House Democrats approved a $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Friday and all but one Republican opposed the bill. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said it would not vote on the bill calling it “a far-left transformation.“
The bill would give $500 billion in aid to states, $375 billion to local governments and another round of direct taxpayer cash payments of up to $1200 per adult and $1200 for each dependent up to three.
The GOP’s willingness to plunge the country into historic debt to give the rich a massive tax break in 2017, then denying working people direct cash payments in a time of crisis, struck Democratic Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio as hypocritical.
“Just a few years ago, the stock market’s at 25,000,” Ryan told the House of Representatives. “Corporate profits are the highest they’ve been in decades. The rich keep getting richer and our friends on the other side said, ‘What do we do now? Let’s do a tax cut where 83% of it goes to the top 1% of the wealthiest people.’”
“Are you kidding me?” Ryan continued. “Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?”
“Fast forward a few months, global pandemic, 36 million people unemployed, 40% of families who have a worker that makes $40,000 or less lose their job last month,” Ryan said. “Four million people didn’t pay their rent and the Republican Party says, ‘We don’t have any money to help you.’”
Ryan calmed down and defended his position on “Fox and Friends” Sunday.
Host Jedediah Bila echoed Mitch McConnell’s sentiments saying the bills is an excuse for Democrats to forward their policy agenda during a crisis.
In addition to relief to individuals and to states, the bill includes funding for arts and humanities foundations, checks to undocumented immigrants and allows marijuana businesses to access banking services.
“Look I’ve been on Congress 18 years,” Ryan replied. “I don’t have one bill that I’ve voted for that I agreed with everything in it. And there are things in here that I don’t agree with.”
“But the reality is that we’re in an emergency situation,” he continued. “The senate should take this up and take out the provisions they don’t like and then we can come to some agreement. it’s called the legislative process.”
