Washington, D.C. – House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) held a press conference today where he called on Congressional Democrats to abandon their partisan spending bill and focus on reducing the inflation that is devastating America’s workers and small businesses.
“Trillions of dollars in spending. Major expansions of government agencies. And even more inflation that will lead to higher costs for all Americans,” said McCarthy. “This is no longer a Congress where the best ideas compete.”
Remarks as prepared are below, or you can watch online here.
“Some of you have been around for a while. And I ask — have you ever seen an Administration and Congress as incompetent as this?
“Trillions of dollars in spending. Major expansions of government agencies. And even more inflation that will lead to higher costs for all Americans.
“All are on the table.
“Yet the details change by the minute. As one Democrat remarked “We are just missing two things: what exactly is going to be in the bill and how we are going to pay for it. Other than that, we are good to go.”
“Remember Speaker Pelosi’s famous quote: ‘we need to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.’
“When the White House rushes out a framework hours before the President comes to the Hill — you know they are desperate and grasping at straws.
“This is no longer a Congress where the best ideas compete.
“I have a hard time believing the American people think it’s a good idea for more IRS agents to be targeting their bank accounts — or for $200 million in taxpayer funds to be spent giving a facelift to a park in Nancy Pelosi’s backyard.
“Speaker Pelosi has called this tax and spend bill the ‘culmination of her career.’
“Based on the number of Democrats jumping ship, this bill may be the culmination of many Congressional careers.
“The Democrat Budget Chairman — in only his second term as chair — has called it quits.
“Rep. Cheri Bustos — former DCCC chairwoman — has called it quits.
“And 15 percent of the Democrat Leaders on Appropriations have called it quits.
“With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wonder if the President feels like Charlie Brown in that famous scene with the football. His advisors tell him to come back up to the Hill, ‘this time it’s for real, Mr. President’…only for the football to be pulled away at the last second.
“I agree with the House Majority Whip who said ‘I’m not too sure that Democrats have yet developed the will to win in 2022.’
“So as the Lame Duck Speaker jets around the world on her farewell tour and puts together a multi-trillion dollar bill in her office — you have to wonder — how long until the rest of the Democrats wake up?
“Speaker Pelosi has destroyed this institution and its ability to function on behalf of the American people.
“As more Democrats tap out, Republicans are ready to put Americans back on the field to turn our country around.”