Jake Tapper Says ‘Kevin McCarthy and His Gang of Flying Monkeys’ Are Why Senate Republicans Support Giant Spending Bill

CNN’s Jake Tapper offered a colorful explanation as to why some Senate Republicans are joining Democrats to support a $1.7 trillion omnibus bill that will keep the government funded through Sept. 30, 2023.

In the Senate, sixty votes are required to advance the bill.

The legislation’s Republican support in the Senate has rankled the House GOP lawmakers who say those senators should not back a spending bill until the Republicans retake the House in January. That includes House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is aiming to become speaker in the next Congress.

McCarthy wants his Senate counterparts to wait so that a GOP-controlled House can use its leverage to force the Democratic-controlled Senate to agree to spending cuts, using a possible government shutdown as leverage.

Tapper noted McCarthy has pledged to kill Senate-passed legislation sponsored by any senator who voted for the omnibus package.

The CNN host aired a clip of Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) reacting to McCarthy’s gambit. Cramer took a dig at House Republicans, suggesting their plan would backfire.

“Well, I don’t know if I buy the threat,” he said. “Statements like that and statements copping from House Republicans is the very reason that some Senate Republicans feel they probably should spare them from the burden of having to govern.”

Tapper gave his reaction to Cramer’s remarks.

“I mean, this is the exact irony,” he said. “The reason that Senate Republicans are coming into this deal with the devil in their view is because they look at Kevin McCarthy and his gang of flying monkeys. He’s like, ‘They’re not going to be able to legislate.'”

McCarthy is currently facing a revolt from a handful of House Republicans who say they won’t back his speakership bid, thus jeopardizing his path to notching the necessary 218 votes.

Watch above via CNN