As the nation continues to grapple with the fallout of the GOP-inspired attack on the Capitol in January, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has spoken up against Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the current leader of the House Republicans, who would be set to become House Speaker in the godforsaken event that Republicans win control of the House. In a clip that Schiff shared from an appearance on “Pod Save America” (a podcast), the California Congressman shared an anecdote from 2010 when McCarthy outright lied to the press about something Schiff said. On a plane ride, Schiff had told McCarthy he felt as though Democrats would be victorious in the then-upcoming midterms, but McCarthy claimed Schiff said the opposite: that he thought Republicans would win.
Later, Schiff says that McCarthy admitted to him that he’d lied to the press. Schiff pointed out that “everything I ever needed to know about [McCarthy], I learned” back around the time of that debacle. As Schiff pointedly put it:
‘[Making things up] is how he operates. And in that respect, he was really made for a moment like this. When his party doesn’t believe the truth matters at all, you make up your own alternate facts, and you say anything, you do anything to get power, to keep power, and in that sense, McCarthy and Trump were really made for each other.’
Check out Schiff’s remarks below:
Kevin McCarthy was made for a moment like this.
When his party had no respect for the truth.
And was led by an autocrat without scruple.
He must never be allowed to go near the Speaker’s office. pic.twitter.com/AziM5k9yG8
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) October 11, 2021
Going forward, Democrats are of course hoping to keep Republicans from winning majorities in the House (and Senate), which would put McCarthy (and Mitch McConnell) in charge. For the midterm elections, the relative popularity (especially compared to Trump) of Biden and the relatively high levels of public approval for key Democratic policy proposals could help boost Democratic chances. Democrats are currently working through two infrastructure spending bills, one focusing on more traditional infrastructure like roadways and broadband internet and the other focusing on “human infrastructure,” meaning more socially inclined causes like child care and care for elders. Enacting one or both bills could provide Democrats with another boost in elections, since putting the proposals in practice would show the success of Democratic policies for Americans.
