Nancy Pelosi is the real “Grim Reaper”: Minority Whip Scalise

close

Video

McConnell: I am the 'grim reaper' of the Democratic socialist agenda

Majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell responds to 'grim reaper' attack from Nancy Pelosi on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is the real “Grim Reaper,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday.

At her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday, Pelosi unveiled a "McConnell's Graveyard" poster—directed at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.— for reporters.

The large, blood-red sign listed several legislative items, written on tombstones, suggesting that the GOP leader was happy to stall the measures in Congress.

The acts cited included the For the People Act, the Equality Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act and Gun Violence Prevention.

Her poster also included a direct quote from McConnell, in which he called himself the “Grim Reaper” in regard to keeping some of the Democrats’ legislative priorities from reaching President Trump’s desk.

Pelosi commented: "Leader McConnell seems to take great pride in calling himself the ‘Grim Reaper,’ it’s part of his political campaign."

Appearing on “America’s Newsroom” Friday, Scalise told host Bill Hemmer that he is glad McConnell is not letting “radical agenda” legislation through, but also cited the president’s issue of immigration as a worthier cause for Pelosi to take on.

“Right now you have somewhere around 200-plus children a day with serious health issues and they’re running out of money to take care of them,” he said. “Literally, in a matter of days they’re running out of money, and they’ve told Congress to respond.”

Border apprehensions for 2019 will reach the highest level since 2006 and double the number seen in 2018. According to one analysis by Princeton Policy Advisors, a group focusing on developing policy solutions to issues like illegal immigration, border apprehensions could reach a 13-year high of 913,000 for 2019.

“And, Nancy Pelosi will not respond to that,” said Scalise. “Is she going to be the “Grim Reaper” to stop the funding that’s needed, to take care of the health needs of those young children at the border?”

However, McConnell seemed to relish the term, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Thursday that he has found himself in rare agreement with Pelosi.

"She's got it absolutely right. For the first time in my memory, I agree with Nancy Pelosi," McConnell said.

"I am indeed the 'Grim Reaper' when it comes to the socialist agenda that they have been ginning up over in the House with overwhelming Democratic support, and sending it over to America," he added. "Things that would turn us into a country we have never been."

Scalise explained that what McConnell is talking about is “radical socialism” that Pelosi and “her far-left majority” are moving: “They move bills to spend tens of billions of dollars on political campaigns, take away free speech rights, to attack religious freedom, to promote abortion on demand with taxpayer money even after the baby is born alive. That’s a radical agenda.”

He said he was glad that McConnell and the GOP Senate Majority is making sure they’re “not letting that kind of radical legislation move forward.”

On issues that should move forward, Scalise once again listed the humanitarian immigration crisis at the southern border, and the USMCA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. “We should be able to pass that and we could pass that, if Speaker Pelosi set a date,” he said.