Senate Democrats have blocked the new small business stimulus that Trump and Republicans have set at $250 billion, because they want to double it:
DC EXAMINER – Democrats blocked an urgent small business relief package Thursday after Republicans ignored their demand to double the funding and increase the scope of the legislation.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, responding to a request from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, hoped to quickly pass a bill to replenish a small business aid program with an infusion of $250 billion in federal funding.
But Democrats blocked the Kentucky Republican’s unanimous consent request to pass the measure out of the Senate and proposed their own $500 billion measure.
“The Democratic leadership has suggested they may hold Americans’ paychecks hostage unless we pass another sweeping bill that spends a half a trillion dollars doubling down on a number of parts of the Cares act, including parts that haven’t even started to work yet. The country cannot afford more wrangling or political maneuvering. There is zero chance the sprawling proposal Democrats have gestured toward could pass either chamber by unanimous consent this week. No chance,” McConnell said.
Democrats said the bill fell short of providing adequate funding for hospitals, and state and local governments. The bill also ignored their demand that the Treasury Department set aside half the small business money for groups that have traditionally had difficulty obtaining loans.
Sen. Ben Cardin, a top Democrat from Maryland who serves on the Senate Small Business panel, introduced the Democratic proposal, which doubles the spending to $500 billion and dedicates $100 billion to healthcare facilities plus another $250 billion to state and local governments. It would waive work requirement for food stamps and increase food stamp benefits.
It must be the goal of Democrats to double everything Republicans try and pass. Trump and Republicans want $250 billion, so it must be $500 billion or more!
It happened this way with the 2.2 trillion dollar stimulus. When Republicans initially proposed it, the bill was just under a trillion. But by the time Democrats were done it had more than doubled. Ain’t bipartisanship great?
They are trying to pass this bill via unanimous consent so they won’t have to call people back to Capitol Hill to vote on it. So it’s very easy for one person to block if they don’t agree with it. My guess is that as long as Republicans don’t want to call their members back or enable remote voting, Democrats will get their way again.