House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks at a news conference on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 29, 2021, to complain about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the leadership of President Joe Biden, and guidelines on face masks by the Centers for Disease Control. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) world Democrats ask McCarthy to recant Pelosi taunt as tensions rise Today 05:20 am JST Today | 12:18 pm JST WASHINGTON Several House Democrats have called on House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to apologize to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or resign after audio surfaced of him saying at a weekend fundraiser that it would be “hard not to hit her” with a gavel if he’s sworn in as speaker after the 2022 midterm elections.