Progressive Democrats expressed their outrage on social media when the acting GOP House Speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), issued an order for former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to vacate her luxurious congressional office as one of his initial actions.
McHenry assumed the role temporarily after a group of Republicans and all Democrats removed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from office earlier this week. He sent Pelosi the eviction notice the next day, drawing criticism from members of her party.
Pelosi herself was one of the first to condemn this decision.
“With all of the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting, one of the first actions taken by the new Speaker Pro Tempore was to order me to immediately vacate my office in the Capitol,” she said on Wednesday.
She added, “Sadly, because I am in California to mourn the loss of and pay tribute to my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my belongings at this time.”
Tons of Pelosi apologists immediately went online to voice their outrage
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife Maria Shriver wrote: “What in the name of God? We best all wake up. This is way bigger than Kevin McCarthy. We all have to realize that our country and its future is on the line right now.”
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) added, “Republicans have no class. The problem is not just that they are incompetent—it’s that they are mean and petty.”
“By the way, Nancy Pelosi is in California for the funeral of her dear friend, Diane Feinstein,” the lawmaker noted further.
Claude Taylor, a left-wing author, remarked, “So petty.”
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) also blasted the move: “While Nancy Pelosi is in California mourning the loss of her longtime friend, @PatrickMcHenry does this. From top to bottom the @HouseGOP are classless and shameful people who are desperate to score cheap political points rather than govern.”
McHenry ordered Pelosi to vacate her plush office immediately, adding that it would be “re-keyed” after she left.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” said an email sent to Pelosi’s office that was seen by Politico. The email noted further that the room would be used “for speaker office use.”
At first, it appeared that Rep. Patrick McHenry, acting in his official role, had made this choice. However, it has been revealed that the decision actually originated from the deposed Kevin McCarthy, as reported by CNN.
The reason? McCarthy is interested in occupying Pelosi’s office.
The outlet reports:
Kevin McCarthy was behind interim Speaker Patrick McHenry’s move to kick former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer out of their office spaces, two Republican sources told CNN.
GOP Rep. Garret Graves told reporters on Wednesday that McCarthy is getting the office that McHenry has ordered her to vacate.
“Look, the deal is that the office that Pelosi is in right now is the office of the preceding speaker. Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats determined that they wanted a new … speaker, and it’s Kevin McCarthy. So, he’s getting the office,” Graves said.
