House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke at an event near Houston's Galleria this morning. The Democratic leader addressed key political issues shaping this year's presidential and congressional campaigns, ranging from immigration to women's health.
Students and other young voters made up much of the audience for the World Affairs Council of Houston event. Pelosi directed much of her commentary on the 2016 campaign to them. "This is really important, cause this is the first election that millennials will be, if they vote, or have the potential to be the largest voting bloc, more than seniors," she said.
Pelosi has yet to endorse a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. But she acknowledged that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has done an effective job of speaking to younger voters' concerns, notably campaign finance reform.
"I guarantee you this," she said, "If you reduce the role of money in politics, you will have more women, more young people, more minorities, more diversity at the table. It absolutely has to happen."
Pelosi also expressed the hope that the Supreme Court would uphold President Obama's executive action on immigration. She said that action, staying the deportations of undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, does not go nearly as far as similar measures taken by Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Pelosi has joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the administration.
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