Vitch. Watch on cspan, listen wherever you are with the free cspan radio app. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked with reporters about the testimony in the impeachment inquiry hearing. The speaker referred to a portion of the testimony calling the president s actions an act of bribery. Ms. Pelosi good morning, everyone. Good morning. Ms. Pelosi here we are with a week that started off with veterans day. A wonderful day. 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, armistice day, a day we now observe as veterans day. Every day is veterans day for us. On tuesday, we passed a packet of bills, nine bills, to improve the lives of our veterans, our heroes in uniform. Among the bills we were very proud to pass the Deborah Sampson act, which reduces barriers for Women Veterans to access v. A. , including antiharassment initiatives. This has a broad base of support , and we are very proud to be passing it. The day after veterans day. Monday night when i came into town, i went to the world war ii memorial to see who was there and just to visit it again. I love going there. Its so inspiring. And i saw two i was impressed particularly by two engravings on the wall. One that related to all veterans. President truman said our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. How beautiful. And then particular to women, not necessarily in uniform, but women in the war effort by Franklin Delano roosevelt, he he said, roosevelt, women have given their sons to the military services, they have stoked the furnaces, and hurried the factory wheels. They made the planes and welded the tanks, riveted the ships, and rolled the shells. That in addition to serving in the military. Again, we honor the men and women in the war effort on monday with our nine bills. In terms of increasing paychecks, we are to get this week today and tomorrow, considering the Exportimport Bank which , which creates nearly two million american jobs in all 50 states. In the last decade, it has created over two million jobs. It is very important legislation. There will be some it shouldnt even be a partisan issue. Sometimes in the past it has not been. There will be an attempt by some to say we shouldnt exim should not be doing any business with china. And i modestly say i take second place to no one in the congress for over 30 years fighting china on their trade policy, on their human rights policy, on their proliferation policy. But and there are restrictions in the legislation about governmentowned industries and the rest of that. However, again, as critical as i am of chinas policies, by some accord, i am they advertise me as the most hated person in china. I take that with great pride, because of my fight for human rights in china, whether its beijing, the hong kong, the uyghurs or muslims in education camps. Nonetheless, they should not use that as an excuse to not pass the exim bank. And i will speak to that on the floor. In the same token of globalization of the economy, we are moving positively in terms of the United Statesmexicocanada agreement. Again, it all comes down to enhancement excuse me of enforcement. Enhancement, too, but enforcement. I do believe that if we can get this to the place it needs to be, which is imminent, that this can be a template for future trade agreements, a good template. And then, again, in terms of economic the Financial Wellbeing of americas working families, we are working on h. R. 3, our legislation to lower Prescription Drug costs, and hopefully we will be bringing that to the floor soon. Next week, we will vote on a continuing resolution to fund the government. We passed our appropriations bills, making smart, strong investments in the health, education, economic security, and wellbeing of americas families. Sadly, the g. O. P. Senate has not done its job yet. Soon, again, now another area in terms of legislation, well be bringing the Voting Rights act, h. R. 4. H. R. 3 is health care. Reducing the cost of Prescription Drugs. H. R. 4 is the Voting Rights act. Were close to closure on that. And certainly hope that that will be finished in this session of congress. So as i say, we legislate. We investigate. And i will get to that in a moment. But we litigate. On the litigation front, yesterday, congress and the rule of law had an important victory as the courts once again resoundingly reaffirmed congress authority to conduct oversight of the executive branch on behalf of the American People. Sadly, we have a president who does not believe in the separation of powers. Says that article 2 says he can do whatever he wants. It does not. And he cannot without oversight from congress and with respect for legislation passed by the congress. And so as the court stated, contrary to the president s arguments, the committee possesses authority under both the house rules and the constitution to issue the subpoena, and majors must comply. Majors is the Accounting Firm that has the president s records. We will see how that goes. Accommodations back and forth in the next few days. But according to the decision, supposed to release the information in seven days. It may be that we extend an accommodation to them for longer, but that remains to be seen by the committee and our lawyers. On the investigation front, yesterday was a very somber, prayerful day. I thought it was a successful day for truth. Truth