Pelosi says Boehner showed 'hubris' by not consulting her on Netanyahu invitation

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday accused House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio.) of excessive pride and arrogance by inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress without consulting her.

Pelosi told reporters that when she was speaker, she routinely checked with other leaders on who to invite to speak before Congress, and said Boehner's move is typical of how Republicans have run the House for the last few years.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) of 'hubris' for not consulting Democrats about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit.
Image: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

"So when the speaker did this, is anything a surprise around here? No," Pelosi told reporters. "It's hubris to say, you know, I rule, I'll decide."

"It's out of the ordinary that the speaker would decide that he would be inviting people to a joint session without any bipartisan consultation," she said.

Pelosi added that while the speaker of the House has "awesome power," it should not be squandered. "It's out of order in terms of the protocol and the respect," she said.

The White House said Wednesday that Boehner's move was not typical, and said it was only aware the invitation was sent after Boehner's office announced it.

Pelosi added that Boehner's invitation was sent without "any sensitivity" to the fact that Israel would be holding presidential elections just a few weeks after his planned speech to Congress on March 3.

"There are concerns about the fact that… this presentation will take place within two weeks of the election in Israel," she said. "I don't think that's appropriate for any country, that the head of state would come here within two weeks of his own election in his own country."