House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, clearly exhausted from lack of sleep, was unsparing Thursday in her assessment of the Republican majority's response to the Democratic sit-in for gun safety.
"Republicans turned off the microphones, we raised our voices. They turned off the cameras, we went to Periscope," she said during her weekly press conference. “They tried to shut down the discussion and what resulted was a discussion heard round the world." In fact, #NoBillNoBreak trended on Twitter not only nationally but internationally Wednesday.
Pelosi said the country was "stepping into a new world" on the issue of gun safety due to a "widening universe of advocates." She skewered the "radical and reckless" Zika bill Republicans finally passed before skipping town, not to mention the "highly unusual" procedural move they used to pass it: "I've never seen that happen."
Finally, Pelosi promised action on gun safety and left all options on the table, saying, "We cannot stop until we get a bill. [...] Stay tuned."
Read extended excerpts and watch a video clip below.
On the social media effect
Republicans turned off the microphones, we raised our voices. They turned off the cameras, we went to Periscope. They tried to shut down the discussion and what resulted was a discussion heard round the world. All this trouble just because the Republicans refuse to give us a vote on common-sense gun violence legislation overwhelmingly supported by the American people. [...]
On the “widening universe” gun safety advocates
Members have just become totally tired and frustrated of every time we have a heart-wrenching tragedy in our country from gun violence [...] Every time it happens, we have a moment of silence, a moment of silence that is indicative of the silence that will follow. How many more times do members expected to stand for a moment of silence? And we do so reverentially in a deep, prayerful way for the families, but that is not a substitute for the actions that are needed. Book of James: deeds, not words. So you have seen with Orlando and the first anniversary of [Charleston,] South Carolina, you saw June 17th, the anniversary. We are stepping into a new world in terms of this struggle, of our widening universe of advocates, of a widening circle of different sectors, of our demographics in our country.
On the GOP's “pathetic” response to Zika
And what do the Republicans do instead of giving us a vote on guns? They passed a really pathetic Zika bill. It's been four months since President Obama submitted his emergency supplemental bill request for Zika. Four months for emergency. Think of that—four months for an emergency funding. And house Republicans have dawdled, delayed and obstructed, trying to shortchange our response to this virus that threatens to do devastating damage to America's families and children. Some of the children who might be affected by this may not be able to walk, talk, hear, or see. [...] Republicans force through a radical and reckless bill more focused on attacking women's health in this bill than protecting American families. It dangerously underfunds our fight against Zika, cuts off women's access to birth control and undermines our veterans as well. It's a false economy to say I'm not going to pay to prevent and contain Zika because you’re going to have to spend much more money dealing with the after effects, which are tragic in people's lives.
On what's next ...
Let me be really clear about this—we cannot stop until we get a bill, until law passed. This isn't about politics. It's not about elections. It's not about campaigns. It's about the safety of the American people. We want this off the table. [...] Stay tuned.