Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) home was vandalized with spray paint early Saturday morning, the day after the U.S. Senate refused to take up a stand-alone vote on whether or not to increase the size of the direct checks in the recent stimulus package.
According to The Louisville Courier Journal, the front side of the majority leader’s Louisville home was spray-painted with expletives and at least one political message. A photo of the scene posted by the news agency shows a Christmas wreath on the black front door, and the words “Where’s my money” painted in white directly underneath it.
Mitch McConnell’s Louisville home vandalized following his blockage of $2,000 checks https://t.co/Q1gI7NOP83
— Courier Journal (@courierjournal) January 2, 2021
“I’ve spent my career fighting for the First Amendment and defending peaceful protest. I appreciate every Kentuckian who has engaged in the democratic process whether they agree with me or not,” said McConnell, reports The New York Times.
“This is different. Vandalism and the politics of fear have no place in our society,” he continued. “My wife and I have never been intimidated by this toxic playbook. We just hope our neighbors in Louisville aren’t too inconvenienced by this radical tantrum.”
Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) called the act of vandalism in a statement “unacceptable” and incompatible with the First Amendment.
The vandalism to @senatemajldr McConnell’s home is unacceptable. While the First Amendment protects our freedom of speech, vandalism is reprehensible and never acceptable for any reason. ^AB
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 2, 2021
It’s not clear whether McConnell was home at the time of the incident. The act of vandalism, however, comes only a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) home was vandalized with spray paint as well, reports local news outlet KPIX-5. Like McConnell’s home, Pelosi’s home was vandalized with political messages, including “cancel rent” and “we want everything.” Pelosi was not home at the time of the incident.
When the Senate was in session on Friday, an overwhelming majority of lawmakers voted to override President Donald Trump’s defense bill veto. But during the rare New Year’s Day session, McConnell spoke out against the enhanced stimulus checks legislation, a proposal that would increase those checks from $600 each to $2,000 each, and that nearly all Democrats and some Republicans have supported.
McConnell said a “huge chunk” of the enhanced stimulus checks would be sent to people who don’t need it, amounting to “socialism for rich people, money flowing into households earning well over six figures who did not lose any jobs or income last year.”
“The House Democrats’ bill is just simply not the right approach,” said McConnell.
The next Congress will convene on Sunday afternoon, and will feature a slim Democratic House majority. The fate of the Senate majority, however, has not been decided, and won’t be known until after the two Georgia special election Senate races on January 6, 2021.
