House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rebutted House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) comment calling the government funding omnibus bill “one of the most shameful acts” in the House’s history, asking if he had forgotten about the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Pelosi responded on the House floor on Friday ahead of the House voting to pass the $1.7 trillion bill, saying it would likely be her last speech as speaker on the floor.
“It was sad to hear the minority leader earlier say that this legislation is the most shameful thing to be seen on the House floor in this Congress. I can’t help but wonder, had he forgotten Jan. 6?” Pelosi said.
Her response came one day after McCarthy railed against the bill and pointed to “left wing pet projects” that the bill funds.
“This is a monstrosity. That is one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in his body,” McCarthy said. “The appropriations process has failed the American public, and there’s no greater example of the nail in the coffin of the greatest failure of a one-party rule of the House, the Senate and the presidency.”
Pelosi said the day of the House passing the bill is one of “immense patriotism” and noted that the bill includes language to reform election law to “thwart future attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.”
The omnibus bill, which the House passed mostly along party lines in a 225-201-1 vote, includes the Electoral Count Reform Act. That legislation clarifies that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in counting the votes of the Electoral College in a presidential election.
Members of Congress pushed for that bill in response to efforts from former President Trump and his allies to urge former Vice President Mike Pence to try to refuse to count certain votes in favor of President Biden in key states in the 2020 presidential election.
Pelosi said the omnibus is “truly a package for the people.”
McCarthy and other GOP opponents to the bill had argued that Congress should pass a continuing resolution to fund the government until Republicans take control of the House next year and can pass a smaller omnibus package.
McCarthy also has backed hardline members who called for bills from Republican senators who voted for the omnibus bill to be stopped, saying they would be “dead on arrival” if he becomes Speaker.
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