House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed frustration with lawmakers who objected to COVID-19 relief funding later stripped from the recent omnibus bill, renewing her case for additional funds after her own exposure to the coronavirus.
In remarks to reporters at the Capitol, Pelosi cited a positive COVID-19 test for Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin (who abruptly left a gala where he was sitting next to the speaker on Wednesday evening after receiving the diagnosis) as evidence that the government should be prepared to allocate resources to containing and treating the virus.
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“I think we need all the money that we can get to have the resources that we need to fight COVID,” Pelosi said. “The last thing we need is another variant. The resources that we would have had in the bill, I think, need to be enhanced.”
In order to secure the necessary votes to pass the omnibus bill and avert a government shutdown, a roughly $15 billion provision for pandemic relief efforts was stripped from the bill after Republican senators objected to granting new funds until the previous allocations were used up. House Democratic initially agreed to offset the new aid with unspent state funds. But some Democratic lawmakers objected, saying their states already had plans in place for these unspent funds, prompting House Democratic leadership to strip the provision altogether in order to pass the bill and avert a shutdown.
But the stalemate over how to pay for the funds appeared unresolved, as Pelosi told reporters she is “very disappointed” by the objections from some members and acknowledged that any additional COVID-19 funds would likely need to be offset.
Pelosi acknowledged many people are eager to move on from the pandemic. But she also said there is a “mixed reality” as cases dip while risks remain for some, including families with children who are too young to be vaccinated or those with pre-existing conditions.
“Just think of this,” she said. “The Taoiseach of Ireland, the prime minister of Ireland, visiting the United States for St. Patrick’s Day. This is very important to the people of Ireland and the people of the United States, meeting with the president in a bilateral way.”
“With all the protections of the Taoiseach of Ireland, he gets a positive diagnosis,” Pelosi said, adding former President Barack Obama recently tested positive as well.
“What chance does a poor person, with a big family living in a small apartment, working in a situation that may or may not be safe, or with people who may or may not have a pre-existing condition or a circumstance which makes them more susceptible?” she said.
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Pelosi said Martin will now virtually attend a planned luncheon with President Joe Biden, and she will attend in person but will continue to undergo regular COVID-19 testing “in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
