‘Jeopardizing People’s Lives’: McCarthy Fumes At Pelosi For Blocking Bill After Would-Be Assassin Came For Kavanaugh

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy fumed at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for repeatedly blocking a bipartisan security bill to extend security to the Supreme Court justices.

House Democrats have stalled the Supreme Court Police Parity Act, sponsored by Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, to provide around-the-clock security protection the justices and their families following the majority opinion draft leak reportedly set to overturn Roe v. Wade. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously May 9.

McCarthy called for a House vote on the bill for the third time in one week after the assassination attempt on Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“But at the same time that you’re protecting the Capitol, you’re holding a bill to deny protection to those justices,” McCarthy said. “It makes me wonder why. Why if 100 senators approve it, would it hold here for an entire month? Why even after holding it for a month, somebody travels all the way across the country with one thing in mind: to kill a Supreme Court justice, gets arrested. And still, the Speaker of the House will not move that bill.”

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

“I do not understand that. I do not understand why we would risk that,” McCarthy continued. “I do not understand why you’ll make sure the Capitol’s protected right now knowing that something could happen in the Senate this week but something could happen in the Supreme Court this week, you won’t protect those justices.”

The Minority Leader criticized Pelosi for claiming the justices are “protected” when pressed by a reporter at a Thursday press conference.

“How can you make that statement in the same week someone is arrested in your neighborhood trying to kill you?” he said. “It makes no sense. If for some reason, we continue to come to the floor, that you feel some pressure on that bill, but you change it, the country will know why. Because if you change the bill and move it back to the Senate, you’re trying to kill it. You’re trying to delay it. That’s exactly what you’re doing.” (RELATED: McConnell, Senate Republicans Blame ‘Unhinged’ Rhetoric For Attempted Attack On Kavanaugh) 

“If you want to ping pong it and delay the process, I think that’s wrong,” he continued. “I think you’re jeopardizing people’s lives. I think you’re jeopardizing the safety of the Supreme Court and I think you’re playing more games than anybody in this country can understand and we do not understand why. There has been no clear answer. Why would you hold the bill for over a month? Why would you hold the bill after somebody has been arrested that traveled across the country to kill a justice? Why would you continue to hold the bill now?”

He said there is “no excuse” to hold the bill and accused Democrats of wanting it to fail.

Nicholas Roske, 26, was arrested and charged with attempted murder Wednesday after he allegedly carried at least one firearm and burglary tools on the street of Kavanaugh’s home in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 1:50 a.m. He reportedly admitted to authorities that he intended to kill the justice.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other GOP senators called on the House to pass the bill in the aftermath of the assassination attempt.

“House Democrats must pass this bill and they need to do it today,” McConnell said. “No more fiddling around with this, they need to pass it today. They need to stop their multi-week blockade against the Supreme Court security bill and pass it before the sun sets today.”

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