Nancy Pelosi takes a swipe at the "squad" in upcoming book

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discusses her colleagues in an upcoming book by USA Today journalist Susan Page. When it came to New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her “squad,” Pelosi had some blunt remarks towards the group, according to the book.

Excerpts from the book “Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power” were released by Axios. One excerpt featured the House Speaker taking a swipe at the group of progressive Democrats made up of Ocasio-Cortez, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Presley, and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. All four of whom won re-election in November.

“Pelosi unloads on the Squad, at one point adopting a child-like voice when discussing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and offers the squad some blunt advice; ‘You’re not a one-person show. This is the Congress of the United States.’”

The progressive group pushed proposals including Medicare for All, the abolishment of the US Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and the Department for Homeland Security. This is among the previous swipes Pelosi has taken towards the New York lawmaker and her allies. The House Speaker previously dismissed her Green New Deal environmental reform, citing that it was a list of aspirations rather than a piece of legislation.

Ocasio-Cortez has also gained a lot of popularity, especially online, and Pelosi has also taken a swipe at that as well. The House Speaker said that there are people who have a lot of followers on social media, but that it is more important to get more votes on the House floor.

In other news, Pelosi has invited President Joe Biden to make an address to a joint session of Congress this month. The joint session will take place on April 28, and it would be the first time that Biden would address Congress as President. The White House said that Biden accepted the invitation.

Due to the pandemic, Biden’s address is poised to look different this year, but details on its preparation have yet to be disclosed. It is already different given that Biden’s address will come ahead of his 100th day in office. Presidents traditionally address the joint session of Congress in their second year.