Transcript of Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Weekly Press Conference
Contact: Speaker's Press Office, 202-226-7616 |
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. Pretty exciting day for us. We have important legislation on the Floor, and I may have to leave more quickly because, in addition to the legislation, today we will have a moment of silence for Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson. They were killed protecting the Congress July 24, 1998. Of course, that day occurs over the weekend. So between the motion to recommit, the vote and the final passage on the Right to Contraception Act, we'll be honoring them. We follow the lead of their families in terms of how they want it to be observed. This is their request for this year. On my way here, I learned that our President has perhaps [been]diagnosed with COVID. I understand that the symptoms are light. I hope they continue to be so. That was my experience, and I hope that that's the case for the President. Yesterday, you probably saw we had the great honor of having the First Lady of Ukraine address Members of Congress. I was so pleased that we had such a bipartisan turnout: House and Senate, Leader McConnell, House and Senate Democratic leadership to welcome her. The tragedy of what is happening to children and women and the rest in the course of this war, how the Russians have used rape as a weapon of war when it is indeed a war crime. I said to you before that I've been told by those familiar with the Russian tactics that these are not just the soldiers raping girls. This is an order. This is an attempt to demoralize the Ukrainian people and have their appetite for the war lessened because of the tragedy and the loss of lives, the kidnapping of children, the rest. Again, the First Lady traveled from the warzone to speak to us as a mother and a daughter. She spoke beautifully – in case you heard her – sharing the stories of little children being maimed and killed by Putin and his brutal war. She thanked America for our support for Ukraine – that was well received by our colleagues – to defend its people and Democracy and urged us to keep up the fight. She had some specific asks in terms of weapons, et cetera. Congress will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight to defend Democracy not only for their own people, but for the world. This week, as you may have seen in my letter to Members, we had some progress – and I congratulate Leader Schumer for that progress. On Tuesday, the Senate took the first step toward passing the Chips Act for America, a bipartisan package that will lower costs for families at home and reignite America's preeminence in the world. This bill – in terms of computer chips and super conductors. This bill, which we will take up as early as next week – we're hoping the sooner the better – will ensure that America continues to be the world's leader in chips manufacturing by creating over 100,000, up to – reported to create 100,000 new Davis‑Bacon jobs. This is a giant step forward, protecting jobs and protecting our security. We're proud of those in the House for securing key victories. I'm very proud of the work of the Chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, whose package is pretty much intact – bipartisan package intact in the legislation. Mr. Pallone on the CHIPS side. But again, this is bipartisan, bicameral and hopefully will have strong votes, bipartisan and bicamerally just in the days ahead. What's really important is that – to us – is that there would be guardrails to ensure that chip investments benefit U.S. workers, not foreign companies – strengthening research and development for basic science and next-generation technologies. You've heard me say here: if we just do chips, that would be important. But if we don't do the science and the research and the opening up of it all, we're just robbing the future. So diversifying the innovation workforce is very important to us. And the legislation does that – leading the way for [a] clean energy future, investing in technologies of the future, again, inclusion. And that's what President Biden has been so much about: justice, inclusion, how we go forward. As I started by saying, today we are on the Floor with our Right to Contraception bill. I want to thank Kathy Manning of North Carolina for her leadership in this regard and her staff. They were right on it, right away. As you know, this Roe v. Wade decision was devastating in terms of the slap in the face it is to women and the rest. But last week, we were very proud to have passed the Roe v. Wade – to enshrine Roe v. Wade into the law for women's protection. The right to travel, to seek and obtain – safely – women's reproductive health measures. That was last week. This week, we passed, as you know, the legislation to respect marriage – to actually debunk the so‑called Defense of Marriage Act and enshrine the Respect for Marriage [Act]in our law. And it was interesting when Roe v. Wade – it was, it was stunning how definite it was and how devastating it was. But in addition to that, we knew that if you are rejecting privacy in the Constitution and rejecting precedent in the Court, we're in a dangerous situation. But don't take it from me. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas made it very clear. He wrote in his concurrent decision: ‘In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold … we have a duty to correct the error created by those precedents.' Griswold, 1965, right to contraception. 1965, decades ago. Now they want to turn back the clock. Democratic women in Congress are saying ‘we're not turning back' – and we hope that we will be joined by Republican colleagues in this legislation today. I asked them on the Floor: ‘Do you even have any idea of what's going on in your own homes when it comes to contraception, family planning, birth control?' Should we have a session on the birds and the bees so you have a further understanding of what this is? You don't want birth control, but you want control of women. And that's our fight – servitude, we're against that. So in any event, I have, for decades, been trying to convey to the American people, my constituents and people that I come in contact with, that when the Republicans talk about abortion and the rest, they're [not just] talking about that. They're talking about contraception. More than you ever want to know on the subject, but decades ago – in the 90's, when I was the Ranking Member on Foreign Ops, the Catholic Church came to me and said, ‘Can you make an adjustment in the foreign assistance bill so that we can have more freely flowing funds for natural family planning?' The Church was asking for that. I went to my Republican colleagues. I said, ‘At long last, we're going to be able to vote together on family planning. This is what the priests have asked us – the Church has asked us just to make a technical change in the language so that their lawyers will approve the flow of the funds for natural family planning,' which is allowed – was allowed in our foreign assistance. ‘You don't understand,' they say to me, ‘we are against all family planning, domestic and internationally.' I had that one Republican vote which enabled us to include natural family planning in the legislation. Can