Noting what he says is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s fondness for government spending, Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said Tuesday on Fox News’ “Hannity” that he “wouldn’t be surprised if she’s working on a stimulus package for the murder hornet.”
The murder hornet is a potentially lethal insect from Asia that has invaded Washington state. It targets and decapitates honey bees and has been known to kill people with its venom.
Pelosi has been accused of stuffing at least one previous stimulus package with a multitude of proposals that do not directly target the COVID-19 pandemic. (RELATED: REPORT: Pelosi Considering Stimulus Package That Would Offer Tax Rebates For Wealthy)
Kennedy argued that Congress cannot approve endless stimulus packages in the name of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. He said he had “introduced a bill [Tuesday] to give the states more flexibility to spend the money that we’ve already given them. And we’ve already given them at least $250 billion — but that doesn’t mean the money should be wasted.”
“States and cities are going to have to pare their budget just like people have,” Kennedy said. “Speaker Pelosi, she wants to spend at least a trillion dollars. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s working on a stimulus package for the murder hornet … She has no concept of deficits.”
Kennedy emphasized that financial bailouts cannot be dispensed without constraint because “this is not Louisiana dishwater. This is taxpayer money. We’re going to have to pay it back.” (RELATED: Biden: ‘My Green Deal’ Could Be Part Of ‘Next Round’ Of Coronavirus Assistance)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at the California Department of Public Health on February 27, 2020 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The senator said he is especially opposed to states taking federal money and then allowing it to be “spent on people who are in our country illegally,” noting that Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is offering $125 million in federal coronavirus assistance to illegal immigrants.
“He just thinks the border is a nuisance. He thinks if you believe in immigration laws, you’re a racist,” Kennedy said. “I don’t think vetting people properly before they come into your country is racist. I think it’s prudent in the world we live in. But we shouldn’t bail out all that kind of nonsense.”
A number of Senate Republicans voiced concerns to the Daily Caller about the massive amount of government spending that has ensued since the coronavirus pandemic started.