House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy laid into House Democrats from the floor Thursday, saying that their focus on impeachment meant their legacy would be “more subpoenas than laws.”
WATCH:
McCarthy began by suggesting that a Congress truly working for the people would be gathered to vote on substantive legislative measures. “Are we gathered in these final moments before we depart for a week to fund our government, to pay our troops? Are we gathered today to prove a new trade deal? Or are we gathered to debate the critical national security issues regarding China, or Iran?” he asked.
The minority leader went on to answer his own question. “Well, that answer would be unanimously no, we are not working for the American people. Those items would resemble the achievements of a productive Congress, a Congress that truly works for the people,” he said. (RELATED: House Democrats Release Impeachment Resolution)
McCarthy then argued that the pursuit of impeachment had cemented a very different kind of legacy for the current Congress. “But you know what this Congress counts?” he asked. “This Congress records more subpoenas than laws, that’s the legacy. It is not just devoid of solutions for the American people, it is now abusing its power to discredit democracy. By using secret interviews and selective leaks to portray the president’s legitimate actions as an impeachable offense. Democrats are continuing their permanent campaign to undermine his legitimacy.”
Arguing that Democrats had “pre-determined” President Donald Trump’s guilt, he added that they had “never accepted the voters’ choice to make him president. For 37 days and counting they have run an undemocratic and unfair investigation. This resolution today only makes it worse.”
McCarthy then addressed the resolution directly, saying that the concessions made by Democrats were not enough. “I’ve heard members on the other side say they promise rights to the president. But only if he does what they want. That’s the equivalent of saying in the First Amendment you have the right to the freedom of speech but you can only say the words I agree with.”
“This impeachment is not only an attempt to undo the last election, it is an attempt to influence the next one as well,” McCarthy added.