Nancy Pelosi: 'Very Hard' To Explain Congressional Procedure To Occupy Wall Street Protesters

WASHINGTON -- Nancy Pelosi doesn't think Occupy Wall Street protesters who are frustrated with Democrats really understand Congress, but she insists she understands -- and sympathizes -- with them.

Many of the protests that have occurred around the nation have shown antipathy not just to Republicans, but to Democrats who they see as just another part of a broken system.

Asked about that at her weekly press conference, Pelosi suggested the Occupy movement doesn't really understand Congress, its procedural hurdles, or the extent to which the GOP is to blame for blocking Democrats.

"It's very hard to explain to the Wall Street protesters that you need 60 votes in the Senate and a simple majority is not enough -- [you need] a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate," she said Thursday. "And many of the jobs proposals that the president has put forth have been obstructed in the Senate.

Democrats currently control 53 seats in the Senate, giving them a simple majority but not a 60-vote supermajority. They do not control the House of Representatives.

"[Republicans] were very clear in the Senate that the president's failure was their success," she said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's vow last year to make President Obama a one-termer.

Still, Pelosi said she agrees with the broader discontent the protesters feel, and their criticism of the overall system.

"Let's just take this to a larger place -- 99 percent they're talking about," said Pelosi, ranks among the top 1 percent of Americans in terms of personal wealth. "I think it's probably about 99.5 percent of the American people feel that the system is not fair, that people don't have a fair chance, that obstacles are put up for them if they work hard and play by the rules, there are obstacles to their achieving success.

"So, yes, I think any criticism of the status quo and the establishment is justified," Pelosi said. "I commend them for being outspoken. They have a varied agenda, but the message is clear: The status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable for our keeping a strong middle class, which is essential to our democracy."

 

 

Comments

[ABQ AW]

08:41 AM on 10/16/2011

It is insulting to say that protesters do not understand Washington--they understand ALL TOO WELL!

[wbfree]

03:35 AM on 10/16/2011

it is she who doesn't get it. And if she doesn't get it she will be replaced. How can some millionaire political hack who is bought get anything but what she's paid to get and paid to ignore..the people.

[gypsy508]

03:14 AM on 10/15/2011

I think people understand congress very well. Wealthy people and large corporations give lots of money to spend time with them and tell them how to vote.

[Candide33]

08:43 AM on 10/15/2011

Exactly.... and it is the same in just about every country in the world, the rich corrupt the government so that they can get richer.

[wbfree]

03:37 AM on 10/16/2011

you said what I said first..ha ha should have read a little before I fired.

[Algo]

01:48 PM on 10/14/2011

Let's make this simple: to get to first base, you need to lay out the green. What is it you OWS'ers don't get? Pay-to-Play, i.e., politicians are open-handed street walkers selling OUR "democracy".

[ennis438]

10:49 AM on 10/14/2011

I normally like Nancy Pelosi and consider her a great Speaker. However, on this issue, I disagree with her. The Wall Street protesters see, like I see, this President continuing to sell out his supporters by dealing with Boehner, McConnell, Cantor and other enemies of the American people and American way of life. Also, some Democrat traitors exist who , by dealing with the enemy, need to be expelled from political life just like the Republiars. I would like to see Ms. Pelosi using her clout to stop Obama from dealing with the traitors and start dealing with the people who elected him President or else these people will stay away from the polling booths in 2012.

[johnrf]

08:55 AM on 10/14/2011

We understand how congress works. It doesn't. And we're sick of our own reps being bought and paid for by wall street and voting their way no matter what would be best for their constituents. Even our local elections are financed by people who have never even been to our districts. We want wall street money out of our elections and we want the lobbyists to keep away from our congress. We want to know who is funding the PAC's. And Congress seems unable to enact these changes so we have taken to the streets. Occupy Wall Street. Occupy America.

[HappyBalance]

08:49 AM on 10/14/2011

"Nancy Pelosi doesn't think Occupy Wall Street protesters who are frustrated with Democrats really understand Congress, "

Nice try Queen Nancy, Occupy folks understand very well how many times you sold out the Poor, the Working and Middle Class to satisfy Obama, the Repubs and all the Dems on the Corporate take.

[corsair807]

07:24 AM on 10/14/2011

NANCY PELOSI, the train wreck ,when she talks all that comes out of her mouth is something no one can understand.

[politicaljungle]

07:19 AM on 10/14/2011

The very last thing on their minds, is some procedural thing in Congress. Talk about an ostrich.

[gypsy508]

03:17 AM on 10/15/2011

It's like being concerned about whether your rug matches your sofa when the whole house is on fire.

[mojobang]

06:20 AM on 10/14/2011

And to think...I would have bought that BS just a year or two ago. BO has totally soured me on the Democratic party, for which I used to have unwaivering faith. Nancy is just another symptom of this two party (both of whom are really just corporate wings) disease. Our winner take all system makes us all losers.

[HappyBalance]

08:50 AM on 10/14/2011

You are not the only one who fell for it. Good news is that you, I, and many others know better now.

[PickedName]

06:16 AM on 10/14/2011

Perhaps Pelosi should simply explain that we need to pass the bills to find out what's in them.

Possibly the worst, most evil woman of our generation.

[corsair807]

07:20 AM on 10/14/2011

agree

[johnrf]

09:06 AM on 10/14/2011

Typical right wing nonsense. Take one statement out of context and repeat it over and over. What Ms. Pelosi said was that after the health care bill was passed and people understood what was in it they would support it. She may have been wrong about that but that statement has been twisted and used over and over to attack her dishonestly and pretend that she suggested voting on bills without knowing their content. Nice try.

[guveqzero]

06:14 AM on 10/14/2011

No, you don't need 60. The nuclear option is to make majority rule the law of the land. And for protection of the minority, the courts will protect them. Make the traitors visible, then hit them hard with the facts. It is called hardball.

[parlimentMike]

04:04 AM on 10/14/2011

They understand Democrats very well. They don't stand for the People as forcefully as the Republicans stand for corporations. In a fight between the Center and the Right, the People always lose.

[rwolsen]

05:28 AM on 10/14/2011

uh, the dems are nowhere near the center.

[parlimentMike]

06:08 AM on 10/14/2011

OK, the Right and the Far Right. Most of Obama's suggestions are from the Nixon and Reagan administrations, with a little help from Dole Romney, and Bush.

[HappyBalance]

08:51 AM on 10/14/2011

PM,

Well said as usual.

[different perspectives]

03:56 AM on 10/14/2011

When I saw democrats vote against the bill to remove tax subsidies for oil companies I lost all hope for either side.

[different perspectives]

03:54 AM on 10/14/2011

Republicans get paid off to help the rich

and democrats get paid off to do nothing about it

[PickedName]

06:18 AM on 10/14/2011

Isn't it interesting how each side speaks big against what the other side will do, but virtually nothing gets repealed when the other side has the numbers to repeal things?

An arguement could be made that it's really just one big party that has two names.