Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., of refusing to come to a deal on coronavirus relief, because she is controlled by the far left in her party and needs them in order to remain in her post.
Speaking on Tuesday's Fox News' "Fox & Friends," Stefanik said Pelosi is "losing her leverage by the day. And I think the reality is if she can get her votes for speaker, which is still an open question, she is controlled by the far-left in AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.]. So she's going to have to go to them to get their approval."
Stefanik said there is no reason why provisions in proposed legislation for coronavirus relief that are agreed upon by both parties could not already be passed, but Pelosi has refused to negotiate in good faith and has "walked away again and again and again" from talks due to pressure from progressives who want a much more expensive bill that the country cannot afford and is not needed.
Stefanik stressed provisions already agreed on include "additional aid to small businesses who are continuing to suffer, particularly as we head into this holiday and retail season [and] direct support for K-12 schools."
But she said Pelosi "played politics leading up to the election, and she lost," emphasizing, "She lost every single toss-up seat in the country" due to her adherence to the wishes of the far left progressives, which is not reflective of the American people, as shown by the Democrats' losing seats in the House.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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