House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the nation deserves an apology from Speaker Nancy Pelosi for delaying the coronavirus economic relief money.
"Nancy Pelosi owes America an apology. She has held up every single bill when it came to coronavirus that we put forth," the California Republican said Saturday on Fox News. "The first time, she held it up so the D-triple-C, the Democratic arm, could attack Republicans. The second time, she held it up for the entire week to get more funding for the Endowment of the Arts and the Kennedy Center and try to put the Green New Deal in."
This week, Congress passed another $484 billion spending bill that allocates $310 billion for small businesses, $75 billion for healthcare providers and facilities, $25 billion to increase testing for the COVID-19 virus, and $60 billion for an economic disaster-relief program after a series of delays on voting.
Pelosi said this week it was Republicans who were delaying the bill's eventual passage.
"Mitch McConnell likes to say we delayed the bill. No, he delayed the bill," Pelosi said. "Two weeks ago, he came to the floor and said, "This is all we’re doing. Just the 250." And Democrats were reunited, House and Senate. The Senate Democrats went to the floor and said, 'No, no. ... We have a better idea about hospitals and testing and more funds for all of the businesses, the lower — shall we say the unbankable small businesses.'"
McCarthy accused Pelosi of playing politics with money that business owners and consumers desperately need.
"She was more interested in investigations, impeachment, and ice cream instead of focusing on what we really need to accomplish here," he said, referencing her criticized appearance on the Late Late Show, in which she showcased her freezer full of ice cream.
