House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Friday slammed President Joe Biden's failed leadership over the president's first month in office. McCarthy also took aim at House Democrats' recent $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that has a number of liberal wishlist items, like a $15-an-hour minimum wage and money for an underground rail in the Bay area.
"Nancy Pelosi just put $100 million into a tunnel that's just outside her district that has nothing to do with coronavirus. We have almost a trillion dollars sitting there from the last bill that could go out. More than $50 billion sitting there that could go to schools, but what has [Biden] done in this short amount of time?" McCarthy asked rhetorically.
"He ended the Keystone Pipeline, putting Americans out of work. He opened the border but kept the schools closed. He put us back into the Paris Climate Accord, which [gives] China an advantage over America," the House minority leader explained. "He gave the World Health Organization – who lied to the world about the coronavirus – $200 million from hardworking American taxpayers. And what is he doing now? Reentering talks with Iran, the world leader when it comes to terrorism."
Biden Administration priorities:
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 21, 2021
1?? Putting Americans out of work by ending Keystone XL
2?? Opening our border to illegal immigrants
3?? Keeping kids out of school
Americans deserve better. pic.twitter.com/Rlya9AxPo8
The reason most Americans take issue with the way Congress is going about COVID relief is because they fail to put together an actual bill that addresses the virus and concerns the American people have. Instead, there are all kinds of long-term policies and commitments tied to rendering aid to the nation.
Despite Republicans saying they refuse to back a $15-an-hour minimum wage being attached to a relief bill, House Democrats' latest bill includes just that.
At the end of the day the Democrats are using this bill to push their policy agenda, not focused on helping the American people. If getting aid out was their primary focus, they would work with Republicans on a clean bill that focuses only on virus-related issues, like direct cash payments, PPP funding, food and housing needs.