'Melt children’s bones': Kevin McCarthy sparks confusion after misquoting the White House

On Wednesday, April 21st, 2023, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized United States House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy's legislation to raise the Treasury Department's borrowing cap to avert an unprecedented default on the national debt.

The bill, which passed along party lines with 217 votes on Wednesday, April 26th, contains drastic cuts to programs that benefit and protect the most vulnerable American citizens, including children, the elderly, and veterans. And Jean-Pierre warned of the consequences.

"The proposal would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act's green energy tax credits, sending thousands of jobs back to China. It would make it easier for oil companies to use toxic chemicals that cause severe burns, damage people’s eyes, and quite literally melt bones," Jean-Pierre said at last week's press briefing. "It would severely weaken the Clean Air Act, sending us back to the times when cities across the country filled with heavy smog that dirties our air and poisons the lungs of our children."

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On Thursday, McCarthy appeared on CNBC to gloat about his victory. But in doing so, he warped the White House's comments into a bizarre excuse for slashing life-saving services.

"Let's be sensible about it. Look, look what the White House has said. They actually said we would melt children's bones, we would bring asthma across this country. You know how radical this bill is?" McCarthy complained. "We simply go back to our spending levels of where it was four months ago."

Aaron Rupar of Vox tweeted the clip and poked fun at the speaker's statement, quipping that "Kevin McCarthy certainly has a way with words."

Tennis legend Andy Roddick was equally vexed by McCarthy's remarks: "What in the actual f*ck is he talking about? Talking about spending fine ….. melting kids' bones. Like this guy was chosen to do this job. It's insane."

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Yet Rupar and Roddick were far from the only people confused by McCarthy's distortion.

Michelle Lamb: "Children should be vaporized the GOP way with AR-15s -Kevin McCarthy."

Slava Ukraine: "The melding with Marjorie Taylor Greene has been completed."

Maya J: "How does he even come up with something this depraved?"

JesterSean: "How could this clown, with less charisma with DeSatan, not only keep getting re-elected, but actually get the Speakership? He's as exciting as cold oatmeal."

SitaRose: "Melt children's bones? Bring Asthma across the country? Huh? Has this guy been checked out by a professional mental help specialist? I mean he needs a good one too, like he's nutso crazy."

Watch McCarthy's comments below or at this link.

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