Pelosi Rejects House Dem Unemployment Extension: Not Good ‘Strategically’ to Give GOP an ‘Out’

On Thursday’s “PBS NewsHour,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reacted to the proposal that some House Democrats have expressed support for to extend enhanced unemployment benefits, by stating that while she supports the unemployment benefit stabilization that the proposal does, “I don’t think, strategically, it’s where we should go right now.” Because Republicans “would like to pass something like that” and then not pass legislation on other matters and “could take that into the Senate, put poison pills all over it.”

Pelosi said, “I fully, from a policy standpoint, have always supported the stabilization. That means that, if you say, when unemployment reaches a certain point, that you would automatically have unemployment benefits. That’s a very positive initiative. I’ve encouraged that. I have welcomed that suggestion.”

She continued, “I don’t think, strategically, it’s where we should go right now. Because the Republicans would like to pass something like that and say, forget about it. Forget about state and local, forget about our investments in stopping the virus, forget about other initiatives, about feeding the food-insecure children in our country, vote-by-mail initiatives, and the rest. So, I — again, I think that’s something we should pass. I don’t think the timing is for us to do it right now. Because, imagine, the Republicans could take that into the Senate, put poison pills all over it. And it’s hard to vote against extending unemployment benefits.”

Pelosi also stated that she doesn’t think giving Republicans an “out” is the best way to resolve the impasse.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett