Pelosi: No one has ‘any interest’ in government shutdown

With just weeks until government funding runs out, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated Sunday morning that she has no interest in allowing the government to shut down — not even as a bargaining chip in slowing down President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nomination.

“None of us has any interest in shutting down government,” Pelosi told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, after the “This Week” host questioned whether the ongoing government funding negotiations could be used as leverage in the race to fill the newly vacant spot on the Supreme Court.

“[A shutdown] has such a harmful and painful impact on so many people in our country, so I would hope that we could just proceed with that,” she said. “There is some enthusiasm, some exuberance on the left, as you said. But we’re not going to be shutting down the government.”

Pelosi went on to say that she hopes the renewed discussion of health care issues and their future before the Supreme Court will prompt Republicans to “finally, finally address” the Covid-19 pandemic. She said she hopes public opinion will be so strong that the GOP will “finally subscribe to a plan to crush the virus, to listen to scientists about testing, tracing, treatment, mask wearing, sanitation, ventilation, social distancing.”

The speaker’s comments came as the United States neared 200,000 deaths from coronavirus.