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Rep. Kevin McCarthy calls stimulus relief "Pelosi Payoff Bill," calls it payoff to political allies

"So no, I think as we have learned more about this virus, this disease schools could be reopened and schools should be reopened."
Congressman Kevin McCarthy
Posted at 2:11 PM, Feb 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-26 17:14:00-05

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KERO) — Calling it the "Pelosi Payoff Bill" local Congressman Kevin McCarthy took aim at the Speaker of the House and the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that's expected to be approved in the House Friday.

During his weekly press conference, the House Minority Leader reiterated the GOP's claim that just 9% of the massive relief bill will actually help Americans.

McCarthy blasted House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in an op-ed published by Fox News saying the legislation is a payoff to political allies in blue states, funds Pelosi's subway along with other pet projects instead of focusing on vaccines and stimulus payments. He added that Republicans tried several times to pass a relief bill that had money set aside to re-open schools.

"If you look in my own school district, D's and F's increased this year. And then the anxiety, the suicide. All those bad things are happening. When we have passed $4 trillion - a lot of that in there is to help schools to reopen. Money is not even being spent. And three times we tried to do that and being denied by the Democrats. So no, I think as we have learned more about this virus, this disease schools could be reopened and schools should be reopened. It seems to me our governor made a wrong decision. Now politically he may be punished for that because of a recall now. But it seems to me he didn't follow the science."

Governor Gavin Newsom appeared at a vaccination site in the Central Valley Friday morning.

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23ABC also spoke to Rep. McCarthy from Washington one-on-one this afternoon. You can watch that full interview below:

23ABC Interview: Rep. Kevin McCarthy