Demanding changes, Democrats block first Senate step on Coronavirus bill

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Journal-News (Butler County, OH)

After two days of talks failed to produce a final bipartisan agreement on an economic stimulus and bailout bill to deal with the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak, Senate Democrats on Sunday evening blocked a procedural move to start work on the bill, as Democrats accused the GOP of putting forth a package which favored business over workers.

"In our caucus there is great unhappiness," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). "This is not a bipartisan proposal, this is a Republican-only proposal."

Democrats accused the GOP of creating a $500 billion "slush fund" for corporate bailouts, arguing there was little transparency which would allow the public to find out what companies were getting federal money. Democrats also said not enough resources were being put in the bill to help hospitals deal with the strain from the Coronavirus outbreak. "That's what we're fighting for right now," said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).

60 votes were needed to force an end to debate on a motion to start work on the Coronavirus bill. Republicans only mustered 47.

Read more: https://www.journal-news.com/blog/jamie-dupree/demanding-changes-democrats-block-first-senate-step-coronavirus-bill/j9neWT4k9D94oCxpSl8cyM/

[customerserviceguy]

1. We've got to do this carefully

It could backfire on us if we don't get the message as to "why" out there. And the Orange Anus has the bully pulpit right now.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. The House sent a bill to the Senate and Turtle ditched it.

The "message" is that it's a giveaway to corporations.

[Hoyt]

34. Agree, especially since any Bill coming out of Senate still has to go through

House, then reconciliation.

I think — in these circumstances— they’ll come up with something tonight or tomorrow.

Personally, I don’t care if money is going to corporations that help them stay open and employing people, or in direct payments to those laid off, as long as those laid off or otherwise hurt by this are taken care of.

[Aquaria]

52. The public understands "I get nothing while fat-cat corporations get more of my money"

And they understand it rather well.

[customerserviceguy]

53. Some folks

are really counting on those checks. They will look to blame anyone who stands in their way. And we can depend on Trump to throw the blame our way if it doesn't happen.

That's been the way it's worked all my life, cake for the bigwigs, crumbs for the rest of us, and we shut up about it as long as we get the crumbs.

[Polybius]

2. What a bad headline

People are going to blame us now, ugh.

[SergeStorms]

40. Not if they read past the header.

As always, the meat of the matter is contained in the article, not the headline. Let's hope at least some Americans read past the easy part and find out the truth. You're probably correct, though. There isn't much chance of that happening, huh?

[jimfields33]

3. People have no money!!!!!

Split the bill and get those checks to people.

[LizBeth]

4. Is Sanders there or still in Vermont? And isn't it Sunday? They are working on Sunday?

Isolated so I forget the days.

[Polybius]

8. He's nearly 80

It's crazy dangerous to work in a crowded area at any age, let alone his. God forbid him, Diane Fienstein, or anyone else elderly on our side gets it.

[LizBeth]

10. So, how is this vote working? Is Sanders in quarentine? Feinsteing? Warren is 72 and I am hearing

she is there. I mean, I am trying to get what is happening. Was out of it. They working on Sunday in the senate to pass a bill? Almost all of them are old.

[Polybius]

12. It doesn't mean he's in quarantine, but he seems to be isolating himself

Maybe he's afraid. Yes, Warren was there, as are others. But I would totally understand if any one of them decided to stay home.

[LizBeth]

14. A Vote for the people. We need our Democrats to fight for us. The party is. Sanders is not.

I want to put our Democrats fighting for us for those that say they do nothing. And I want to make clear to the "anarchists" who are voting for Sanders, they get the frontal view that once AGAIN! our Democrats and our party is fighting for the working class and poor, right here, right now and fighting the corporation welfare, this very Sunday and Sanders sits at home in Vermont.

That's all.

I wanted to be factual before putting it out.

[Polybius]

15. So you want to risk his life with Covid-19

He says home because he's smart. I get it, you don't like Sanders. It's best we save our anger for Republicans.

[LizBeth]

26. So, all of our senate Democrats should be at home instead of on the floor?

Or is Sanders special, while he fights for the people and Democrats are do nothing, lesser of two evil, corporatist, that never fight for the working people and the disadvantage?

[atreides1]

39. We'd like him to do his job

No one said serving the people was always going to be safe! The man wants to be commander in chief...so he's more then willing to send others to their deaths, but isn't willing to put his ass on the line to work for his constituents and for the people of the United States???

Let him stay home...

[ramen]

43. Hang on, I missed the part where he is sending others to their deaths..

when was it?

But I strongly agree that we need all hands on deck and am confused how he could miss a vote of this importance.

[The Magistrate]

60. That Is Part Of A President's Job, Sir

It is often necessary for a President to employ military force, which is, indeed, 'sending people to their deaths', as well as sending people out to inflict death and suffering. If you are maintaining Sanders, if President, would not do this when the security or vital interests of the United States required it, he is even more problematic as a candidate for President than most Democrats suspect. It is barely possible people might be persuaded to overlook a socialist identity, it is flat impossible people would overlook dedicated pacifism. No pacifist ever will, or ever ought to be, elevated to chief of state. Such a person states in advance he is unwilling to do part of the job sought. You may see the problem in even so minor a matter as a 'jury summons' here on Democratic Underground. Early on, you are asked if you are willing to enforce the rule the post is alleged to violate, and if you indicate you are not, you are politely excused duty. Only people who will do the job are allowed to do it.

