Pelosi on vote by mail: Less people at the polls is ‘healthier for everyone’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday addressed House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans opposed to adding “vote by mail” provisions to a future coronavirus stimulus package, arguing that having less people at the polls is “healthier for everyone.”

“No surprise that he [McCarthy] might dismiss opening doors of participation as something that is a plus, especially in a time of a pandemic, especially in a time of pandemic when elections are postponed because of the threat of people coming together,” she said on a conference call with reporters.

“We do want to have vote by mail because we think, again, it removes obstacles for participation but it is also healthier at this time. So, again, some people may prefer to go to the polls but the lower that number is the healthier for everyone,” she also said. 

Pelosi has recommended adding up to $4 billion for vote-by-mail efforts in the next stimulus package, which some lawmakers are referring to as CARES II. The first CARES Act had $2 billion in funding for expanding vote by mail in states.

“This is a matter also though of public opinion. Why should we say to people – 'stand in line for hours when we don't even want you leaving the house in some of these primaries that are taking place'?” Pelosi asked.

Last week, the California Democrat said she supports expanding voting by mail for the November election.

McCarthy objected to including vote by mail provisions in any other coronavirus legislation.

“I don’t see the need for that right now,” he said Thursday. “I’m not focused on that right now. I’m focused on the health of the American public.”

McCarthy warned that there is "a lot of fraud" with voting by mail and slammed funding requests for vote by mail expansion during coronavirus. 

He also mentioned that the Senate was unable to pass an additional $250 billion for small businesses with unanimous consent on Thursday due to objections from Democrats who wanted a broader bill. 

The California Republican argued that Pelosi should not hold up future legislation to address coronavirus over trying to change election law.

"I think you're concerned about the wrong thing," he said at Pelosi. "You want to hold a bill up because you want to change election law for November because somehow you think it gives you some political benefits. That's disgusting to me."

President Donald Trump recently said universal vote by mail in states would ensure that no Republicans get elected nationally.

Pelosi disagreed.

"Have more confidence in what the Republican Party stands for. It had been a Grand Old Party. It has been hijacked,” she said. “I can say with some knowledge as a former chair of the California Democratic Party, the largest party in the country, that we would always do much better on Election Day than we did with the vote by mail."

She continued, “Republicans know how to vote by mail. He [Trump] should not belittle the ability of Republicans to make their voices heard for the candidates they support and not be afraid of the voice of the people but they are and that’s one of the reasons they want to stand in the way of a more open Democratic system at a time of a pandemic."