Coronavirus bailout bill fails for a second time in the Senate
Partisan politics erupts over emergency legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY) - The debate turned sharp and personal on Capitol Hill Monday morning as the Senate once again took up a multi-billion dollar coronavirus stimulus package.
The division came along party lines. Democrats say the measure favors big corporations and doesn't do enough to help the working class.
"This plan is all about a corporate bailout. The money, $425 billion, that the Secretary of the Treasury can decide is a slush fund on where to direct that money, instead of money going to workers, to food banks, to unemployment insurance." said Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-Ohio).
Republicans say the Democrats are playing games with America's future.
"What are we going to leave our children if we allow this economy to crash? And it is happening as we speak. I mean no ill will toward my Democratic friends. I like and respect everyone of them. But let's pass this bill!" said Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana).
Senators on both sides of the aisle can agree, this stimulus package must get passed soon.
"We're gonna get a bill today because we'll all get creamed if we don't. I am confident if we don't produce a product today that will be the end of the Senate as we know it in the eyes of most every American. We will have failed miserably. " said Senator Lindsey Graham, (R - South Carolina).
In a Tweet, Senator Martha McSally, (R-Arizona), asked her colleagues to put their money where their mouths are.
If the Senate can’t come together in a time of great need, no Senator should receive a paycheck—like millions of Americans. If the urgent COVID-19 relief package fails again, I’m introducing a bill immediately to withhold Senators’ pay until Americans are put before politics.
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) March 23, 2020
While Senator Kyrsten Sinema make her priorities clear in her Tweet on the stimulus package.
We must get 2 things done in this legislative package:
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) March 23, 2020
🔘Help small businesses, which are 94% of all Arizona businesses
🔘 Funding for our health system so we can take care of Arizonans with coronavirus
I'm urging Congressional leaders to get this done immediately for Arizona.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-California), unveiled a Democratic version of the bill on Monday afternoon in the House. She hopes to pressure Republicans and give her members a chance to make a statement about what they want in the third stimulus measure.
"The Senate Republican bill put corporations first, but because of the insistence of Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats progress has been made," Pelosi told reporters.
She said the House bill "takes responsibility for the health, wages and well being of America's workers. Democrats take responsibility for our workers (and) require that any corporation that takes taxpayer dollars must protect their workers, wages and benefits, not CEO pay, stock buybacks, or layoffs."
Further complicating matters is the number of members of Congress who either have coronavirus, or have had contact with some who has the illness. A growing number of Representatives and Senators are choosing to self-quarantine.
So far two House members - Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, (R-Florida), and Ben McAdams (R-Utah) - and one member of the Senate, Rand Paul, (R-Kentucky) - have tested positive for coronavirus.
Neither the House nor Senate allows remote voting, but that may change under mounting pressure and current circumstances.
