Pelosi rips 'reckless and dangerous' House GOP Whip for elevating COVID vaccine skeptic

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Monday released an uncharacteristically harsh statement about her Republican colleagues' approach to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"Less than one week after urging House Republicans to block $160 billion in funding for vaccines to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Minority Whip Steve Scalise is using his position to elevate Republicans who have publicly urged Americans not to take the COVID-19 vaccine," Pelosi said. "Scalise is scheduled to lead a CPAC panel with Wayne Dupree, a Republican activist who has repeatedly cast doubt on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and encouraged Americans not to take it."

"Republicans have publicly complained about their inability to mount public opposition to the bipartisan American Rescue Plan's push to crush the COVID-19 virus, including funding to speed up the distribution of vaccines and expand testing and contact tracing. Turning to vaccine skeptics is a reckless and dangerous escalation of Republican efforts to put partisanship over crushing the virus and creating 10 million American jobs," she argued. "House Republicans may not like the American Rescue Plan's push towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic. But their constituents do."