House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked if President Donald Trump plans to take a "leave of absence" from the presidency since he has decided not to do any work while investigations continue.
Wednesday, Trump announced in the Rose Garden that nothing will pass, get signed or move forward while Congress conducts investigations into his administration. He essentially "took up the mantle" for the gridlock in Washington, some pundits said.
Thursday, during her weekly press conference, Pelosi was asked by reporters how she plans to get things done without Trump. She told them to ask the president that question since he's the one who seems to be going on strike.
"We have always been responsible," Pelosi said of the Congress. "Left to their own devices, our appropriators -- on disaster assistance, we could have gotten there, left to their own devices of the appropriators until the White House intervened. We will have to pass the appropriations bills, and we will. And hopefully, we will do them in a very timely fashion. The debt ceiling will have to be lifted, and that’s a matter of a conversation we’re having on the debt ceiling."
She went on to say that she's not the one saying that if investigations continue Washington will come to a stand-still.
"We’re not saying, as the president said, if you don’t stop investigating me, if you don’t stop honoring your oath of office, I can’t work with you. That’s basically what he’s saying," Pelosi said. "Maybe he wants to take a leave of absence. I don’t know. But on the other hand, we understand what our responsibilities are. We’re fully prepared to go forward. It really will be up to them to have some level of cooperation."
"I will not take responsibility for his irresponsible behavior," she said.
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