was in office before, and the Republicans had the majority for two years until we, with your help, defeated them—they had one bill that Republicans only passed.
It was their tax bill. And it gave 83% of the benefits to the top 1%. Eighty-three percent of the benefits to the top 1%. And added $2 trillion to the national debt.
Oh, big talk: 'Oh, we’re fiscally responsible.' $2 trillion in national debt. Not creating jobs or anything—just a tax cut.
This time, they’re going beyond that. They’ll probably add closer to $4 trillion to the national debt to give a bigger tax cut to the high end—while they cut SNAP. Food—taking food from the mouths of babies—to give a tax cut to the richest people.
So this is about their lack of values.
And you know, I’ve been in Congress a long time—thanks to all of you—and we’ve had our disagreements [with Republicans] about policy and the rest, and that’s legitimate, to have disagreement.
But this is criminal.
It’s not only criminal. It’s illegal in terms of what the law requires them to do.
So again—we don’t agonize. We organize. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
…
And we can only do so much inside maneuvering. The outside mobilization—know your power in all of this.
And that’s why I want to hear freshly what you have to say. Every day it makes a difference.
…
But again, Jon, thank you for your hospitality. It’s great to be here. It looks good. Place looks good. And the JCYC—just so remarkable.
But so are all of you here.
Now, Cally Wong has been the Executive Director of the API Council. Some of us have been together when we’ve had these meetings before. And she has led the way—as she will today.
Cally, thank you. Cally, thank you for your leadership.