Pelosi blasts Bibi invite She says it’s ‘out of the ordinary’ to invite a foreign leader to address Congress without consulting the minority party.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized Speaker John Boehner’s decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, saying Thursday that it’s “out of the ordinary” to make such an offer without consulting the other party.

The California Democrat added that it’s also not “appropriate” for a foreign leader who’s in the middle of a political campaign to address Congress so close to an election. Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on March 3, just two weeks before voters in Israel go to the polls.


Boehner had initially said Netanyahu will speak Feb. 11. He announced the new date Thursday morning, saying it would accommodate Netanhayu’s attendance at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s conference.

“It is out of the ordinary that the speaker would decide that he would be inviting people to a joint session without any bipartisan consultation,” Pelosi said. “This presentation will take place within two weeks of the election in Israel, and I don’t think that’s appropriate for any country that the head of state would come here.” (The Israeli head of state is actually President Reuven Rivlin.)

Boehner, an Ohio Republican, did not consult with the White House before inviting Netanyahu, who has famously clashed repeatedly with President Barack Obama on issues like Iran and peace talks with Palestinians. The speech could set up yet another foreign policy confrontation with Netanyahu, who fiercely opposes a potential U.S. deal on Iran’s nuclear program.

Pelosi said that traditionally, the speaker consults with the minority leader and party leaders in the Senate before inviting a foreign leader to address a joint session of Congress. Boehner’s office coordinated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.

Pelosi added that the speech could “seriously undermine the diplomacy that is at work” with Iran.

“We cannot have it fail because Congress wants to flex its muscle unnecessary when these negotiations should rise and fall on what is happening in those negotiations,” she said.

Netanyahu has previously addressed Congress twice.

On Wednesday, Boehner was unapologetic about the invitation.

“Congress can make this decision on its own,” said Boehner. “I don’t believe I’m poking anyone in the eye. There is a serious threat that exists in the world, and the president last night kind of papered over it. And the fact is that there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is from radical Islamic jihadists and the threat posed by Iran.”