House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) ripped Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) for her critical claims against the Republican tax reform plan, a plan she described as "armageddon."
McCarthy spoke on the House Floor on Tuesday shortly before lawmakers were scheduled to vote on tax reform. McCarthy spoke about Pelosi's exaggerated claims about how the middle class would be impacted and about state and local tax deductions.
"Mr. Speaker, Leader Pelosi said that this bill was, and I quote, ‘armageddon,’ and quote ‘the end of the world.’ Now, Mr. Speaker, I listened a great deal to what my counterpart on the other side, the minority leader, has said. And I've read when the Washington Post analyzed what she had said," McCarthy said.
McCarthy mentioned the Post's fact-check "Pinocchio" scale. When the Post issues ratings on the veracity of comments, four "Pinocchios" are assigned to the biggest lies.
McCarthy inaccurately claimed Pelosi received four Pinocchios; however, she did receive two, which means her claims contained "significant omissions and/or exaggerations."
Pelosi and other Democrats have repeatedly said the Republican tax plan would destroy the middle class, without bringing forth any evidence.
Later in the afternoon, the House passed the final conference version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It now moves to the Senate for a vote before it goes to President Trump's desk.