Fogdog
Well-Known Member
Failed to make it out of procedural vote for approval. All 47 Democratic Party Senators voted no. All 47 Republican Party Senators present voted yes, with five absent. The procedural motion required 60 votes to pass. Objections made by Democrats were concerning a $500 Billion authorization to give money to big businesses with no oversight. Stripped out of the bill that failed were: bans on corporations to use the money to buy back stock, limitations on executive pay, cuts in funding to hospitals and employees of companies.
Senate Democrats blocked a massive coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward Sunday as partisan disputes raged over the legislation that’s aimed at arresting the economy’s precipitous decline.
Negotiations continued even as the initial procedural vote fell short, with 47 senators voting in favor and 47 opposed. The tally was well short of the 60 votes that were needed to move forward. The number of “aye” votes was especially low because five Republicans are quarantined over coronavirus fears.
McConnell said it was time for Democrats to “take ‘yes’ for an answer” and accept a bill that he said incorporated many of their ideas.
“The notion that we have time to play games here with the American economy and the American people is utterly absurd,” McConnell said. "The American people expect us to act tomorrow and I want everybody to fully understand if we are’t able to act tomorrow it will be because of our colleagues on the other side continuing to dicker when the country expects us to come together.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) came to the floor a short time later to declare that Republicans were the ones behaving unreasonably by trying to advance what he called a partisan bill. Democrats said that despite some concessions on the part of Republicans, the GOP bill still had too many flaws and did not do enough to shore up the health care system and help average Americans.
“Now, let me be clear: the Majority Leader was well aware of how this vote would go before it happened, but he chose to move forward with it anyway—even though negotiations are continuing, so who’s playing games?” Schumer asked, before adding a hopeful note: “Can we overcome the remaining disagreements in the next twenty-four hours? Yes. We can and we should. The nation demands it.”
A major sticking point is a $500 billion pool of money for loans and loan guarantees that Republicans want to create, which some Democrats are labeling a “slush fund” because the Treasury Department would have broad discretion over who receives the money. There is little precedent for a program with a similar size and scope.
“The overall view is that they want to create a slush fund for giant corporations. No help for employees and no help for the hospitals, and that cannot be where we are,” said Elizabeth Warren
In addition to $500 billion in loans and loan guarantees to businesses, states, and cities, the Senate GOP legislation would appropriate $350 billion for small businesses that is meant to help prevent more layoffs. It would also send $1,200 checks to many Americans, bolster the unemployment insurance system, and disburse a broad range of emergency funds to help reinforce hospitals and other areas.
Senate Democrats blocked a massive coronavirus stimulus bill from moving forward Sunday as partisan disputes raged over the legislation that’s aimed at arresting the economy’s precipitous decline.
Negotiations continued even as the initial procedural vote fell short, with 47 senators voting in favor and 47 opposed. The tally was well short of the 60 votes that were needed to move forward. The number of “aye” votes was especially low because five Republicans are quarantined over coronavirus fears.
McConnell said it was time for Democrats to “take ‘yes’ for an answer” and accept a bill that he said incorporated many of their ideas.
“The notion that we have time to play games here with the American economy and the American people is utterly absurd,” McConnell said. "The American people expect us to act tomorrow and I want everybody to fully understand if we are’t able to act tomorrow it will be because of our colleagues on the other side continuing to dicker when the country expects us to come together.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) came to the floor a short time later to declare that Republicans were the ones behaving unreasonably by trying to advance what he called a partisan bill. Democrats said that despite some concessions on the part of Republicans, the GOP bill still had too many flaws and did not do enough to shore up the health care system and help average Americans.
“Now, let me be clear: the Majority Leader was well aware of how this vote would go before it happened, but he chose to move forward with it anyway—even though negotiations are continuing, so who’s playing games?” Schumer asked, before adding a hopeful note: “Can we overcome the remaining disagreements in the next twenty-four hours? Yes. We can and we should. The nation demands it.”
A major sticking point is a $500 billion pool of money for loans and loan guarantees that Republicans want to create, which some Democrats are labeling a “slush fund” because the Treasury Department would have broad discretion over who receives the money. There is little precedent for a program with a similar size and scope.
“The overall view is that they want to create a slush fund for giant corporations. No help for employees and no help for the hospitals, and that cannot be where we are,” said Elizabeth Warren
In addition to $500 billion in loans and loan guarantees to businesses, states, and cities, the Senate GOP legislation would appropriate $350 billion for small businesses that is meant to help prevent more layoffs. It would also send $1,200 checks to many Americans, bolster the unemployment insurance system, and disburse a broad range of emergency funds to help reinforce hospitals and other areas.
