House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) delivered a roughly 25-minute speech Friday against a $1.7 trillion omnibus government funding package, his latest show of opposition to the bill funding bill ahead of its expected adoption later in the day.
It is a monstrosity. It’s one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in his body,” McCarthy said. “The credits process has failed the largest American public, and there’s no better example of the nail in the coffin of the failure of a one-party system of the House, the Senate and the presidency.”
McCarthy criticized Democrats’ oft-repeated statement that they will put “people above politics,” pointing to various “left-wing pet projects” funded in the omnibus bill – some of which are named after members.
“They cared so much about the people that the senator [Patrick] Leahy [D-Vt.] gets many projects bearing his name. Because people wanted it,” McCarthy said.[Sen. Richard] Shelby [R-Ala.] also gets something named after him. Oh, loudspeaker [Nancy] pelosi [D-Calif.], she gets a few things named after her, because people are more important than politics. Because that’s what the American people want right now.
McCarthy had mounted a strong demonstration opposing the omnibus package leading up to the vote, arguing that Republican senators should force a continued resolution to fund the government until Republicans take control of the House next year and can negotiate a smaller funding package.
Earlier in the week, McCarthy endorsed a threat hard-liners to thwart bills by senators who vote for the omnibus package, promising that those bills would be “dead on arrival” if he was president.
He also has joined a Senate GOP luncheon to lobby senators against the omnibus this week. Sources told The Hill at the time that his rhetoric was dampened by his public remarks.
On Thursday, eighteen GOP senators voted in favor of the omnibus.
House rules limit MPs’ speaking time during debate, but party leaders are generally allowed to speak as long as they wish. This so-called “magic minute” is often used by leaders to make a point or take a stand on legislation.
Friday marked McCarthy’s longest speech on the fifth floor, following a marathon 8.5-hour speech against the ‘Build Back Better’ bill last year, a 50-minute speech against the Energy Reduction Act. inflation in August and a 28 minute speech opposing a national chip manufacturing and scientific research funding bill in July.
The chamber was mostly empty for McCarthy’s speech, with more than half of the members filling out paperwork to vote by proxy ahead of the Christmas holidays and a massive winter storm sweeping across much of the country. But several GOP members sat directly behind McCarthy in view of the camera for the speech, including representatives. Kelly Armstrong (ND), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Stephanie Bice (Okla.) and Andrew Clyde (Ga.).
Some GOP members who refused to support or opposed McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House were also in the chamber out of sight of the cameras, including representatives. Chip Roy (Texas), Scott Perry (Pennsylvania) and Ralph Norman (SC). Roy and Perry stood and clapped after McCarthy’s speech.
But resp. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Rules Committee, dug into the game issues of McCarthy’s presidency.
“After listening to this, it’s clear he doesn’t have the votes yet,” McGovern said.
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