Republican Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan blasted Democrats for their handling of COVID-19, the economy, and the war in Ukraine.
When asked by Fox News’s Laura Ingraham about the slow reopening of the U.S. Capitol, the transportation mask mandate, and congressional proxy voting Monday, the congressmen said the Democratic policies are nothing more than a string of power grabs.
“They still can’t let go of the power,” Scalise said, referring to President Joe Biden and Democratic members of Congress. “They want to control people’s lives.”
Scalise noted that mask mandates have been lifted in many states, regardless of the party in power, and that the majority of the country’s venues have reopened. However, the Capitol will only open later this month and with a limited number of people allowed to enter.
“They still want to keep things closed in D.C.,” Scalise added. “It’s time to open up the People’s House. Let the public back in.”
Jordan told Ingraham that the Democrats are “out of touch” with the public.
“They defunded the police. They’ve opened the border. They’ve closed schools. They’ve canceled pipelines,” Jordan rattled off. “And now that they’ve made gas $5 a gallon, what do they do? They tell us all to go buy a Tesla. I mean, this is how out of touch they are with normal Americans.”
Jordan argued that the partial reopening of the Capitol on March 28 is a political ploy, as the timing coincides with the kickoff of campaign season for the midterm elections.
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The idea of continuing the House’s proxy voting also drew Scalise’s and Jordan’s ire.
“We need to end this,” Scalise said. “Make Congress work again. Make everyone show up for work again. As Jordan said, they’re doing it all across the country. Congress needs to lead the way, not follow and be the very last to do it.”
Jordan said Democrats don’t want to show up for work even though workers have to show up for “first, second, and third shifts.”
“Democrats have closed the Capitol, allowed proxy voting, kicked Republicans off committees, won’t allow Republicans to serve on the select committee, for the first time in history trying to end the Electoral College, trying to end the filibuster, trying to pack the court, and they have the nerve to say that it’s Republicans and Donald Trump who are who are a threat to democracy,” Jordan said. “Give me a stinking break. People are so sick of their baloney. That’s why I think a big change is coming this fall.”
Ingraham sarcastically blamed all of Jordan’s concerns on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, alluding to a White House defense for rising gas prices.
“[Biden] could open up the spigots tomorrow for American energy and undermine Putin’s leverage on oil and gas,” Scalise said in response.
“He won’t do it. He’s begging other dictators. He loves getting oil from dictators, whether it’s Putin, Iran, Venezuela. Stop dealing with dictators and just look at what’s beneath our feet. Open up American energy. We could have lower gas prices tomorrow and take money out of Putin’s pocket so he won’t have the ability to fund this war.”
Jordan added that he hopes and believes Trump will run again for president in 2024.
“[Trump] has proven that he can go to the swamp, do what he said he’d do, get things done for ‘We the People’ — not for the swamp, but for the American people — and he did it with everyone in that town against him,” Jordan said. “I want that kind of guy back in the Oval Office, particularly now, when we see that the Biden administration hasn’t done one thing right in the 14 months that they have run the government.”
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Jordan said he believes Trump would not only win the Republican presidential primary but also the general election, should he choose to run.
