For the third time, GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy requested Monday unanimous consent to expedite the passage of a security bill to protect the Supreme Court justices.
McCarthy emphasized that “there is no reason” to delay the proposal, asking for immediate consideration in the House.
His request was declined.
“I do not understand why we would risk that,” McCarthy said in remarks Monday afternoon, pointing out that the bill was introduced more than a month ago. “I do not understand why you’ll make sure that the Capitol is protected right now knowing that something could happen…or something could happen at the Supreme Court this week, but you won’t protect those justices.”
For the 3rd time in a week, I'm calling for a vote for stronger security for Supreme Court Justices—ALL of them. This isn't partisan. The threat is real. Why is Speaker Pelosi blocking something that the Senate has already passed unanimously? https://t.co/rz11LysiS0
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) June 13, 2022
McCarthy also drew on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Thursday claim that “the justices are protected,” a remark that came only a few days after authorities arrested a man near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh‘s home who allegedly said he wanted to kill the justice.
“This issue is not about the justices, it’s about staff and the rest,” Pelosi said, explaining why the House would be voting on the Supreme Court security bill the following week. “The justices are protected; you saw the attorney general even double down on that.”
“How can you make that statement the same week?” demanded McCarthy, adding that Pelosi’s statement “makes no sense.”
The GOP leader warned Democrats that if they change the Supreme Court security bill, sending it back to the Senate instead of passing it, “the country will know why.”
“Cause if you change the bill and move it back to the Senate, you’re trying to kill it,” he said, emphasizing that every senator had voted for the security bill. “You’re trying to delay it. That’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“If you think something else needs to be added, run it by itself,” he added. “I think you’re jeopardizing people’s lives. I think you’re jeopardizing the safety of the Supreme Court.”
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn introduced the Supreme Court security bill on May 5 following the leak of a majority opinion draft indicating the justices would likely overturn Roe v. Wade.
The bill passed the Senate without amendment by unanimous consent on May 9 and has been stalled ever since.
House Democrats reportedly want the bill to include protection for clerks and other Supreme Court staffers.
When House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) asked House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) last week why leading Democrats had not put the bill to a vote, Hoyer responded that this was a “very relevant question.”
“Hopefully can move that as early as possible,” he said, according to CNN. “I want to tell the gentleman the reason he thought that it might be moving this morning was because last night I thought I had after discussions with Sen. Cornyn, a way forward both the Senate and the House could agree on. Unfortunately this morning that appeared not to be the case.”
Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
Source: Dailywire
