Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her magic minute power to hold the House floor to stop Rep. Thomas Massie from blocking the coronavirus aid bill.
Video of Pelosi holding the House floor and urging her colleagues to come in:
Speaker Pelosi masterfully uses her power to stop Thomas Massie from being able to block the coronavirus bill by holding the floor and allowing members to arrive for a quorum. pic.twitter.com/1nlH7FBbFj
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 27, 2020
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Speaker Pelosi, as a House leader, has magic minute powers, which allow her to speak on the House floor for as long as she wants without having to filibuster. Pelosi took to the floor and masterfully used her power to give enough members the time they needed to arrive so that a quorum could be present. With a quorum present, the House can pass the coronavirus aid bill by unanimous consent, which is a quick voice vote.
As journalists noted, Pelosi denied Massie the chance to block the bill:
Pelosi is now speaking on the floor, and will continue to speak until there's at least 216 members (quorum) to block Thomas Massie from delaying House passage of the stimulus bill
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 27, 2020
Speaker Pelosi is the best elected leader in American politics. While Trump was threatening to kick Massie out of the Republican Party, Nancy Pelosi was getting the job done to make sure that the coronavirus stimulus bill was not delayed.
Pelosi is a hero, and her intelligence and effective use of power should be celebrated for getting a bill quickly passed that the American people desperately need.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
