In the midst of a global pandemic and worldwide panic what was on the California representative’s mind was murdering babies via abortion, The Daily Caller reported.
White House officials told the Caller that Pelosi argued for “several” partisan provisions that made the bill unworkable.
The House Speaker asked for around $1 billion to reimburse laboratory claims, which the officials said “would set a precedent of health spending without protections outlined in the Hyde Amendment.”
The Hyde Amendment prevents federal funds from going to clinics that perform abortions.
“A new mandatory funding stream that does not have Hyde protections would be unprecedented,” one official said of the Speaker’s demands.
“Under the guise of protecting people, Speaker Pelosi is working to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent covering abortion — which is not only backwards, but goes against historical norms,” they said.
One official said that what Pelosi wanted was a “slush fund.” And another asked “what the Hyde Amendment and abortion have to do with protecting Americans from coronavirus?”
The Hyde Amendment provision was eventually taken out of the negotiations, Politico reported.
The White House wanted the House of Representatives to spend a day or two working on the legislation, but Pelosi could not wait to get out of D.C.
“We’re … agreeing to most of it because [the changes are] not that different. So we don’t need 48 hours, we need to just make the decision to help families, right now,” she said.
“I’m not sticking around because they don’t want to agree to language,” the Speaker said before Congress broke for a one week break.
“Right now we have to find our common ground, work together, to get this done as soon as possible,” she said. Republicans were incensed with her partisan demands.
“Pelosi wasted the whole week behind closed doors drafting a partisan bill full of liberal fantasies that have nothing to do w/ Coronavirus,” Rep. Steve Scalise said.
“Republicans are ready to work w/ Dems on SERIOUS solutions. Now is not the time for politics. Pelosi needs to stop the games & work w/ us.
“We owe it to the American people to get this right, and I am confident that if we come together as adults, we can act responsibly in the next 48 hours,” House Minority Leader and Rep. Kevin McCarthy said.
“But a “my way or the highway” approach is not the right way to handle a serious health epidemic,” he said