During a press conference on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reacted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) announcement of a formal impeachment inquiry by stating that Democrats “have been investigating this president before he even got elected.” He added that Pelosi’s announcement “made no difference of what’s been going on. It’s no different than what Nadler’s been trying to do.”

McCarthy said, “Speaker Pelosi happens to be the speaker of this House, but she does not speak for America when it comes to this issue. She cannot decide unilaterally what happens here. They have been investigating this president before he even got elected. They have voted three times on impeachment on this floor. Twice, they voted before one word of the Mueller report came back. Our job here is a serious job. Our job is to focus on the American public. Our job is to make tomorrow better than today. Our job is to legislate, not to continue to investigate something in the back when you cannot find any reason to impeach this president. This election is over. I realize 2016 did not turn out the way Speaker Pelosi wanted it to happen. But she cannot change the laws of this Congress. She cannot unilaterally decide we’re in an impeachment inquiry. What she said today made no difference of what’s been going on. It’s no different than what Nadler’s been trying to do.”

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