House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) just called out Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her inconsistencies when it comes to her decisions regarding members voting in person.
McCarthy Calls Out Pelosi
“Pelosi is fine with House Democrats skipping work if the votes are about legislation, but in January she will demand every Democrat show up—in person—to vote for her for Speaker,” McCarthy said, according to Fox News. “Her message is clear: her power is more important than anything else.”
This comes at a difficult time for Pelosi as she is facing a close battle for reelection as Speaker, given the fact that Democrats have a slimmer majority in the House of Representatives when the 117th Congress begins on January 3. Democrats are likely to only hold a maximum of 222 out of 435 seats, whereas Republicans would have 213. Pelosi will also have to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing members from showing up to vote in person.
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McGovern Begs Democrats To Show Up To Vote
House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) recently wrote a letter to House Democrats warning them that it is crucial that they report to the chamber to start the 117th Congress on Jan. 3.
“Handing control of this chamber over to the Republicans would negate the will of the American people, block the Biden administration’s ambitious agenda, and continue President Trump’s disastrous policies long after he’s gone,” the Democrat warned. He went on to point out to them that “remote voting,” which was implemented for the pandemic, ceases at the beginning of the new Congress.
“The physical presence of Members is needed,” McGovern said, also noting that “you must be present on the House Floor to be sworn in.”
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Pelosi Responds
On Sunday night, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said that the Speaker and her Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke over the phone at 4:30 p.m. to discuss “the latest developments on the omnibus and COVID talk.”
“The Speaker believes, at a time when the virus is surging, that the need for state and local funding is even more important, especially given the states’ responsibility for distributing and administering the vaccine,” Hamill said. “Health care workers and first responders are risking their lives to save lives and at the same time, are at the risk of losing their jobs without state and local support.”
Hammill added that Pelosi “reiterated her view that a compromise on the liability issue should be found that does not jeopardize workers’ safety.”
He also said that Pelosi “raised the recent bipartisan, bicameral agreement on surprise billing and the bipartisan support for its inclusion in the omnibus agreement,” which he claimed would yield “significant savings to pay for critical health initiatives.”
“The White House has already expressed support for the surprise billing agreement,” Hamill concluded. “The Speaker and Secretary agreed to speak again tomorrow.”
This piece was written by James Samson on December 14, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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