Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA) ended his days as House Minority Leader by skipping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s walk in the Capitol Rotunda along with other congressional leaders after his speech before a joint session of both houses Wednesday.
“McCarthy Skips Zelensky Exit in Roundabout with Congressional Leaders”, The hill spotted on Twitter after Zelensky’s speech.
Other reporters noted his absence.
McCarthy skips Zelensky exit in roundabout with congressional leaders pic.twitter.com/exGZtkLGaY
— The hill (@lacollina) December 22, 2022
Strange that Kevin McCarthy isn’t here?
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) December 21, 2022
Kevin McCarthy is noticeably absent.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) December 22, 2022
During Zelensky’s speech, he outlined the suffering of the Ukrainian people following the Russian invasion of the country and reiterated his call for the United States to provide additional financial and military aid.
“Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy that we manage most responsibly,” Zelensky told Congress.
Zelensky also pressed President Joe Biden will send more missile defense systems to Ukraine.
After the speech, both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the speech highlighted the importance of defeating Russia.
“This is so important,” McConnell told reporters. “The most important thing in the world is to beat the Russians in Ukraine. Luckily, they have a leader that everyone can look up to and admire. And it’s also nice to have something here at the end of the year that we can all agree on.
“I hope those who doubted that we should help Ukraine heard his speech loud and clear,” said Chuck Schumer.
The $1.7 trillion omnibus bill would lift US taxpayer spending to more than $100 billion on aid to Ukraine in less than a year alone.
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 22, 2022
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also compared Zelensky’s speech to that of longtime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
“This is a very meaningful moment for me,” Pelosi said. “My father, Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., was a member of the House in 1941 when Winston Churchill came to Congress the day after Christmas to enlist our nation’s support in the fight against tyranny in Europe. Eighty-one years later this week, it is especially poignant for me to be present when another heroic leader addresses Congress in times of war – and with Democracy itself at stake.”