9/11/2020
The latest (fifth) attempt at a coronavirus relief bill got shot down by Democratic senators today. They were so opposed to the "emaciated" bill that they figured it was better to have no bill at all than to pass the Republicans' plan.
The Democrats' strategy is to force everyone to come back to the negotiating table -- a strategy they've employed successfully several times this year.
Besides, today's Republican bill was foul. It wasn't just that the bill was for $500 billion rather than the minimum of $2.2 trillion that Democrats wanted; it was also lower than a $1.1 trillion bill that the Senate produced in July.
There were other provisions unacceptable to Democrats too. “It is laden with poison pills," said Charles Schumer, D-NY. "Provisions our colleagues know Democrats would never support to guarantee the bill’s failure."
Those poison pills include expanding school choice and corporate immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits. "School choice" is political code for helping wealthy Americans pay for private schools in ways that deplete the funding for public schools. As for corporate immunity, one example is limiting the scope of workers' coronavirus-related lawsuits so that they can sue franchises, but not the larger company that granted the franchise. Poison pills indeed.
There was also language in the bill that would allow the federal government to recoup hundreds of billions of dollars doled out under the earlier relief bill passed in March. How would that work? I have no idea.
There was also language in the bill that would allow the federal government to recoup hundreds of billions of dollars doled out under the earlier relief bill passed in March. How would that work? I have no idea.
The vote lets Republicans say they tried to pass COVID-19 relief in the final weeks before the November election, and that Democrats thwarted their efforts. Politicians from opposing Parties love to make each other look bad.
The prospects for a new bill before the election are grim, not only because time is short, but because the White House and Congress are already thrashing out the federal budget for the next fiscal year.
It appears that the Senate Republicans deliberately put forth a bill that they knew couldn’t pass. It seems they cared more about harming Senate Democrats than about helping Americans who are hurting financially. Congressional Democrats aren't being very helpful to the American public, either. They’re aiming too high, and are demanding a level of aid that the Republicans will never agree to.
Do you think Congress has always been this ineffectual? Does it just seem worse now because so many Americans are hurting so badly, which shows the political games in a worse light?
Is it bad or good for Trump’s election chances that Americans won’t get the aid they need?
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