Minority Leader McCarthy: Speaker Pelosi Can't 'Unilaterally Decide' What Happens With Impeaching Trump

Beth Baumann | September 24, 2019 6:32 PM

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) responded to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) formal decision to move forward with an impeachment inquiry. Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) appeared alongside McCarthy, although he did not make a statement.

According to McCarthy, Pelosi is attempting to make a unilateral decision to impeach President Donald Trump, even though the Republican-controlled Senate is not in agreement with the House of Representatives.

"Speaker Pelosi happens to be the Speaker of this House but she does not speak for America when it comes to this issue. She cannot decide, unilaterally, what happens. They have been investigating this president before he even got elected," McCarthy explained. "They have voted three times on impeachment on this floor. Twice they voted before one word of the Mueller report came back."

"Our job here is a serious job. Our job is to focus on the American public. Our job is to make tomorrow better than today. Our job is to legislate, not to continue to investigate something in the back that you can't find any reason to impeach this president," he said.

"This election is over. I realize 2016 did not turn out the way Speaker Pelosi wanted it to happen but she cannot change the laws of this Congress," McCarthy explained. "She cannot unilaterally decide when an impeachment inquiry. What she said today made no difference what's been going on. It's no different than what [House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry] Nadler has been trying to do. It's time to put the public before politics."