coming from the president s men, people he appointed, a person that he appointed most recently, to the state department. Again, none of us has come to congress to impeach a president. Weve come here to do the work of the American People, to make the future better, for them to try to do so in the most bipartisan way possible. Find our Common Ground where we can, stand our ground where we cannot. But yesterday, you heard appointment of the president speak in very unambiguous terms. A courageous public servant. The devastating testimony corroborated evidence of bribery uncovered in the inquiry and that the president abused power and violated his oath by threatening to withhold military aid in a white house meeting in exchange for an investigation into his political rival. A clear attempt of the president to give himself the advantage in the 2020 election. Doing so, as i said, to the president , jeopardize our national security, undermine our national security, jeopardizing integrity of our electoral system, violate your oath of office. I salute chairman schiff for the dignity and the statesmanship that he brought and the members of the intelligence committee, the democrats, for showing great patriotism and professionalism with which they are conducting the proceedings. Im very proud of them. I said to the members at the beginning of the day yesterday, when we take the oath to protect and defend the constitution, we agree and we become custodians of the constitution. The constitution, the brilliance of our founders to create a republic, a system of checks and balances, three coequal branches of government, separation of powers, each a check of balance on the other. As custodians of the constitution, we must be defenders of our democracy, because our democracy depends on that republic and not a monarchy. Article 2 that says i can do whatever i want. So, again, with respect to that responsibility, we go forward sadly, prayerfully, say with a heavy heart, because its not what we came here to do. But we must uphold our oath of office. Questions . Yes . Thank you, madam speaker. We hear it said routinely, and of course its true, that impeachment is a political process, not a legal one. Yet, as we can all observe [inaudible] the deposition, subpoenas, perjury, so forth. This was made clear yesterday by chairman schiff, it seemed to me, when he reminded a minority that he would do everything necessary to ensure the legal rights of the whistleblower to preserve anonymity. In this political setting. So i wonder if you can explain to the American People why the legal rights of the whistleblower should prevail in this political setting over those of President Trump who should ordinarily enjoy a right to confront his accuser . Speaker pelosi well, let me just say this, i will say to you, mr. Republican talking points, what i said to the president of the United States. When you talk about the whistleblower, youre coming into my wheelhouse. I have more experience in intelligence than anybody in the congress. Anybody that ever served. 25 years on the committee as top democrat, ex officio as speaker and leader. I was there when we wrote the whistleblower statute. The whistleblower is there to speak truth to power and have protection for doing that. And any retribution or harm coming to the whistleblower undermines our ability to hear truth about power. So i will defend the rights of the whistleblower vehemently. Vehemently. The president can come if he has a case to make, does he want to come speak, does he want to present in writing or speak to the committee about his what might be exculpatory for him, he has that right to do. But nobody, nobody, president the president is not above the law. The president will be held accountable. Nobody should have the right to endanger whistleblowers. That is the system i will defend and the American People the American People understand that. You talked about bribery a second ago. Speaker pelosi yes. Thats a very serious charge. Whats the case of bribery . Speaker pelosi we talk latin around here. Quid pro quo. Bribery. Bribery. That is in the constitution attached to the impeachment proceedings. So what was the bribe here . Speaker pelosi the bribe is to grant or which have had hold military assistance in return for a Public Statement of a fake investigation into elections. That is bribery. Yes. Will you be looking at article of impeachment . Speaker pelosi we havent made a decision to impeach. That is what the inquiry is about. And when the committees decide that, and they will decide what the articles are, what i am saying, what the president has admitted to and said the perfect. I said its perfectly wrong. Its bribery. Can you talk about the importance of the public being along with impeachment and bringing the public along, do you think yesterday the witnesses, your members questioning was effective in convincing the public this was a worthwhile thing to pursue . Speaker pelosi look, first and foremost, we have a responsibility to honor our oath of office, to protect and defend the constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. And that is our responsibility. The clarity for the public to understand what is there is it wasnt as clear, if in my view, when you say obstruction of justice, obstruction of justice, obstruction of justice 11 times in the mueller report. Thats enough