Pelosi: No Deal Yet on Supplemental
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday said negotiators have not yet reached a final deal on a $90 billion-plus war supplemental bill, and she went after Republicans for their intense criticism of adding $108 billion in loans to the International Monetary Fund.Pelosi said that the IMF is an instrument for national security and would help poor nations to boot, and she dismissed the charge from Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that the funding could flow to terrorists.“It simply is not based in fact and is a scare tactic,— she said.Pelosi also said that she’s excited about progress being made on the House climate change bill, but she would not commit to a deadline for bringing it to the floor. She said the June 19 date she gave to House committee chairmen to finish their work was a “goal,— not a deadline.“If they are making progress and they need more time, that will not be a problem,— she said. But she said she is committed to getting it done and would like to see it done before the August recess.“This is urgent, we must do it,— Pelosi said.The Speaker also said she is reviewing letters from committee chairmen that she requested on potential budget cuts. Also Thursday, Pelosi again refused to answer additional questions about her charge last month that the CIA misled her about the use of torture during former President George W. Bush’s first term.