House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing on ABC News on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020 (Video screenshot)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who for months has given a thumbs-down to dozens of Republican-proposed aid packages for Americans suffering from the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, has abruptly reversed course.
Congress last winter approved three packages to help individuals and businesses, spending trillions of dollars. But Washington decided more help was needed.
This week, members of Congress indicated agreement on a bill of about $1 trillion to help state and local governments and businesses, and provide modest help for the unemployed. It's a compromise on Pelosi's demand for more than $3 trillion and Republicans' proposal of some $500 billion.
Asked this week why she was now willing to do a smaller package, she said, "That's OK now because we have a new president."
Nancy Pelosi says she is willing to do a smaller covid-19 deal citing the "game changer" of Biden's election and vaccine development:
"That's OK now because we have a new president. A president who recognizes that we need to depend on science..." pic.twitter.com/Egk9kxWWJV
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 4, 2020
Pelosi originally had wanted billions of dollars to bail out poorly run state and local governments suffering from problems that were created long before COVID-19 hit. Republicans were reluctant to have taxpayers in North Dakota, for example, bail out California cities.
Pelosi rejected dozens of proposals to help small business owners and taxpayers over the summer and fall.
Explaining her change of heart on Friday, she said, wagging her finger at reporters: "Perhaps you missed what I said earlier. Joe Biden committed to ending and crushing the virus, and having a builder better America initiative. Build back better. A vaccine. Answer to our prayers. An answer to our prayers. Of 95% effectiveness in terms of Pfizer and Moderna and there may be others, uh, coming forward.
"That makes, that is a total game changer a new president and a vaccine."
She tried to explain her priorities: "So there's nothing to these are different. What was then before was not more of this, this is, has simplicity. It is what we had in our bills. It's for a shorter period of time. But that's OK now because we have a new president, a president who recognizes that we need to depend on science to stop the virus. A president who understands America's working families need to have money in their pockets."
It actually was President Trump whose cutting of red tape and crafting of a public-private partnership led to development of several vaccines in record-setting time. Some of the vaccines could even be available as early as this month.
The AP reported Pelosi was "optimistic" about a "burst of legislative action to reverse months of frustration on pandemic relief."
The report cited the "months of failed promises" and credited Biden with rallying "behind the bipartisan measure."
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