Pelosi rips Trump, warns Americans to ‘ignore the lies’
Published: April 14, 2020 at 8:48 p.m. ET
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Scathing letter to Democrats says Trump’s inaction has ‘caused unnecessary death and disaster’
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump spoke during his daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a stark warning for Americans to “ignore the lies” and “insist on the truth” while the U.S. assesses next steps in the crisis.
Pelosi’s scathing outline of Trump’s monthslong handling of the virus outbreak contrasted with his eagerness to re-open the economy.
“There are important decisions ahead,” Pelosi wrote to House Democrats. “But if we are not working from the truth, more lives will be lost, economic hardship and suffering will be extended unnecessarily.”
She said the president ignored early warnings about the virus and took “insufficient” action that “caused unnecessary death and disaster.” Because of his “incompetent” reaction, she said, the economy is now a “disaster.”
“The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility,” she wrote.
It was a stunning missive from the California Democrat who typically reserves her most harsh criticisms of the president for private settings. The two are essentially no longer on speaking terms.
“The truth is, from this moment on, Americans must ignore lies and start to listen to scientists and other respected professionals in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” she wrote to colleagues.
“Our future will be healthy and prosperous if we no longer tolerate lies and deceit,” she wrote.
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are in a standoff over the next federal aid package, a follow-up to the $2.2 trillion approved last month.
Congress will remain all but shuttered for the rest of the month, delaying its next meeting to no sooner than May 4, citing the need to protect members from the coronavirus pandemic.
The average age of lawmakers is right around 60, with many leaders decades older and part of a vulnerable age group.
Above is from: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pelosi-rips-trump-warns-americans-to-ignore-the-lies-2020-04-14
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Dear Colleague: We Must Insist and Act on the Truth in the Coronavirus Crisis
APRIL 14, 2020
PRESS RELEASE
Dear Democratic Colleague,
This Easter Weekend provided me with a time for deeper prayer and reflection. This is an unbearably sad time with all Americans sharing the same devastating experience: we are grieving for those who have died from the coronavirus, we are fearful for our health and especially the health of our loved ones and we are heartbroken for our children who are unable to be in school and with their friends.
As Americans, we are suffering from pressures of economic hardship. All of us want to resume the precious and beautiful lives that America’s unique freedoms provide. We will overcome this moment, but success requires one fundamental from which all actions will follow: we need the truth. To succeed in this crisis, we must insist on the truth, and we must act upon it!
In order to move forward, we must first understand the truth of what has put us in this position:
- The truth is that Donald Trump dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic, resulting in unnecessary deaths and economic disaster.
- The truth is that in January Donald Trump was warned about this pandemic, ignored those warnings, took insufficient action and caused unnecessary death and disaster.
- The truth is that Donald Trump told his most loyal followers that the pandemic was a hoax and that it would magically disappear, thus endangering lives and paving the way for economic disaster.
- The truth is that we did not have proper testing available in March despite Trump repeatedly claiming that we did; and even now, we do not have adequate tests, masks, PPE, and necessary equipment, which creates unnecessary death and suffering.
- The truth is because of an incompetent reaction to this health crisis, the strong economy handed to Donald Trump is now a disaster, causing the suffering of countless Americans and endangering lives.
- The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others.
The truth is, from this moment on, Americans must ignore lies and start to listen to scientists and other respected professionals in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Here’s more that is true: the American people want us to work together. In March, Congress passed three bipartisan bills to address this crisis. The first bill passed the House on March 4 and focused on testing, testing, testing.
The truth is, one month later, we do not have appropriate testing. The President continues to obfuscate, saying we have more testing than any other country in the world. The truth is that only 1 percent of Americans have been tested. The failure to test is central to the spread of the virus and its impact on those most vulnerable in our society. The failure to test is dangerous and deadly, and without testing, we cannot resume our lives.
The President has said that we are engaged in a war. Leaders understand that in war, force protection of our troops is the top priority. In this war, force protection means for health care, police, fire, EMS, food and other essential workers to have the protective equipment that they need to save lives without risking their own.
The truth is that we do not have the necessary hospital equipment. Without ventilators and other equipment, our health care workers cannot save the lives of those they serve.
Once we all share the truth of what took place and what is currently happening, including in our minority communities, we can work together to solve these problems.
There are important decisions ahead. We can go forward confident that America, its competent and honest leaders and its people are fully capable of making the right choices and decisions to restore the American greatness that has been squandered.
But if we are not working from the truth, more lives will be lost, economic hardship and suffering will be extended unnecessarily and our children will not be safe, happy and learning. Our future will be healthy and prosperous if we no longer tolerate lies and deceit.
We must recognize the truth, we must speak the truth, we must insist on the truth and we must and will act upon it.
Respectfully and sadly,
Above is from: https://www.speaker.gov/
