The Senate took up Democrats’ proposed coronavirus relief package, with a nearly $2 trillion price tag, on Thursday afternoon. The hefty, 628-page bill is backed by the White House and Democrats in both chambers, but is filled with unrelated, spending line-items and was made public just hours before being taken up.
Republicans remain united against unnecessary spending, and in favor of delivering real relief to Americans in need. To expose the extraneous spending items within the package, GOP Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) forced a full reading of the bill on the Senate floor.
Senate clerks have now been reading the Democrats’ 628-page covid relief bill for more than 4 hours. They’ve been rotating between a few clerks who have been reading the text aloud
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 5, 2021
.@SenSchumer: “I ask consent to dispense with the reading.”
.@SenRonJohnson: “I object.”
.@VP: “The objection is heard. The clerk will continue the reading.”
WATCH: Senate clerk(s) read the COVID-19 Relief Bill – LIVE on C-SPAN2 https://t.co/RedQmo2TSm pic.twitter.com/GTgKTOUIJp
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 4, 2021
The bill will be read in its entirety before debate begins and amendments can be offered. Senate Democrats opposed giving transparency to Americans as to what is present in the taxpayer-funded bill.
Ron Johnson is more focused on finding ways to waste time than on delivering real relief that the American people so desperately need.
It’s time for us to pass the next Covid relief package. pic.twitter.com/pXAxhoEoVF
— Michael Bennet (@MichaelBennet) March 5, 2021
Republican Senator Ron Johnson is trying to delay
Emergency COVID checks
Vaccine distribution funding
Small business support
Money for schools
Housing assistanceAnd more
As long as possible – because he says American families don’t need “any” additional COVID relief. pic.twitter.com/ArIhjLLlm5
— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) March 4, 2021
While all Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the COVID relief bill and one is now holding it hostage on the Senate floor, we have our eyes on the prize. We will pass the American Rescue Plan. https://t.co/erEBggcwVh
— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) March 4, 2021
The bill bankrolls causes unrelated to pandemic relief, while also disproportionately benefiting blue states, including California and New York, that ordered strict lockdown measures. The GOP’s Senate arm reminded Democrats of their party’s history of arguing in favor of passing bills before finding out what is written in.
“Democrats are throwing a temper tantrum because their COVID bill is simply being read out loud on the Senate floor. Nancy Pelosi famously said, ‘you have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it.’ Senate Democrats are now saying, ‘please don’t read the bill so no one can find out what’s in it,'” NRSC Communications Director Chris Hartline said on Thursday. “They must not want Americans to know that 90% of the bill is unrelated to COVID or that less than 1% goes towards vaccine development and distribution. They must not want the American people to see the pork and the liberal pet projects, including the Cuomo Kickback. What else are they trying to hide?”
Debate on the hefty package, with opportunity for Senators to offer amendments, is expected to continue through the weekend.
Sources: TownHall: Senate Democrats Opposed Reading Text of 628-Page Relief Package
It’s a norm that democraps write bills in that fashion hoping America will not want to pay any attention to detail. Details that cost the American tax payer lots of geetuses going to BS democraps agendas so beware. Even those that vote for democraps are being used by their choices in government. Hahaha you voted for your own trouble in life. So pay attention patriots if you want America to stay free of socialist communist marxist leftist lib-tards agendas . Even when they say it’s good for AMERICA they have hidden opportunities for their evil plans to ruin America. Stay vigilant , PEACE OUT.
Democraps don’t care about the National Guard , they think they’re there to protect the democraps. The National Guard took an oath to the Constitution not to the democraps. They are there to protect federal properties that is all. So all you socialist commies marxist leftist lib-tards can hug a nut if you thought they were there for you. Thank You – National Guard of the USA for protecting America. America’s patriots stand by you and for you.
There is nothing wrong with emigrating to America as long as you do it LEGALLY. But under the democraps agendas illegal are legal , criminals rule our society , fake news is real , christians and constitutionalist are the terrorist. When is enough ” ENOUGH” when it’s to late? The southern countries can’t rule themselves without socialism . When there is enough of that thinking here , we WILL BE a socialist governed country. And where will they want to escape to next. Canada?
Any portion of the bill that is not directly related to the Wuhan Virus should be shredded and disregarded. Then the bill should take less than an hour to read.
It’s disgusting what our Representatives are doing!! Read the Bill so Americans can see what representation we have in Congress!! Democrats are slime balls and hate America!! They are not looking out for me and you!!
The very thought of voting on a bill without every Senator having the opportunity to read and understand the benefits of the bill along with its faults and potential repercussions is in direct conflict with the Constutution that by its very existence demands equal representation. How the Traitors Pelosi and Schumer have gotten away so far with their traitorist acts of insisting on everyone voting on Obama care with virtually no time to read it is still a sore on our government. To do such is no better than the taxation without representation that was a leading factor in our break from England.