Speaker Pelosi Introduces Vote on Build Back Better With Not-So-Subtle Dig at McCarthy: ‘I Will Be Brief’

It was quite an opening salvo from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

“With respect for those who work in this Capitol,” she said, “and as a courtesy to my colleagues, I will be brief.”

Pelosi laughed at the obvious dig, and got tepid applause from some in the chamber. The target was obvious: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). For more than eight hours late Thursday night, and early Friday morning, the minority leader railed against the Build Back Better spending bill in a rambling, much-criticized address.

Just after 7 a.m. ET Friday, McCarthy finally concluded, and an hour later, his Democratic counterpart took the podium. Pelosi used her time to tout a spending package that she labeled “historic.”

“Following the vision of President [Joe] Biden, guided by the expertise and energy of our chair’s members and staff, we have built back better bill that is historic, transformative, and larger than anything we have ever done before,” Pelosi said.

But despite her pledge of brevity, the speaker’s remarks were not brief enough for CNN — which cut away after five minutes. Pelosi did wrap her address moments later.

Watch above, via CNN.