When it comes to Washington negotiations, President Obama wants to get things done for the American people, not play party politics, according to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
“He’s been very bipartisan in his approach,” she said.
Pelosi’s remarks came during a pre-recorded interview with Candy Crowley that aired Sunday morning on CNN‘s ‘State of the Union.’ The House Minority Leader spoke about the impending government shutdown and the negotiations underway to avoid it, saying that the President was doing all he could to reach an agreement.
“The President has always been very respectful of the views of the Republicans and the Congress, their leadership and their membership,” Pelosi said. “He has always tried to accommodate them.”
But by any accounts, President Obama was undeniably unfriendly toward Republicans in his first term, including placing the blame on Republicans for the fiscal cliff crisis. The beginning of his second has been no different. He struck a confrontational tone in his second inauguration address and pointed fingers at the GOP for sequestration.
The POTUS has only recently tried to rebuild broken bridges with the GOP. He hosted a dinner for a group of Republicans on Wednesday night, and brought together Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), leading members of the House Budget Committee, for lunch on Thursday.
He’ll also talk with member of the GOP this week, meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday and Senate Republicans on Thursday.
According to Pelosi, the President’s lack of communication with Republicans in the past is not to blame for the lack of progress in Washington.
“But they are not — not having these meetings is not why we haven’t had progress before,” she said. “We haven’t had progress before because the Republicans were committed to blocking the initiatives of President Obama.”
Pelosi promised Democrats would not allow a government shutdown, but added that Republicans and Democrats could reach a compromise on the budget.
“That’s what we came here to do,” Pelosi said.
“And — and certainly, I think I can hear a lot of Republicans saying that same thing,” Crowley responded. “We’re here to be collaborative, et cetera, et cetera.”
“I haven’t heard them say that,” Pelosi laughed. “Maybe they said it to you.”
