OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:30 PT – Thursday, December 10, 2020
Congressional Republicans turn up the heat to get a relief bill for small businesses.
During a press conference at the Capitol on Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy offered support to a discharge petition drafted by Congresswoman Jamie Herrera (R-Wash.)
If passed, the bill would effectively bypass obstruction by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to force a vote on the House floor to extend the PPP program.
McCarthy (R-Calif.), Herrera and other GOP representatives slammed Pelosi at the event. They said she admitted to playing politics with small business relief.
How many more businesses have to shutter?
How many more dreams have to be shattered?
How many more people have to be laid off before Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will act?
WATCH @GOPLeader: pic.twitter.com/Rqdrl4nr6C
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) December 10, 2020
Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) blasted Pelosi for playing games with American lives.
“There’s a long list of areas where we are in disagreement,” Scalise said. “Every time the President, or Secretary Mnuchin, or Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) put out another plan on the table, all Speaker Pelosi does is say no.”
He added that Pelosi doesn’t come up with an alternative.
“They continue to play partisan games and people’s lives are at stake,” Scalise continued. “This game has to end. This game of chicken where hostages are being taken and the hostages are America’s small businesses. The hostages are millions of families who just want to be able to go back to work.”
The GOP also called on moderate Democrats, who previously said they would support the petition, to “put their money where their mouth is.”