Rep. Waltz: Pelosi 'comfortable' in her kitchen, but Americans expect us to get back to work
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Rep. Michael Waltz called out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday for keeping Congress closed for “almost a month” when their services are critical during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I don’t understand why Speaker Pelosi has had us out of session for almost a month. I guess she’s really comfortable in her kitchen in California,” Waltz told “Fox & Friends.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Waltz said that nearly “a million” Floridians from the district he represents expect Congress to get to work.
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“I think it’s fine if we have representatives that have underlying conditions and don’t want to travel. But at the end of the day, any changes to how the House of Representatives have operated for 200-plus years needs to be bipartisan -- it needs to be discussed. Speaker Pelosi has a history of dropping things on us like she did for the last stimulus package the night before, with only a few hours to read through -- and that’s just not acceptable.”
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Waltz's comments came after House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy urged Pelosi to release a plan to safely reopen Congress, arguing lawmakers are "essential" workers who need to be on the job during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I fully appreciate the unprecedented nature of this challenge before us. But now, more than ever, our constituents expect us to rise to the occasion and overcome these trying circumstances," McCarthy said in a letter to Pelosi Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House has been under a prolonged recess as Americans are under stay-home and social-distancing orders to stop the spread of COVID-19. The last time a majority of members have been to Washington was to conduct a voice vote on the massive CARES Act aid package March 27.
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House members are expected to return Thursday for an anticipated vote on an interim $470 billion relief bill to shore up funding for small businesses, hospitals and testing. And then Congress is expected to consider a much larger stimulus plan as soon as May that is commonly referred to as "Phase 4" relief.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.