Donald Trump

Fact-Checking the Democratic Response: A Look at the Claims of Pelosi and Schumer

NBC News examined the remarks of Democratic leaders after the president's speech

The two leading Democrats in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, gave their party's official response to President Donald Trump's prime-time address on Tuesday night. NBC News fact-checked their remarks.

CLAIM 1: DEMOCRATS WANT TO RE-OPEN GOVERNMENT
Pelosi:
"On the very first day of this Congress, House Democrats passed Senate Republican legislation to re-open government and fund smart, effective border security solutions."

The facts: House Democrats did pass spending bills to re-open government as their first act upon taking control of the chamber. But the bills were more of a provocation than real legislation; Democrats knew they would not be taken up by the Senate or signed by Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in no uncertain terms that any bill that didn't have obvious support from the White House and Senate majority would not come to his floor for a vote.

"The Senate will not waste its time considering a Democratic bill which cannot pass this chamber and which the president will not sign," McConnell said.

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