Donald Trump Jr. on Monday blasted Democrats for blocking the bipartisan economic relief package providing aid to the American people during the coronavirus pandemic, asserting that they “only changed their minds when they figured out that five GOP senators would not be able to vote on it because they were self quarantining.”
Senate Democrats blocked an economic relief package negotiated by both sides — a negotiation that began to fall apart, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) intervened.
“She’s the speaker of the House, not the speaker of the Senate,” he said. “We were doing just fine until that intervention.”
Trump Jr. added further context to the initial breakdown of the deal, adding that Senate Democrats changed their minds “when they figured out that five GOP senators would not be able to vote on it because they were self quarantining.”
“Sick even by todays Democrat standards,” he added:
So Democrats agreed to the bailout bill in theory but only changed their minds when they figured out that five GOP senators would not be able to vote on it because they were self quarantining.
Sick even by todays Democrat standards.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 23, 2020
Those five GOP senators who are under quarantine include Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who tested positive for the virus, as well as Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Cory Gardner (R-CO):
THE SENATE is now 48 R -47 D
Sens. Lee, Romney, Scott of Florida, Paul and Gardner are all quarantining.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2020
Both sides remain at an impasse as Democrats push a bill packed with measures unrelated to the economic relief needed during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of those proposals include same-day voter registration and a U.S. postal service bailout. They are also calling for U.S. airlines to offset their carbon emissions:
I can confirm this. This is what Democrats torpedoed the rescue package for.
This will go down as one of the most cynical, disgusting, malevolent actions in history. Millions are losing jobs while they play these games. https://t.co/SUCtYxmXGo
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) March 23, 2020
Pelosi’s proposal is reportedly 1,400 pages long:
House Dem aide says the latest bill text is now 1,400 pages. The 1,119-page bill was a previous version
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2020
McConnell blasted Democrats during a speech on the Senate floor on Monday. Democrats “won’t let us fund hospitals or save small businesses unless they get to dust off the Green New Deal,” he said, listing some of their demands which include “tax credits for solar energy and wind energy, provisions to force employers to give special, new treatment to big labor, and listen to this, new emissions standards for the airlines.”
“Are you kidding me? This is the moment to debate new regulations that have nothing whatsoever to do with this crisis?” he asked. “That’s what they’re up to over there.”
“The American people need to know it. Democrats won’t let us fund hospitals or save small businesses unless they get to dust off the Green New Deal,” he added.
C-SPAN