for inquiring into an impeachment. This had a story, a narrative about the president threatening to grant or withhold certain privileges, certain military assistance, voted on by the congress to ukraine, which is in our National Interest to do so , because they were fighting the russians. They have already lost over 11,000, 12,000, 13,000 people fighting the russians. That is why i say all roads lead to putin. Putin benefited from our not any holding up of that foreign that military assistance. Putin benefited by the action taken by the president. These o visavis syria and tur, because they wanted a stronger stronghold in the middle east, and the president gave him that. Putin benefited from the president s comments about uncertainty about our support for nato. Putin benefited the list goes on. I wont even go into the elections. Just those three because those are the three i had mentioned to the president when i had said, with you, mr. President , all roads lead to putin. Just saying that you havent really decided to move Speaker Pelosi we havent. That will be up to the committees to decide. Do you believe that the testimony from taylor and kent it will be Speaker Pelosi this isnt about for democrats. This is for the American People. This is about patriotism. Its not about politics. Democrats, republicans. Its not about anything political. Its about patriotism. Its about honoring our oath of office. And to uphold the constitution and the constitution spells out what our responsibilities are and what our penalties are. And yesterday, i think i do believe the truth will set us free. And so the truth, coming from the president s own appointee, the president s own appointee describing bribery and threatening in the course of it, threatening the identity of the whistleblower was just shameful behavior. Yes, maam. Thank you. I want to ask you if the usmca is imminent, how do you think aflcio is poised to respond if the implementing bill is going to be considered in the house . Speaker pelosi well, we have shared values with the aflcio and believe that the growth of our economy is more participation from collective bargaining, workplace safety, all of that. So i think we will have well see what the implementation is, what that is and the enforcement is. I think it will be a value that is shared by our friend in labor as well as the democrats in the congress. So we are in a good place. We, as i say, i want this to be a template for future trade agreements, so that the work that we put in here will not only benefit the united u. S. Mexicocanada agreement, but for the globalization discussion in general. So what well have to do as soon as we come to conclusion, have is to have the implementing language written. We have an idea of what that would be. So i think we are id like to see us get it done this year. Dimon, that would be my goal. I dont imagine that it would take much more in the senate to pass. I mean, some of our legislation we are going to pass this year. But we dont know what will happen in the senate. I would hope they would move quickly with this. Chad. Chad you say that the house is not Speaker Pelosi thats right. Thats right. Chad but you see the hearing yesterday. A lot of questions about impeachment. We talked about bribery. [inaudible] source of impeachment. Those things that could go for articles of impeachment. Why do you think the house is not dead set to impeach the president when all of this is going on . Speaker pelosi its the seeking of the truth. Its called an inquiry. If the president has something that is exculpatory, mr. President , that means if you have anything that shows your innocence, then he should make that known. And thats part of the inquiry. And so far we havent seen that. But we welcome it. And thats what an inquiry is about. Chad do you think there is a way, considering what theyre doing, all the hearings, all the depositions, that theres any way that the house could not impeach, with all of this work, regardless . Speaker pelosi perhaps you have not heard me when i said, this is something we do with a heavy heart. This is very prayerful. Because impeaching is a divisive thing in our country. Its hard. And the place that our country is now, its not a time where you go to 70 when people when president nixon walked out of the white house. It wasnt there before he left. Even two weeks before he left, it wasnt there until the other shoe fell and he walked out the door. By the way, what President Trump has done, on the record, in terms of acting to advantage his foreign power to help him in his own election and the obstruction of information about that, the coverup, makes what nixon did almost small. Almost small. But, again, an inquiry is an inquiry, and people come in, and you hear what they have to say. Next week, some of the republican suggestions of witnesses will come in, and well hear what they what they have to say. But this is not something that you take lightly, and you make a decision as you as you go along. One last question. Yes, sir. Madam speaker . On the c. R. , its going todom come when you guys are when hearings are going on. Im curious, as youve been negotiating the continuing resolution, the spending bills, whats been the working relationship with the white house . I mean, have they been involved in this process . I guess the adage of walking and chewing gum at the