House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she would have retired if Hillary Clinton had become president.
Instead, the California Democrat said in March, the reality of President Donald Trump compelled her to stay in the job, making her one of the leading minority-party figures as Republicans enjoy majority strongholds the House and Senate as well as White House control.
As Pelosi continues to navigate the waters of Trump’s Washington and looks to help Democrats in the coming weeks, months and years, she will appear in a town hall event on CNN Monday evening, moderated by anchor Chris Cuomo.
The town hall will come after the Washington Post reported Trump shared intelligence from a US ally with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during a meeting with the two last week. As the top Democrat in the House, Pelosi is a member of the “Gang of Eight,” which is briefed on highly classified materials.
Here are some of the other top issues on the minority leader’s mind ahead of Monday’s town hall:
Firing the FBI director
Pelosi called Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey last week a move that “raises the ghosts of some of the worst executive branch abuses.”
She reiterated her call for an independent investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and like other Democrats, has shown no signs of letting the issue die down.
Democrats in the Senate have signaled they will try to hold up the confirmation of a new FBI director until the Department of Justice names an independent special counsel, but they would need Republicans on their side to force a block.
Pelosi’s job, on the other hand, would be to show how Democrats in the House and around the country can move the needle at all.
Health care
Republicans have vowed to repeal Obamacare, and earlier this month, the House passed the American Health Care Act, a Trump-endorsed bill that would repeal and replace much of Obamacare.
Democrats have decried the bill, and the Congressional Budget Office said an earlier version would leave millions more without health care than Obamacare does.
Many of Pelosi’s fellow Democrats sang in celebration on the floor of the House as the bill passed, signaling the bill they believe would strip people of health care would also lead to their own political gains.
Just ahead of the vote, Pelosi warned Republicans: “You have every provision of this bill tattooed on your forehead.”
Meanwhile, the GOP-led Senate has said it will go its own way on health care, and successful legislation could be months off at the least — all without any Democrats at the table.
