On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel blocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to unanimously pass a bill to increase direct payments year-end coronavirus relief packages from $600 to $2000. 

He claims that the Democrats have “quietly changed” what President Trump wanted in the bill. He adds that it lets wealthy households suck up even more money. McConnell says the Democrats are trying to do away with the repeal of section 230 and a review of the 2020 election.

“The Left took a break from trying to defund the police to try to defund our Armed Forces,” McConnell states. “Their amendment went down in a landslide. But now our colleague from Vermont [Sanders] is again putting political stunts before the needs of our men and women in uniform. Our colleague says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another standalone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt, which does not align with what President Trump has suggested and which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.”

The topic three priorities for Trump are larger direct payments, repeal of section 230 of the communications decency act, and a review of election integrity. McConnell says these three requests have not been adequately addressed and the job of the senate is “to ensure the president was comfortable signing the bill into law, the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the president’s priorities

“Three of the president’s priorities in one Senate process. That was the commitment, and that’s what happened yesterday when I introduced text reflecting just what the president had requested. Now, House and Senate Democrats want something very different. As they have tried to do countless times in the past four years, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer are trying to pull a fast one on the president and the American people.” said McConnell.

Chuck Schumer testified in front of the Senate, asking for senate Republicans to join the rest of “America”.

Mitch McConnell blocks spending bill in the senate

The huge trillion-dollar spending bill is set to fund government programs and provide a second round of direct, stimulus bills to American taxpayers ($600). To be exact, college students won’t receive the money. Neither will immigrants who don’t have social security numbers. Some with higher incomes who qualified for the first round of checks may not receive the second round this time. The bill also extends federal supplemental unemployment benefits. Those who are experiencing a slow down in business will also be provided with $300/week until mid-march. This time, the bill contains grants to selected industries such as low-income businesses ($20 billion) and struggling movie theaters/live shows ($15 billion). In the realm of transportation, airlines are getting $15 billion dollars and airports are going to get $2 billion. Amtrak, the railroad company, is receiving a billion dollars as well.

13 and 15 billion dollars are going to food banks and direct payments to farmers to assist food production, though demand in the agricultural space has seemed to remain the same, if not higher, throughout the pandemic. The bill includes a two-year tax break for business meals and a $25 billion dollar renter assistance program plus an extended eviction moratorium. 

Higher education is receiving 82 billion dollars. The postal service is being forgiven for a 10 billion dollars loan. States receive $40 billion dollars for covid testing and vaccine distribution. House Democrats wanted to bail out states for the economic destruction caused by the strict lockdowns (enforced by democratic governors). Of course, this was rejected by house republicans.

President Trump has hinted at vetoing the bill as it is packed with wasteful spending. He wants the money to instead go to the American people rather than bailing out cooperations and raise the $600 stimulus check up to $2,000.

Tulsi Gabbard, one of the two House Democrats that voted against the bill have spoken out about it. She called the bill “a slap in the face to the American people”. The 5593-page long bill was given to the house at 2:30 PM and was expected to be voted just hours later. She also talks about how provisions are snuck into the bills and rushed to be voted. She called those who voted for the bill “irresponsible”. 

“I voted against the 5,593-page spending bill that gave billions to corporate interests, the military industrial complex & other countries, leaving crumbs for you who need help most.”

COVID-19 Relief Bill, Is It Wasteful Spending?

Topic: Stimulus Checks

Mitch McConnell blocks spending bill in the senate

COVID-19 Relief Bill, Is It Wasteful Spending?