Rep. Thomas Massie is uniting the country.
President Trump and former Secretary of State John Kerry both ripped into the Kentucky Republican for threatening to force a roll-call vote on the coronavirus-rescue package that was approved by the Senate earlier this week.
Breaking news: Congressman Massie has tested positive for being an asshole. He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity. He’s given new meaning to the term #Masshole. (Finally, something the president and I can agree on!) https://t.co/N1CNLPsZjc
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 27, 2020
House leadership began advising lawmakers on Thursday night to return to Washington from their districts if possible, even as health experts tell people across the country to shelter in place.
“Breaking news: Congressman Massie has tested positive for being an asshole. He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity,” Mr. Kerry tweeted. “He’s given new meaning to the term #Masshole.”Mr. Massie attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Kerry said there is the silver lining, however: “Finally, something the president and I can agree on!”
Mr. Trump, who’s heavily criticized Mr. Kerry and his work on Iran, ripped Mr. Massie as a “third rate Grandstander” earlier in the day and said he should be thrown out of the GOP.
The president is leaning on Congress to quickly stop the economic bleeding from the coronavirus.
“Never knew John Kerry had such a good sense of humor! Very impressed!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
Mr. Massie says he has well-founded concerns about the bill and the Senate process for approving it.
“The Senate did some voodoo just like with Obamacare. Took a House Bill (HR 748) dealing with taxes, stripped every word, and put their bill in it. The House is just as responsible for killing the origination clause as the Senate. It’s the House’s job to reject the process,” Mr. Massie tweeted.
Fellow conservatives rallied to his defense, with one telling Mr. Trump to “back off.”
“He is defending the Constitution today by requiring a quorum. There’s nothing 3rd rate about that, [Mr. Trump],” Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican, tweeted. “I may miss vote if he forces roll call (flights) but it will pass. Back off.”
Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, tweeted he doesn’t always agree with Mr. Massie on policy or strategy but that he “doesn’t warrant this dressing down” from the president.
• Gabriella Muñoz contributed to this report.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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