(CNS News) -- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that Americans will beat the coronavirus, but in order to do so “you have to believe in science and you have to believe in governance.”
At a Capitol Hill press conference on Thursday, Pelosi criticized the president’s handling of the coronavirus. “The president has made so many bad executive decisions, we wish he would make a good executive decision,” she said in reference to her Heroes Act.
“Observing his behavior,” she continued, “I have concluded that he is like a man who refuses to ask for directions. All of the answers are there. The scientists have the answers. We know that testing, tracing, treating, distancing, masking, sanitation can stop the spread of this virus.”
“And yet the president continues to go down the wrong path and refuses to ask for directions from scientists who know better than any of us,” said Pelosi, 80, who has worked in government for 33 years and is third in line to the presidency.
Pelosi said that there are not enough tests and testing equipment in the United States. She said more of both are needed, and the president has refused to use his executive power to make sure that they are acquired.
“This is a massive dereliction of duty,” Pelosi said. “People are dying!”
She continued by saying that she and other members of the House were “asking the president to use executive action for good instead of ill as he has done.”
Pelosi spoke of two legislative packages she was working on. These packages include $230 billion for schools to re-open and nearly $1 trillion for state and local governments.
“It gets me,” Pelosi said, “when they say, ‘Oh, it’s too expensive…’ we’re like in caste system mode.”
She continued, “Mr. President, admit it. You’ve gone down the wrong path, ask for direction from scientists who know better. The clock is running out.”
She told reporters that Americans were going to beat the virus, but in order to do so “you have to believe in science and you have to believe in governance.”