Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi snapped at “60 Minutes” host Lesley Stahl during an interview that aired on Sunday evening after Stahl pressed Pelosi on her role in holding up COVID-19 relief for months.
“In the election in November, someone said that the mandate that the Democrats won was not about issues, because you lost so many seats,” Stahl said. “That the mandate was for tone and attitude and a strong desire for compromise.”
“I do know that it was a mandate for us to go forward with an agenda for America’s working families — as well as to do so in tone,” Pelosi responded. “We have, I always say to our members, we have a responsibility to find common ground. When we can’t, we must stand our ground, but we have to, we have a responsibility to try.”
Stahl then proceeded to press Pelosi about holding up coronavirus relief for months, which Pelosi said was the Republicans’ fault. Transcript of the exchange:
STAHL: What about the COVID relief package?
PELOSI: Yeah.
STAHL: That was held up for eight months.
PELOSI: Right. But that was their obstruction. Understand this.
STAHL: Well, wait.
PELOSI: Was their obstruction.
STAHL: Yours too.
PELOSI: Their obstruction.
STAHL: No, yours too. Takes two to—
PELOSI: No, it wasn’t obstruction.
STAHL: You held out for eight months.
PELOSI: No, no. We held it up because there was no respect for our heroes, our state and local health care workers, police and fire, our first responders, our sanitation, transportation, food workers, our teachers, our teachers, our teachers. They would not go down that path.
STAHL: There’s a member of your caucus who said specifically that, “We look like obstructionists, and it was a mistake.”
PELOSI: I don’t remember anybody saying that.
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CBS’s Lesley Stahl calls out Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on 60 Minutes for refusing to compromise with Republicans on coronavirus relief:”You, yourself are not known as a person who compromises. … You held out for EIGHT months!” pic.twitter.com/712cUvBQH7