Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the 15 votes it took for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to win the speakership showed “the keys have been handed over to extremists.”
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “It was a chaotic week in the House. Ultimately, however, Kevin McCarthy is the speaker. Are there areas where you think Democrats can realistically work with the Republican majority, common ground on relieving inflation, relieving the humanitarian crisis at the border?”
Clark said, “We have shown, Jake, Democrats stand ready at all times to work for the American people. It is exactly the American people and the solutions they need to meet the challenges that were completely left out of the speaker’s chaos we saw this week. It not only endangered our country’s national security, but it also showed that the keys have been handed over to extremists. At the top of their agenda is a national abortion ban, dismantling Social Security and Medicare. These are the priorities they’ve put out. But we have demonstrated over the last two years, when Democrats are united and in charge, that we work for the American people. Whether that’s rebuilding infrastructure, gun safety, returning manufacturing to our shores, reducing health care costs and making sure we’re investing in climate change. Those are going to continue to be our priorities, and we hope that some Republicans will be able to get to work for the American people.”
