Democrat rips McCarthy for pulling Ukraine funding: ‘All he does is say yes’

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) slammed Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for pulling funding for Ukraine out of a Pentagon appropriations bill.

“He has one meeting and Ukraine money is in, the next meeting Ukraine money is out,” McGovern said at a Rules Committee hearing Friday. “Maybe I should ask for a meeting with him. All he does is say yes, maybe I’ll get something I want.”

McCarthy said Friday that he would remove the $300 million in Ukraine aid currently in the Pentagon appropriations bill and hold a separate vote for the funding after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) joined the group of conservatives blocking the legislation from advancing. 

McGovern said people are tired of McCarthy’s “weak” and “ineffective” leadership. 

“It’s like every room the speaker goes into is an escape room,” McGovern said. “He just does whatever he needs to do to get out, even if it means caving to MAGA Republicans every single time.” 

The Speaker’s decision to cut Ukraine funding from the appropriations bill came one day after a group of five conservatives opposed a procedural vote on the legislation, the second time this week that it was blocked from advancing. 

Greene voted against the rule for the bill on Thursday, flipping from her previous vote in support of advancing it. She said she would not vote for a “single penny of funding” to go to Ukraine.

The bill includes $300 million to provide assistance, training, weapon replacement and intelligence support, among other support to the government of Ukraine to aid in its war against Russia. 

With just over a week until the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline, McGovern called upon his fellow members to act. 

“We need to get serious, like yesterday,” he said Friday. “Enough already.”