Pelosi, Poised to Become House Speaker, Pledges to ‘Reach Across the Aisle’

WASHINGTON — The Latest on Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and the new Congress (all times local):

7:50 a.m.

Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH’-see) says “there’s no amount of persuasion” President Donald Trump can use to get her to fund his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Pelosi says the partial government shutdown stemming from Trump’s demand for wall funding has nothing to do with Democrats. She said in an interview that aired Thursday on NBC’s “Today” show that Democrats want the “Trump shutdown” to end but she’s unwilling to fund Trump’s wall.

She added: “There is no amount of persuasion he can use.”

Pelosi says negotiating with Trump is difficult because he “resists science, evidence, data, truth.” The California Democrat adds, “It’s hard to pin the president down on the facts.”

Pelosi responded to criticism from Trump that she took a trip to Hawaii over the holidays, while he canceled his planned visit to Florida because of the shutdown. Pelosi says, “The president may not know this, but Hawaii is part of the United States of America.” She says she was available on 24 hours’ notice.

Trump has said the shutdown will last “as long as it takes” to get the wall funding he wants.

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8:05 a.m.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH’-see) isn’t ruling out impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, depending on findings by the special counsel investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

Pelosi is set to become House speaker Thursday and told NBC’s “Today” show, “we’ll have to wait and see what comes” from Robert Mueller’s (MUHL’-urz) probe of contacts between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia.

Democrats are assuming the majority in the House, where the Constitution says impeachment proceedings must begin. Pelosi previously called impeachment a “divisive activity,” and Democrats were cautious about mentioning the “I” word during the 2018 midterms for fear it would backfire politically.

But Pelosi did not shy away from it Thursday. She said, “We shouldn’t be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn’t avoid impeachment for a political reason.”

It’s unclear that a sitting president can be indicted. Justice Department guidelines suggest he can’t. Pelosi calls it “an open discussion.” She adds, “Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer president.”

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the campaign or with his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations.

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6 a.m.

Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH’-see) is hours away from taking back the gavel as House speaker when the new Congress convenes and Democrats assume control.

The California Democrat is expected to be elected House speaker Thursday afternoon.

In remarks prepared for her opening speech, Pelosi is giving a nod to the new era of divided government with a pledge to “reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions in this great nation.”

Pelosi says the floor of the House must be “America’s Town Hall” and says in her prepared remarks it’s a place where people will see debates and where their voices will be heard and affect lawmakers’ decisions.

She says Democratic priorities include lowering health care costs, investing in green infrastructure and “restoring integrity” to government.

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12:40 a.m.

Nancy Pelosi is poised to be elected as House speaker with the first vote of the new Democratic majority.

The California Democrat is the only woman who has held the office and will join the few elected officials who returned to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago.

While Pelosi says she knew this moment would arrive, it wasn’t guaranteed. Others had their doubts — or actively worked against her.

She has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speaker’s job.

Pelosi remains a highly polarizing figure, vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and caricature of big government.

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12:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump and congressional officials plan to try, try again Friday after their meeting at the White House didn’t succeed in producing a budget agreement that would end a partial government shutdown.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi tells NBC’s “Today” that budget legislation for the new Congress will not include money for Trump’s border wall and asks, “How many more times can we say no?”

Trump says he isn’t budging either and that shutdown will last “as long as it takes” to get the funding he wants for a border wall with Mexico.

The new Congress with its Democratic-controlled House will convene Thursday. Republicans who control the Senate are hesitant to take up the Democrats’ budget package without Trump on board.