[ramen]

61. Good to see you back on here. Been reading you for years.

So the answer is that he hasn't sent anyone to die. Thank you for the clarification. Regarding your assertions of pacifism as disqualification, Sanders is not a pacifist, just one who would ideologically and practically to reduce the size and outlandish budget of the military in this country to prioritize care of its citizens.

Alleging Sanders is sending people to die is a strange line of attack.. it's not one I saw ascribed to Warren or Buttigieg or other candidates. Nobody on here thinks that the commander in chief won't have a role in military planning.

To restate what I stated above, missing this vote was really bad in my book. This is not a defense of Sanders missing that vote.

[The Magistrate]

62. People Take His Continuing To Contest The Primaries, Sir

As tantamount to sending people to die, by putting them at risk of fatal contagion when they go to the polls. Personally I think it is a bit of a stretch, particularly since the Presidential line is not the only one on a Party primary ballot, but argument tends towards hyperbole when someone is clearly doing the wrong thing for the Party and country, and does so in the smug conviction he is just too pure to do anything but hew to his destructive course. There would be no need to make Sanders appear a pacifist in a general election, he can easily be made to appear to have supported violence against the United States by things he said and did in his radical salad days.

[Aquaria]

55. So you want Senators who are also in the same high risk age category to risk theirs?

Because they're there, right now, and he isn't.

He's always jabbing his finger at other people about how they need to be doing what he wants, but he doesn't bother to realize he's pointing three fingers back at himself while he does nothing but grumble grumble grumble harangue harangue harangue.

Stop making excuses for this pecksniffian loafer.

[Polybius]

63. Your only problem with this situation is that it was Sanders

If Dianne Feinstein had stood home for safety reasons, no one in this thread would have batted an eye.

[George II]

23. Every member of the Democratic caucus was there, including 86-year old Dianne Feinstein....

75-year old Dick Durban, 75-year old Angus King, 74-year old Richard Blumenthal, 76-year old Ben Cardin, 73-year old Tom Carper, 72-year old Mazie Hirono, etc. EVERY DEMOCRAT but one!!

[LizBeth]

27. Thank You. This is what I am asking. I appreciate a straight answer.

[LizBeth]

30. Isn't Mazie Hirono fighting cancer? I may be thinking someone else. Fighting for us desperately.

That says something especially when we have had Sanders for pointing the finger at us Democrats as bad bad people that do not care about the people.

Doesn't it matter to you? I think it says a hell of a lot.

[jimfields33]

36. I was going to ask the same.

She should be at home. I know this important but if she gets the virus, she’s in Trouble. Paul running around the senate for days not knowing he had it easily could have given it to her. No comment on his activity AFTER finding out he had it.

[Aquaria]

54. She's had it under control with immunotherapy

She had it bad--stage IV kidney cancer that had spread to her ribs, but is doing well enough that she hasn't had to have any further treatments since July of last year.

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/u-s-sen-mazie-hironos-cancer-diagnosis-has-fueled-her-crusade-for-health-care-reform

[LizBeth]

11. I went in and read. So they are voting on this and I take it from what you say, Sanders is not there

to vote. Got it. Thanks.

[LizBeth]

31. .

[George II]

21. He's still in Vermont. The only Senator who didn't have a reason to NOT participate in the vote.

[LizBeth]

32. This is amazing isn't it? Does it remind you of anyone? It does to me.

[Ohioboy]

5. The republicans will twist this to say the Democrats are standing in the way of helping

[Mr.Bill]

35. They will blame tomorrow's stock market on Democrats.

That was the planned and sole purpose to everything the republicans did today.

[BlueIdaho]

7. 47 votes?

They don’t even have all Republicans on board yet.

[Polybius]

9. Several Republicans are quarintined

They can not vote.

[BlueIdaho]

41. 👍🏻

[George II]

17. The vote was 47-47. McConnell changed from Aye to Nay so he could reserve the right...

...to call for another vote (and odd procedural quirk).

Five Senators who are self-quarantined didn't vote, along with one other:

Republican Rand Paul - self-quarantined
Republican Rick Scott - self-quarantined
Republican Cory Gardner - self-quarantined
Republican Mitt Romney - self-quarantined
Republican Mike Lee - self-quarantined
Independent Bernie Sanders - hosting an online rock concert

[TeamPooka]

18. That's six, not five. Math is hard.

[George II]

20. I meant to say five were self-quarantined, fixed it.

[jls4561]

28. Ted Cruz is out? Damn!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

33. Did Rand Paul sneeze on the others on your list?

I mean what gives?

[BlueIdaho]

42. CPAC?

If so - we can start calling it the CPAC Virus instead of the “China” Virus...

