Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) ended his days as House Minority Leader by skipping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s walk in the Capitol Rotunda alongside other Congressional leaders following his address before a joint session of both chambers on Wednesday.
“McCarthy skips Zelensky’s walk out into the rotunda with congressional leaders,” The Hill noted on Twitter after Zelensky’s speech.
Other reporters noticed his absence.
McCarthy skips Zelensky's walk out into the rotunda with congressional leaders https://t.co/GzHMwsN11S pic.twitter.com/exGZtkLGaY
— The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2022
Weird that Kevin McCarthy is not here? https://t.co/hCXIaGIb4w
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) December 21, 2022
Kevin McCarthy is quite notably missing. https://t.co/szU3OFfOzy
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) December 22, 2022
During Zelensky’s speech, he illustrated the suffering of the Ukrainian people following Russia’s invasion of the country and repeated his call for the United States to further deliver more financial and military aid.
“Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” Zelensky told Congress.
Zelensky also pressed President Joe Biden to send more missile defense systems to Ukraine.
Following the speech, both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the address highlighted the importance of defeating Russia.
“This is so important,” McConnell told reporters. “The most important thing going on in the world is to beat the Russians in Ukraine. Fortunately, they have a leader that everyone can look up to and admire. And also it’s nice to have something here at the end of the year that we all actually agree on.”
“I hope those who were doubting that we should aid Ukraine heard his speech loud and clear,” said Chuck Schumer.
The $1.7 trillion omnibus bill would bring American taxpayer spending to more than $100 billion on Ukraine aid in less than one year alone. https://t.co/PP5mc9H3eI
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 22, 2022
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also compared Zelensky’s speech to that of historic British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
“This is a moment fraught with meaning for me,” said Pelosi. “My father, Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., was a Member of the House in 1941 when Winston Churchill came to the Congress on 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 particularly poignant for me to be present when another heroic leader addresses the Congress in a time of war – and with Democracy itself on the line.”
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