Date: 2024-10-12 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00020037 | |||||||||
US Politics | |||||||||
Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess | |||||||||
Bernie releases statement on GOP blocking $2,000 stimulus checks
'At a time when so many Americans are facing economic desperation, it is tragic that the Republican leadership has turned their backs on the working families of this country.' SOURCENationofChange Become a powerful force for change In response to Senate Republicans blocking a House-passed bill to increase the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000, Sen. Bernie Sanders recently issued a statement denouncing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders for refusing to provide more economic relief to working class families during the pandemic. On Friday, Senate Republicans successfully continued to block the House-passed bill to increase the stimulus checks without reaching an agreement before the end of the current Congress. During the past week, Sen. McConnell repeatedly referred to the proposal to increase payments as “socialism for rich people.” “Borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help to families who actually need it,” McConnell stated. Speaking from the floor, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “That means today is the last chance to take up and pass the House bill to provide $2,000 checks to the American people. If the Senate does not take action today, $2,000 checks will not become law before the end of Congress, and they will know that Leader McConnell and the Republican majority have prevented them from getting the checks.” After Senate Republicans objected to Sanders’ attempts to schedule a vote on the bill, Sanders later issued the following statement: “Over the past four days I have asked, time and time again, for the Republican leadership to allow the Senate to vote on legislation that passed the House to provide a $2,000 direct payment to working class adults and their kids. This is legislation that Trump supports, Biden supports, and over two-thirds of the U.S. House supported—including 44 Republicans. In fact, a recent poll suggests that 78% of the American people support that approach. Unfortunately, Mitch McConnell and the Republican leadership have refused to allow the Senate to vote on this bill, even when accompanied by a vote on the bill which they themselves proposed. “At a time when so many Americans are facing economic desperation, it is tragic that the Republican leadership has turned their backs on the working families of this country. When the Biden Administration assumes office, the Senate must immediately take up and pass bold legislation which deals with the economic pain that so many Americans are experiencing.” TAGSBernie SandersCongresscoronavirus pandemiccoronavirus reliefGOP coronavirus relief package Andrew Emett Andrew Emett https://andrewemett.com/ Andrew Emett is a staff writer for NationofChange. Andrew is a Los Angeles-based reporter exposing political and corporate corruption. His interests include national security, corporate abuse, and holding government officials accountable. Andrew’s work has appeared on Raw Story, Alternet, and many other sites. You can follow him on Twitter @AndrewEmett and on Facebook at Andrew Emett. Previous article Will Trump’s mania to slice and dice the right help or hurt the progressive agenda? |