Democrats use stimulus bill as opportunity to push partisan politics, but Senate expected to come to an agreement later today
After a tense week on Capitol Hill, sources say the Senate should come to an agreement on the stimulus bill today. However, tensions are still running high.
“President Trump told Congress to send him a bill that protects our economy, your job, your retirement savings, and your family’s future from this global pandemic,” said 1600 Daily, The White House’s daily newsletter. “Democrats are blocking it. Their donor wish list comes before helping you.
“Senate Republicans are ready to send a relief bill to the President’s desk. Instead of joining them, Democrats voted it down. Their leaders are demanding a litany of partisan line items that have nothing to do with fighting the Coronavirus or saving our economy,” the newsletter continued.
Now is not the time for partisan divide; however, it is important to understand that the blame for the delay in passing a stimulus bill that would help Americans across the nation falls squarely on the shoulders of the Democrats, specifically, Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Pelosi flew into Washington Monday to create an entirely new stimulus bill. While this bill should focus on relief, Pelosi is using it is an opportunity to push her own agenda, and Schumer along with the rest of the Democrats are following suit.
What do they want in the bill? Reporting by Town Hall shows that the list includes:
- Publication of corporate pay statistics by race and race statistics for all corporate boards
- A bailout on all current debt at the Postal Service
- Required early voting
- Required same-day voter registration
- Provisions on official time for union collective bargaining
- Full offset of airline emissions by 2025
- Provisions on official time for union collective bargaining
- Publication and reporting of greenhouse gas statistics for individual flights
- Retirement plans for community newspaper employees
- Federal $15 minimum wage
- Permanent paid leave
- Study on climate change mitigation efforts
Sen. Tom Cotton took to Twitter to assure Americans that this reporting is, in fact, correct. That Pelosi and Schumer are lying to the American public when they state the bill was blocked because it “remained skewed towards corporations.”
Unfortunately, the Senate doesn’t have time to waste. With 16 states under stay at home orders, another four states with partial stay at home orders and every other state in quarantine to some degree, businesses are closing and workers are losing their jobs, leaving thousands of Americans unable to pay their bills. Now is not the time for Democrats to pander to their own political interests.
It will be interesting to see what remains and what is cut once the bill eventually passes. We will update you with further information once it is available. You can also tune in to Fox News today at noon to watch President Trump’s virtual Town Hall.
PHOTO: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
