03.22.20

Days After Lecturing ‘Americans Can’t Wait,’ Democrats Block Coronavirus Relief In The Senate

Last Week, Senate Democrats Asked For Immediate Action On Coronavirus Legislation: ‘This Is Not Just Another Political Issue,’ And Senators Must ‘Shed Our Partisanship And Rise To The Occasion’ Because ‘Time Is Of The Essence,’ Yet Today They Blocked Critical Bipartisan Coronavirus Relief From Moving Forward

 

“Democrats block advancement of critical economic relief package” (Washington Examiner, 3/22/2020)

“Senate Democrats block mammoth coronavirus stimulus package” (The Hill, 3/22/2020)

 

 

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “Thus far, throughout this crisis, the Senate has risen to the occasion. It was just a few days ago when this Republican Senate majority moved expeditiously to pass the House Democrats’ “phase two” legislation, even though many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle and I had serious reservations and would have written it differently. Nevertheless, I pushed the Speaker’s legislation through the Senate. Because urgency and results matter during a national crisis. Because, imperfections notwithstanding, it was the right thing to do for our country. So I hope and anticipate that a similar degree of bipartisanship and urgency will be reciprocated now.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 3/22/2020)

  • SEN. McCONNELL: “This is not a political opportunity. It is a national emergency. That’s why we have engaged in days of bipartisan talks to get to this point. And that’s why it is time to move forward. Americans don’t need us to haggle endlessly. They don’t need us to jeopardize all the progress we’ve made over the past several days for the sake of eleventh-hour brinkmanship. The American people need an outcome and they need it tomorrow.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 3/22/2020)
  • SEN. McCONNELL: “Senators have now spent days engaged in vigorous bipartisan discussions, among ourselves and with the Administration…. These intense conversations have built a piece of legislation that is as bold and big as the American people deserve, and as thoroughly bipartisan as our process demands. Now we need to move forward. This national crisis is not going to wait around if Congress slips back into conventional politics or haggles endlessly over the finer points…. The risks to our country grow every single day that we do not act.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 3/22/2020)

 

SEN. SCHUMER, Just This Past Week: ‘There’s A Crisis In This Country And We Have To Move Quickly,’ ‘[E]veryone Is Going To Have New Ideas But That Will Slow Things Down’

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “We need the Senate to act immediately. Americans can’t wait.” (Sen. Schumer, @SenSchumer, Twitter, 3/18/2020)

  • SEN. SCHUMER: “Leader McConnell was right when he said that in times of national emergency, we must shed our partisanship and rise to the occasion.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/18/2020)
  • SEN. SCHUMER: “We’ve got to move quickly…. The typical legislative process takes too long and it won’t work…. Time is of the essence.  Let us come together, construct and pass this next bill as soon as we possibly can.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/19/2020)
  • SEN. SCHUMER: “There’s a crisis in this country and we have to move quickly…. [E]veryone is going to have new ideas but that will slow things down…. We have to act immediately, and this aid is needed immediately. So, I would say to Leader McConnell, pass the bill as is.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 3/14/2020)

SEN. SCHUMER: “If people have ideas of how to do other things and other amendments, we’re going to have new legislation down the road, but pass this now.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 3/14/2020)

  • SEN. SCHUMER: “[P]lease, my colleagues, we will have other opportunities to legislate, and there will be a great need for them. But let’s move this now. Let’s move this now.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/17/2020)

 

SEN. DURBIN, Just This Past Week: ‘Now Is Not The Time To Get Caught Up In Political Differences,’ ‘We Have To Understand That Business As Usual Is Unacceptable’

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “This is not just another political issue. We know it.” (Sen. Durbin, Press Conference, 3/17/2020)

  • SEN. DURBIN: “Senate Democrats stand ready to provide aid to working families – I urge my Republican colleagues to join us. Now is not the time to get caught up in political differences. Let’s get to work for the American people.” (Sen. Durbin, @SenatorDurbin, 3/18/2020)
  • SEN. DURBIN: “[W]e needed to tell the American people we are moving on that bipartisan agreement quickly. There are parts of it which I’m not excited about, there are parts I’m sure the Republicans are not, but it is a bipartisan agreement.” (Sen. Durbin, Press Conference, 3/17/2020)
  • SEN. DURBIN: “So we have to understand that this circumstance is unusual…. We have to understand that business as usual is unacceptable…. [L]et’s get this done and done in an effective and efficient and timely way.” (Sen. Durbin, Press Conference, 3/17/2020)

 

Senate Democrats, Just This Past Week: ‘We Need To Stop The Political Games, Stop The Legislative Sabotage,’ ‘The Clock Is Ticking,’ ‘The American People Cannot Wait’

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): “We need to stop the political games, stop the legislative sabotage, & pass this House bill.” (Sen. Warren, @SenWarren, Twitter, 3/17/2020)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): “The clock is ticking. Lives are at stake.” (Sen. Murphy, @ChrisMurphyCT, Twitter, 3/14/2020)

SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ (D-HI): “Time is of the essence. Let’s get this done now.” (Sen. Schatz, @brianschatz, Twitter, 3/14/2020)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): “Message to McConnell: Do unanimous consent for the emergency coronavirus package today, right now. Families & businesses are making potentially life & death decisions. Time matters.” (Sen. Blumenthal, @SenBlumenthal, Twitter, 3/15/2020)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): “I’m in DC waiting to vote on the emergency coronavirus bill the House already passed. We need to pass it and we need to do it now. The American people cannot wait.” (Sen. Harris, @SenKamalaHarris, Twitter, 3/17/2020)

 

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