Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) isn't holding back her thoughts on how Republicans are running the House these days. Her basic message? If you can't count votes, maybe don't bring bills to the floor.

When Vote Counting Goes Wrong

On Wednesday, Pelosi took to X with a straightforward critique: "Republicans still need to take a lesson in mathematics: do not bring a bill to the House Floor unless you can pass it." Her follow-up was equally blunt: "Vote them out!"

In a video accompanying the post, she painted a picture of legislative chaos. Republicans were bringing bills to votes without knowing if they had the numbers, leading to extended sessions where lawmakers scrambled to persuade colleagues to flip their positions mid-vote.

"They bring bills to the floor that they haven't counted the votes. And they and we were there for an extra hour while they tried to persuade enough people to change their vote to so that their bill would win," Pelosi explained.

She called one piece of legislation "a stinking lousy bill" that might look reasonable at first glance but proved "horrible it is for working families" upon closer inspection.

Pelosi contrasted this approach with her own tenure as Speaker, emphasizing that her caucus always secured support before scheduling floor votes. "We always won because we knew what we build consensus and have your votes," she said.

The Healthcare Bill That Started It All

The criticism comes as Republicans face pushback over their healthcare agenda. The House passed the Republican Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act last year, ending a pandemic-era healthcare subsidy. Set to take effect in January 2027, the legislation lowered premiums for some Americans while reducing overall subsidies and raising costs for others. It also expanded access to association health plans.

Speaker Mike Johnson defended the bill, saying it "puts patients first." House Democrats saw it differently, criticizing Republicans for failing to lower consumer costs despite 291 days of unified government control.

Meanwhile, eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans in a 60-40 vote to reopen the government, funding programs like military housing and veterans' benefits but leaving out ACA subsidy extensions. The measure then headed to the House, aiming to resolve what had become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump weighed in too, accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) of overreaching during the Democratic leadership crisis.