Trump demands stimulus bill 'without all the nonsense'

FPI / March 24, 2020

Democrats' attempts to slip parts of the Green New Deal and other unrelated projects into the coronavirus stimulus bill "will never be approved by me," President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

After several days of negotiating, Republican and Democratic senators were close to approving a $2 trillion package that would provide financial assistance to workers, small businesses, large corporations and certain industries hit particularly hard by the economic shutdown in response to the public health crisis.

Then, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi returned from a week's recess and declared the Senate package was not good enough. Senate Democrats then essentially scuttled the relief package on Sunday afternoon.

Trump fired off a series of tweets on Tuesday: "Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt!"

"This is not about the ridiculous Green New Deal. It is about putting our great workers and companies BACK TO WORK!"

"Republicans had a deal until Nancy Pelosi rode into town from her extended vacation. The Democrats want the Virus to win? They are asking for things that have nothing to do with our great workers or companies. They want Open Borders & Green New Deal. Republicans shouldn’t agree!"

House Oversight Committee Republicans blasted Pelosi in a tweet:

"Speaker Pelosi's #coronavirus bill includes:
-Provisions for a federal takeover of elections
-A climate change study on aviation
-Intrusive corporate diversity reporting burdens
Seriously? Now is the time to help struggling Americans, not play swamp politics with virus aid."

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday took to the Senate floor to call on Democrats to "rise above" the partisan bickering that derailed the bill.

“There is a time for political disagreements. There is a time for policy disagreements. I am no stranger to robust political and policy disagreements,” Cruz said. “But we are in the midst of a global pandemic. People are dying. People are suffering.”

“We have had an additional 6,484 cases today while the Democrats are blockading. And by the way, where are the Democrats?” Cruz asked. “C-SPAN doesn’t show this whole chamber often, but it would be nice if they did, because that entire side of the chamber is empty. They’re not showing up for work. They’re not doing their job.”

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy bashed members of the Senate who “continue to double down on stupid.” He reiterated that the bill was bipartisan and noted how it would help the economy and small businesses after ripping into those who voted against it.

“Do you know what the American people are thinking right now?” Kennedy said. “They’re thinking that this country was founded by geniuses. But it’s being run by a bunch of idiots.”

Free Press International