--- title: Congressional Baseball Game: Ryan and Pelosi Speak Unity description: House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke about the importance of unity in their first-ever joint interview canonical: https://time.com/4821010/paul-ryan-nancy-pelosi-steve-scalise-shooting-bipartisan/ author: Abigail Abrams article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-16T00:37:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:07:49.217Z article:section: Politics og:title: Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi: 'Most of What We Actually Pass is Bipartisan' og:description: In the wake of a shooting at a GOP baseball practice og:url: https://time.com/4821010/paul-ryan-nancy-pelosi-steve-scalise-shooting-bipartisan/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadf301f0632d8ffe/6988d202ab6d7797746ae991/nancy-pelosi-paul-ryan-house-speaker-bipartisan-politics.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Paul Ryan Swears In Members Of The 115th Congress og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi: 'Most of What We Actually Pass is Bipartisan' twitter:description: In the wake of a shooting at a GOP baseball practice twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadf301f0632d8ffe/6988d202ab6d7797746ae991/nancy-pelosi-paul-ryan-house-speaker-bipartisan-politics.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Most of What We Actually Pass Is Bipartisan': Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi Talk Unity After Shooting > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=594dd617-84c9-4d25-b65e-80c04475d9b7&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi Talk Unity After Shooting [Watch (HLS stream): Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi Talk Unity After Shooting](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KmMHuu9r.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2017-06-16. House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke about unity in their first-ever joint interview on Thursday in the aftermath of Wednesday's shooting at a baseball practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game._ by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Jun 16, 2017 12:37 AM UTC by [Abigail Abrams](https://time.com/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Jun 16, 2017 12:37 AM UTC House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke about the importance of unity in their first-ever joint interview on Thursday in the aftermath of Wednesday’s [shooting at a baseball practice](http://time.com/4817818/steve-scalise-alexandria-shooting/?iid=sr-link2) for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. “It’s a partisan, polarized country,” Ryan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday during the Congressional Baseball Game. “What we’re trying to do is tone down the rhetoric. We can have different ideas without being vitriolic, without going to such extremes.” Pelosi agreed, saying that both sides feel strongly, but that does not excuse any action like the one that took place this week. “I always say you can be passionate in your beliefs but have to be dispassionate in how you proceed,” she said. [House Majority Whip Steve Scalise](http://time.com/4817777/alexandria-shooting-steve-scalise/?iid=sr-link1) and three other people were injured when a gunman opened fire on a baseball field in Alexandria, Va. where Republican members of Congress were practicing Wednesday morning. Capitol Police shot the gunman, and all those injured were taken to the hospital. After the shooting, authorities discovered the gunman had posted anti-Republican and anti-President Trump [messages on social media](http://time.com/4819589/steve-scalise-gop-congressman-shot/?iid=sr-link4), prompting a discussion about the extreme political rhetoric that has dominated the past year. > [](https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/875504419445624832) When asked about the partisan divide on Thursday night, Ryan and Pelsoi emphasized that there is more cooperation than people think. “By the way, there is a lot that we do do together. We just passed landmark veterans legislation last week, We worked together on the funding bill for government to help the military,” Ryan said.“Most of what we actually pass is bipartisan. It’s the stuff that’s not that’s controversial or that’s very much in disagreeing with each other that gets all the press attention.” Pelosi again backed up Ryan, adding: “what’s newsworthy is what is controversial.” Laughing with Ryan, Pelosi also said that while she enjoys the annual rivalry between the Democratic and Republican baseball teams, “tonight we’re all on Team Scalise” to honor the Congressman who remained at the hospital in critical condition and could not participate in the game. ## Transcript It's a partisan polarized country, what we're trying to do is tone down the rhetoric, lead by example and show people we can disagree with one another, we can have different ideas without Being vitriolic, without going to such extremes, and so that's what we're trying to demonstrate here. I think we need to find more opportunities for us to work together. We actually know each other well. Mm- hm. And many of our members do- They do. But not enough do. Yeah. We need to find more opportunities for Republicans and Democrats to break bread. I mean, literally just go have meals with one another Travel with each other do things with one another, we know people on our communities leadership the people we work with but there are not enough relationship building exercises between republicans and democratics . >> I do think families get to know each other that's right we proud of difference of opinion. sure That's not group we have responsibility to try and find. And come ground if you can't withstand our ground. But we have a professional attitude toward our colleagues and that is to respect them. But sometimes that doesn't always work. So we're all close to Steve Scalise, he's a lovely person. But this game is a game where we always come to have fun. Root for everybody to do their very best and hope that our team wins. 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