Transcript of Pelosi Interview on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Contact: Speaker's Press Office,

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Wolf Blitzer. Right now, we're joined by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Madam Speaker, thank you so much for joining us.

I know you've put forward a police reform bill, but there's a big divide, apparently, between your legislation and the approach that Senate Republicans have right now. How much of an appetite, Madam Speaker, is there on the Democrats' side to compromise?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I'm very proud of the work that Karen Bass, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, working with the Judiciary Committee – what they have done, working with Mr. Clyburn, our House Democratic Whip, put together with this legislation.

These are provisions that have been – bills that have been in the hopper for years for the Congressional Black Caucus: no chokeholds – you know the list. And so, this is, I think, a very reasonable proposal that they have made. They have said they are willing to talk to try to find common ground, but the common ground does not mean we don't do anything. It means that we are bold, that we make change and that we have justice in policing.

Wolf Blitzer. Your bill would get rid of what's called qualified immunity, which would make it easier to sue police officers in civil court. Republicans, however, say this is a poison pill. Is this a red line, potentially, for you?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I'll leave it up to our negotiators. They have led the way on this. They have – again, our first bill on police, justice in policing, was something 50 years ago when one of the founders, Mr. Metcalfe, of the Congressional Black Caucus, long before any of us was here, was putting forth. So, they have a reason for why they're going forward.

Again, when you're having a negotiation, you don't negotiate on TV. But, again, they know what we need to do to make a difference in the lives of the American people, especially those who feel that they have been unjustly charged or beaten or, in the case of George Floyd, have been murdered.

Wolf Blitzer. I know you don't want to negotiate on TV, but I've got to ask you, would it be a deal-breaker if Senate Republicans don't include an outright ban on chokeholds?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I think that – I can't imagine that they wouldn't have a ban on chokeholds. Let's get reasonable. Chokehold is a lynching. It's a strangulation. It is a lynching. I think that that is almost like the lowest common denominator.

But, again, I'll leave it up to my negotiators because, as you know, in a negotiation, it's not what's in or out, it's the sum total of the different impact that the legislation will have in justice in policing.

Wolf Blitzer. I ask the question, Madam Speaker, because President Trump's Executive Order that he's supposed to sign tomorrow, we're told that the Executive Order on policing isn't expected to include an outright ban on chokeholds. What's your reaction to that?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I thought the President's comments were strange on it. But, again, I would think that, wouldn't I, for most anything he would say?

I think that the legislation would have – for my Members, from what I have heard them say, ‘Does it have a chokehold ban?' That's one of the basic questions that people ask. Look – look at what we're talking about here. People who have been so, so – just had such injustice in terms of policing in the lives of so many people in our country. Let's do the best we can, not the minimum that we can in this.

This is about justice. It's about redressing past grievances. It's about, let's see what we can do. I mean, chokeholds? Is there – am I missing something here? Perhaps I am because what I heard the President say is sometimes they're okay. No, I don't think so. I don't think so.

So, again, I'm not speaking for my negotiators. I'm just speaking for my Members who are – the first question they ask: is there a chokehold ban? Because that is indicative of where you – what else you have in the bill or don't have in the bill, if you don't even meet that low a standard.

Wolf Blitzer. Sounds like that could be a deal-breaker potentially. Anything else?

Speaker Pelosi. Oh, I don't think so. I don't think so. I think –

Wolf Blitzer. – you think the Republicans will come around in the Senate?

[Crosstalk]

Okay, let's talk about another sensitive issue.

Speaker Pelosi. Okay.

Wolf Bitzer. Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar supports dismantling the Minneapolis police department. She says there are many places that may also need to disband police forces. She's reimagining a new – entirely new police safety system here in the United States. Where do you stand on this?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, I think that what happens in localities is up to the localities to determine as to how they will spend their resources to promote safety in their communities.

I don't know that characterization that you just described of her. I‘ve heard that she's paying attention to her own region. I don't know that she's paying attention to anyone else's. But, again, that's what you're saying.

I think that we have been clear here: we understand that we have to make changes in justice in policing. I keep coming back to that phrase, and that means there are many things that police are called upon to do, whether it's issues that relate to mental health, violence against women, you name it, that can be covered one way or another.

But I don't think you'll see too many people saying, ‘Defund the police.' But they may say, rejuggle the – how the resources are used so that, again, safety is served. That's the most important thing.

So, I'm not here to answer about any one Member, but I think you've heard Karen Bass and you've heard Mr. Clyburn talk about how we can work together to provide safety in the best possible way, recognizing that we do need to have policing, but we also need to have justice in policing.

Wolf Blitzer. Before I let you go, Madam Speaker, let me get your thoughts on this landmark ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court today, the 6-3 decision saying the federal civil rights law does protect gay, lesbian, transgender workers. How significant is this?

Speaker Pelosi. I think it's very significant.

Of course, you know, in the Congress we have the Equality Act, which is – we still want to pass that. We think that would be important to do.

But, this was a good decision. We were very pleased with it because, why not? I mean, these are people in our country; they should all be protected under the law. And, again, to make that even stronger, we want to pass the Equality Act. But we were very pleased with the decision that was made by the Supreme Court. It would have been a horrible thing if it had gone the other way. But we did not suspect that that would be the case.

We also are pleased about how it all turned out for the state of California in terms of what they call sanctuary laws, that people have the right – states have the right to make their judgments about how they protect people in their states. That was actually based on a Scalia decision, believe it or not. So, I was very pleased with that.

And there were some other positive decisions coming out of the Court today. They didn't take up some of the cases that related to gun violence. You could play that either way. But, it was considered by the Giffords people and others as a positive decision.

Wolf Blitzer. I know you were pleased with these decisions today by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Madam Speaker, thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker Pelosi. My pleasure. Thank you.