In an interview with journalist Elex Michaelson for a southern California Fox affiliate, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — still in Congress despite exiting her leadership role — ripped the recent push from many House Republicans for massive cuts at critical benefit programs in the federal government.
Before the recent and barely averted deadline for government funding, House Republicans put forward a (failed) initiative that would have imposed 30 percent spending cuts across much of the federal government, excluding areas like defense. The framework was short-term in nature, and not enough Republicans backed it for the proposal to even pass the House before what would have been an expected rejection by the Senate, but still, nearly 200 Republicans voted for making those massive cuts!
Pelosi brought up these issues when asked about the decision accompanying the change in GOP leadership in the House to boot her from what’s known as a hideaway office at the Capitol that she’d been utilizing. The former Speaker’s team was given a brisk deadline for leaving the space while she was outside D.C. for a funeral (that of Dianne Feinstein, the late California Senator).
“That’s so incidental,” Pelosi said of the forced office change. “I’m more concerned about the fact that they’re trying to cut 30 percent out of our food for children and women, infants, and children. I’m more concerned they want to take 70 to 80 percent out of what we’re doing for LIHEAP — low-income, energy for mostly low-income seniors. That’s what I’m concerned about. The office means nothing to me.”
The White House produced a fact sheet that claimed some disturbing ramifications should the GOP’s 30 percent cuts be extended across a year. “1 million seniors would be robbed of nutrition services like Meals on Wheels,” the Biden administration said. “3.2 million women, infants, and children would lose vital nutrition assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).” Though the possibility was cut off now, this troubling future is what GOP control of government could bring in years ahead, should such control materialize.
.@SpeakerPelosi on Speaker Pro Tem @PatrickMcHenry kicking her out of her “hideaway” office.
“That’s so incidental, I’m more concerned about the fact they’re trying to cut 30% out of the food for children…the office means nothing to me!”
Via @TheIssueIsShow pic.twitter.com/ppwFeo7vQ5
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) October 6, 2023
