Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), one of the eight Republicans who voted in October with House Democrats to remove Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, spoke today on the conservative network Real America’s Voice about House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s spending negotiations and the House GOP’s demands for border security.
Rosendale referred to the press conference he held on Tuesday with Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT) and half a dozen other members of the House, “to talk about, basically, everyone complaining about this Southern border.”
Rosendale said: “We really don’t feel like we’re obligated to fund any more of the federal government until this administration secures out border. So yeah, we went in and used a procedural move to stop business on the floor, to let the Speaker know we are serious about this.”
When asked if Speaker Johnson “is taking you guys seriously?”, Rosendale replied: “I have major reservations.”
He added: “We are supposed to have the power of the purse strings in the House of Representatives…but instead of using the power of the purse strings, unfortunately, most of these people walk around like they should be carrying a purse.”
[NOTE: Rosendale seems unaware that equating carrying a purse with weakness of will — and power — might come across as an insult to women, since it is a well-worn gender stereotype. In fact, the stereotype once created a stir on Reddit when a man said he found carrying his wife’s purse “emasculating and humiliating.”]
Rosendale is amplifying his remark by reposting the video below.
Rep. Matt Rosendale: Instead of using the power of the purse strings…"most of these people walk around like they should be carrying a purse.”@RepRosendale joins @jfradioshow to talk about Speaker Mike Johnson’s spending negotiations and House GOP’s demands for border… pic.twitter.com/CFQBBXiTUg
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) January 12, 2024
Note: Of the nine politicians on stage with Rosendale at the press conference on Tuesday, just one was female, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), and she was not carrying a purse.