same time comes to mind. Speaker pelosi i am not a gum chewer [laughter] Speaker Pelosi but i do eat a lot of chocolate as i walk around here. Obviously the president the four house, senate, democrats, republicans, and the white house are the we all have to come to agreement. Left to our own devices, the appropriators i come from appropriations and intelligence, thats where i was forged in congress. Both places, by and large, when i first started there, were not particularly partisan. But the left to their own devices, the appropriators know how to get their job done. So without going into any detail, were moving in a direction, because we do not want a shutdown of government. We prefer to not have a continuing resolution. So we have to make some decisions as we go forward. The white house is going to sign off . Rep. SpeierSpeaker Pelosi wheny that white you mean the administration . Reporter the president has to Speaker Pelosi lets just say the administration. Ok. [laughter] Speaker Pelosi and whoever they may designate at the table. Madam speaker, given the republicans have been arguing that yesterdays witnesses only heard things secondhand, i wonder if you think it will be worth waiting those who heard things firsthand, like john bolton and Mick MulvaneySpeaker Pelosi cheryl, dont fall into the secondhand stuff. Really. Thats such a fraudulent proposition put forth by the republicans. That is such a fraudulent proposition. And the and they know it. And thats why theyre talking about process rather than the substance of what we have heard. I just wont even wont even dignify what they are just wait on the ruling of the courts Speaker Pelosi we are doing what the constitution charges the congress to do to make decisions. We are not here to be a ma to be manipulated by the obstruction of justice by the administration. On the one hand, they say that it is secondhand. On the other hand, it struck all of the people who they would consider have firsthand knowledge from testifying. Obstruction of congress. Obstruction of justice. Im going to come back to h. R. 6. This is something that im so proud of. But over 160 days ago, we sent to the senate h. R. 6, the American Dream and promise act. This is a bill that would protect our dreamers in our country. These young people have come to our country. Made such a valuable contribution. We are grateful to them, and to their parents for bringing them here. The president says he supports the dreamers on one hand. On the other hand he calls them thugs. So whenever know who is showing up that day in the white house. The fact is that the American People support the dreamers. And i hope that they that the senate will, again, be cognizant of the fact that, like, 80 of the American People want the dreamers protected in our country. So we started Tuesday Morning on the steps of the Supreme Court , as the court was hearing the oral arguments beginning and then hearing the oral arguments on the legislation that relates on a policy that relates to the dreamers. At the same time, were fighting them in the courts, were fighting the president in the court of Public Opinion and winning that, and now were in the congress of the United States as well. I just want to remind and i didnt go to the oral hearings arguments this time, because so many people had an appetite for the ticket. Thats usually the case. But when youre there, you have to be very constrained. You cant even adjust your glasses, because they might think theyre taking a picture or something. I dont know if youve ever been to the oral arguments. But the temptation to jump up and Say Something is great. Of course, you cant. [laughter] Speaker Pelosi but if i had been there, what i would have said is that president Ronald Reagan you heard me talk about his last speech and how supportive he was of newcomers to america as the vital force of america, as the preeminence in the world. Before his last speech as president of the United States, when the Congress Passed the immigration bill of 1986, a comprehensive bipartisan bill that passed the congress, signed by president reagan, he then said to congress, you did not do enough. So he instituted family fairness , which protected gave protection to a higher percentage of people than president obama did with the daca order. Highest. President reagan. Vice president George Herbert walker bush. And then the continuation of that presidency going on with president clinton, president george w. Bush, president obama, all, all supportive of that point of view until this president. Very sad. So we hope the court would president reagans decisions will be upheld by the court. I would hope that this court would use that as precedence. But we will see. We dont know. I heard different versions of how people interpreted what one judge said, another judge said, and the rest. But i do know one thing. That is if the Court SupportsPresident Trump on this, they will be doing great harm to hundreds of thousands of people and families in our country, and i hope that pain will be a part of their consideration, because they have to consider the impact. And i hope that they will understand the blessing to america that our newcomers are, and i hope the senate will pass h. R. 6. Thank you. [overlapping conversations] next, House Minority leader Kevin Mccarthy talks about the first day of the public impeachment inquiry