McCarthy criticizes Pelosi for saying 'nothing' about St. Junipero Serra statue torn down in S.F.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Friday called on public officials to take action against "left wing mobs" vandalizing public property and tearing down statues, after proposing a bill that would reduce federal funding for states and localities that fail to protect statues and monuments. 

McCarthy cited the statue of St. Junipero Serra in San Francisco that was torn down as one of the reasons he introduced the statue bill on Thursday.

“We've learned in San Francisco they tore the statue down in the speaker's district and she has said nothing. There's a process for removal of statues," McCarthy said during a conference call. "Some should not be glorified if they've had a problem in the past. They could be put in another place."

San Francisco Archbishop Salvadore Cordileone has spoken out against the toppling of the statue honoring St. Junipero Serra, a Roman Catholic Spanish priest.

McCarthy has also criticized Pelosi for saying "people will do what they do" when reacting to protestors tearing down a Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore, where the speaker was born and raised. 

"Our job as lawmakers are to write the law, not to encourage people to break the law," he said. "I think there's an opportunity here where we should stand up. Criminals should be held accountable and that's exactly what Republicans will do. Unfortunately what Nancy Pelosi is doing is quite the opposite."

McCarthy has proposed the Protect America’s Statues Act of 2020, which would provide the attorney general with the authority to determine which state and local governments should not receive certain federal funding including "Historic Preservation Grants" and "Save America's Treasures Grants."

The California lawmaker said the bill would impose "real consequences for states and cities: no order, no funding. It is time to respect our laws, protect our history, and punish the statue smashers.”

"Public monuments are indispensable because they tell the American story. It is wrong to erase our history. We should be learning from it," he said in a statement on Thursday.