House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., exuded confidence about Democrats’ midterm election prospects as lawmakers left for the long August recess Thursday.
“As we go out there we intend to own August, to own August in terms of having the American people, in a unifying way, recognize that this isn’t who we are as a country, to take children away from their parents,” Pelosi said at her final press conference ahead of the summer break.
Pelosi added that voters will respond to Republicans’ “ideological opposition” to the Affordable Care Act.
“It’s going to be an interesting time,” Pelosi said. “We intend to own August, own the ground as we go into the 100 days before the election.”
But as House Democrats left the Capitol Thursday, maneuvering continued within the caucus as members mulled leadership bids and Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., announced her bid for the fifth-ranking leadership spot.
Asked about the increasing calls from House Democrats for a change at the top, Pelosi said it’s the least of her worries.
“We have a lot of issues that are very important in our country right now and what happens in the House Democratic leadership will happen after the election,” she said. “I feel very confident of the support that I have.”
Pelosi reiterated that Democrats are focused on winning the midterm election, adding that leadership squabbles are “the least important part of anything we’re doing.”
“[My] motivation is that this administration thinks it’s okay to take little babies out of the arms of their mothers,” Pelosi said, “[It] means more to me than anything, in terms of what position i may hold in another Congress.”