you believe that? So when I tell my Republican friends – and I do have some – they're [against] contraception, family planning, birth control: ‘Oh, I don't believe it.' Well, don't take it from me. Take it from the Republicans. This is part of their agenda, which is really hard to defend for them and hard to explain for us. But, again, we will remember in November. Any questions? Q. Madam Speaker? Speaker Pelosi. Yes, ma'am? What have you got? Q. On police funding, some Members reportedly want to see a package of bills brought to a vote before we go to August recess. Do you support that? Speaker Pelosi. Well, we have a – we're reviewing and take – we are on a path. I think we're on a good path, and we'll have a number of bills. There are a wide arrange – array of bills, but we've met on some of them. We're checking them out with the Committees, and I think we'll have a good package. Q. Before the recess? Speaker Pelosi. We'll have to see. We have such a flurry of activity. It would be our plan to do so. Of course, a lot depends on when we get the CHIPS bill. A lot depends on what will happen with Reconciliation, how soon we can get that before the recess. But it is the – it is hoped and in the plan that we could do some of that then. Yes, sir? Q. Madam Speaker, the President said yesterday the U.S. military does not think it's a good idea for you to visit Taiwan. You visited Ukraine. Obviously, that was important to show your support. Would such a concern on the part of the U.S. military deter you from going – Speaker Pelosi. I don't ever discuss my travel plans. It's a national – it's a security issue. You never even hear me say if I'm going to London, because it is a security issue. And so, I won't be discussing that now. Q. What is the most important thing that we can do to deter China from attacking Taiwan? Speaker Pelosi. That is a very major issue. And it is – if you want to have a discussion about that, I think that it's important for us to show support for Taiwan. I also think that we have – none of us has ever said we're for independence when it comes to Taiwan. That's up to Taiwan to decide. But if what you're – the inference to draw from your comment is that my going there is problematic. I think what the President was saying is the – maybe the military was afraid our plane would get shot down or something like that by the Chinese. I don't know exactly. I didn't see it. I didn't hear it. You're telling me, and I've heard it anecdotally, but I haven't heard it from the President. Q. Madam Speaker? Speaker Pelosi. Yeah, what have you got? Q. President Putin traveled to the Iran yesterday, and he met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At that meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei told him his invasion of Ukraine is justified, and he accused the West and the United States to plot to invade Crimea, hadn't he invaded Ukraine. What do you make of Ayatollah Khamenei's comments to Putin and Putin's travel to Tehran in general? Speaker Pelosi. What did you end it with? Q. What do you – what do you make of Ayatollah Khamenei's comments when he said that – Speaker Pelosi. Right. Q. – Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is justified? Speaker Pelosi. Right. Q. And what do you make of the Iranian‑Russian alliance now? Do you think – Speaker Pelosi. Okay. I see. Well, let me just say that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a violation of the borders of Ukraine, about – it is, it is so wrong, and the world has reacted generally to it. Tyrants find their friends, and there's no surprise in any of that. But I don't think anybody has ever accused or recognized Khamenei in Iran as a respecter of boundaries, respecter of people. In terms of, in terms of Russia – Crimea, I don't think was reacted to strongly enough, when they invaded Crimea. We will – I'm very proud of the American people and the support that they have for the people of Ukraine who are fighting for their Democracy, for their country, for their territorial boundaries. And to me, it's practically irrelevant what the Khamenei says, but what is relevant is the weapons that he may supply Russia with. So it's tyrant to tyrant. Doesn't matter what any of us think. It's what they will do, but it's most unfortunate. And it's particularly unfortunate, because it wasn't that long ago when Russia was part of the agreement for the nuclear agreement, and now all – some of that has changed. I don't know what impact that may have. But Russia knows full well the capability of Iran. China knows full well the capability of Iran to go forward with a nuclear – with nuclear – a nuclear weapon. They know, because they supplied them with much of the material, the technology, the scientists, the delivery system. There are four things for a nuclear program: technology, science to put it together, delivery system to deliver it, intent. The only thing that is truly indigenous to Iran in that regard is intent, and that's why China and Russia were so cooperative in stopping Iran from proceeding with a nuclear weapon. Now, the geo-political dynamic has changed, and we'll see, but it really doesn't matter what the rest of us think about what Khamenei is cooperating with Russia on. The fact is it could – should come as no surprise. Q. Madam Speaker. Speaker Pelosi. Just one more thing, because then I have to really go. Any more women? Q. Madam Speaker? Speaker Pelosi. Yes, ma'am. Q. On the President's COVID diagnosis, do you think this should change how seriously the American people are taking this latest variant? And also on the Ukrainian First Lady's address yesterday, are you aware of any further conversations in Congress about further humanitarian and military aid packages? Could you shed some light on the prospect? Speaker Pelosi. Two questions. One about COVID. Anything that affects the President has an impact in our country. It's more well known, shall we say. So let's hope that it would encourage people to be tested, to have the vaccines, the boosters and the rest. This is – I don't know exactly which assault has been made on the President in terms of – but what is happening now is rampant, but it is not as – and having such a negative impact on people's health. Let's hope that that continues to be the case, but we don't know. So I don't know enough about what the – how the President has been diagnosed to make any informed decision about that. But let us – let people know that none of us is immune from it, including the President of the United States, and we really have to be careful. In terms of First Lady Zelenska's visit yesterday, she was really, beautifully received in a bipartisan, bicameral way – a real statement of support for Ukraine. I don't think anybody thinks that our support for Ukraine has been exhausted. Q. Madam Speaker? Speaker Pelosi. Yes sir? I think we have to go now. One more, he said. Yes, sir? Q. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Over the course of your career, has your husband ever made a stock purchase or sale based on information he's received from you? Speaker Pelosi. What are you saying? Q. Over the course of your career, has your husband ever made a stock purchase or sale based on information he received from you? Speaker Pelosi. No. Absolutely not. Thank you. # # # |