House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hit Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell with a reality check on Tuesday, telling the Republican leaders that their effort to deny coronavirus relief money to blue states will ultimately fail.
“They’ll come around on this. You know why? Democratic and Republican … governors need this,” Pelosi said.
Then she threw some shade of her own at GOP-led states, saying, “We want those red states, even though they may be giving in less than they receive, we want them to have what they need.”
Video:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Nancy Pelosi slams Trump and McConnell for “pitting states against each other” for coronavirus relief funds. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/fiQFKY86e3
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) May 6, 2020
Pelosi said:
Please let me not have to act upon anything the president has said, but I will refer to McConnell because he has said that — and the president has endorsed that we’re not bailing out states for what they did. No. He referenced Illinois. Illinois is a state that was taken down the — I’m trying to find a euphemism for the word I want to use — a bad path by a Republican governor, now rescued by Democratic Gov. Pritzker, we’re very proud of him. So when he says that oh, we’re not bailing out for past mistakes. Listen, what we’re saying is this is about the coronavirus. What did they spend, what are their outlays, what is their revenue loss because of the coronavirus. They know that. They’ll come around on this. You know why? Democratic and Republican, Republican and Democratic governors need this. They’re united in that. Same thing with mayors and county executives and the rest. So when they say that, it’s not a reason, it’s an excuse. And it might play some places. We want those red states, even though they may be giving in less than they receive, we want them to have what they need. This isn’t about pitting states against each other. It’s about serving the needs of the American people, saving their lives, their livelihood and actually the life of our democracy.
Trump and McConnell refuse to put politics aside during a pandemic
Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell’s attacks on blue states might play well in some parts of the country, but it’s wrong on multiple levels.
First, red states – like Mitch McConnell’s Kentucky – take in more funds than they give out. The blue state of New York, on the other hand, puts far more money into the federal pot than it receives.
Second, the U.S. is in the middle of a pandemic that has killed more than 70,000 Americans while devastating the economy. Politics should play no role in determining who gets federal assistance during a crisis.
All across the country, so many governors and other elected leaders in both parties have put politics aside to tackle the fallout from this pandemic. It’s time for Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell to do the same.
Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