[iluvtennis]

13. Hold strong Dems. The message is that this bill is not for the workers, but for corporations. nt

[CottonBear]

16. WTF is Sanders? N/T

[George II]

19. He's hosting a rock concert:

Link to tweet

[BlueIdaho]

44. AWOL.

All of them.

[SayitAintSo]

45. It was a good live stream not a rock concert..

Can you guys just hold the Bernie hate for a little bit?

[George II]

47. 94 Senators were able to be in Washington for the vote. Only two republicans....

...(Gardner and Scott) were home self-quarantined. Rand Paul might have gone home, too. The other two republicans who didn't vote were also self-quarantined as of this morning (Romney and Lee).

The only one who didn't vote who wasn't self-quarantined was Sanders. Instead of calling it "Bernie hate", do you have a logical reason why he was the only healthy Senator (and only member of the Democratic Caucus) who didn't vote today?

[Polybius]

48. Maybe because he's afraid?

I love Bernie, but let's be logical. He's 78 and has heart problems. He might not survive if he gets Covid-19.

For the record, if Dianne Feinstein or Chuck Grassley didn't show up, I wouldn't blame them either. They are 86.

[George II]

49. Feinstein and Grassley both were there today. If he's afraid there's a solution - resign.

[Polybius]

50. Yes they were

But it's not wise, I can almost guarantee another Senator has it that we don't know about. Show a littlle compassion for the elderly.

Target is open for business. Would you say a 78 year old Target worker with a heart condition should quit if he's afraid to go to work there? If yes then you are at least consistent, and I respect that.

[drray23]

51. show a little compassion for the elderly ?

He is afraid? why the hell do you think it's okay to support him to be president then?
Talk about cognitive dissonance.

[Aquaria]

58. Keep clutching that straw for all it's worth

There are ways to hold these votes without risking them unnecessarily, by having them enter in small groups rather than all at once. That's social distancing, and it can work.

How is that different from the thousands of essential workers out there, right now, many of them elderly, who are having to make similar adaptations to keep doing their jobs to provide goods and services to all of us out here?

Why should these Senators, only the most privileged people on earth, be exempt from doing their essential jobs at a standard different from what other essential workers must? They need to set the example. Not shirk their responsibilities.

Quit making excuses for BS, and tell him to get his ass to his day job in DC. You know, that job we the taxpayers are paying him to do, rather than goofing off in Vermont because he wants to pout about the demise of his phony revolution.

[Aquaria]

56. It's not hate to point out that he's dithering in Vermont to promote himself

While real Democrats are in DC fighting for Americans.

This is the grousing grandpa who goes out of his way to attack Democrats for not doing what he wants how he wants it done, and where is he? Sitting on his lifelong slacker ass in Vermont sulking about how mean all those "Establishment" Democratic women and minorities are for not voting for his bullshit revolution, rather than working at his day job in DC to get realistic things done.

BS and his sycophantic worshipers and apologists have no room to criticize anyone about getting things done or not.

The VERY last.

[Steelrolled]

22. Takes more than a worldwide pandemic

to get our parties to work together.

[stopbush]

24. This proves that the Rs are not taking this pandemic seriously.

They view this as another chance to transfer the nation’s treasure to their donors. That is the ONLY thing driving them. They don’t care that people are hurting, because they simply don’t give a fuck about all but a handful of rich people.

[Evolve Dammit]

25. Don't we have the ability to vote remotely? There should be no need for assembly at this moment.

Or are there no provisions or technical ability to do what most of America is doing right now??

[BumRushDaShow]

29. They probably have to change a rule to do it

Otherwise there would be no need to "force" them to ever be there...

In the past, we have seen Senators on sick beds wheeled in there to cast a vote and then leaving.

[Evolve Dammit]

65. Shouldn't MSM be explaining this to the public?

[BumRushDaShow]

66. They should and I saw a blip posted on DU about Klobuchar who explictly mentioned that!

She is on the Rules Committee...

[George II]

46. What they've been doing is sort of scheduling the votes - a few Senators enter the chamber....

....at a time, they walk past the clerk indicating their vote then leave. Then a few more show up, vote, and leave.

I'm surprised at how many wind up lingering and chatting though - they've been mostly republicans doing that.

[Evolve Dammit]

64. Thanks for the explanation

[Aquaria]

57. Do you think Moscow Mitch

Has either the faintest clue how to get that to work, or the will to make it happy if it did?

Either way, it serves his evil not to hold the votes electronically.

[yaesu]

37. Michigan repukes created such a slush fund for auto insurers & we have been paying out the ass

for decades because of it

[Harker]

38. Whatever comes of this isn't likely to

"deal with the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak."

It might address the initial impact.

[duforsure]

59. The slush fund can be used

By trump and mnuchin for trump and his re-election campaign . trump can pressure companies to support him with contributions for some payout of our money, then use it for his campaign , or funnel it into his pockets , or both , but he can make only those that'll do that recipients of stimulus money for political reasons , not from need for them. He's looking to use this crisis to personally and politically profit from it.