09.16.20

House Democrats Rebel Against Pelosi’s All-Or-Nothing COVID Relief Demands

‘Increasing Numbers Of Rank-And-File Democrats Are Beginning To Question’ Speaker Pelosi’s My-Way-Or-The-Highway Approach To COVID Relief, Saying Americans ‘Cannot Wait Until 2021 For Action,’ Even As Pelosi Doubles Down On Refusing To Offer Any Serious Compromise

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “Republican Senators, like working families across the country, had hoped the Senate would be spending this week completing more bipartisan pandemic relief. We proposed another package with hundreds of billions of dollars to make schools safer for kids, to help American workers keep or regain their jobs, and to invest more in testing, treatments, and finding and distributing a vaccine. But Senate Democrats filibustered it all, apparently intent that working families cannot receive any more relief until Election Day.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 9/16/2020)

  • LEADER McCONNELL: “Across the Capitol, Speaker Pelosi’s excuses and Goldilocks games are even wearing thin on her fellow Democrats. A few weeks ago, more than 100 House Democrats publicly asked Speaker Pelosi to stop blocking action on any coronavirus legislation besides her multi-trillion-dollar far-left wish list. She ignored them. Yesterday, a number of House Democrats tried again. They released a new proposal they’d written with some Republicans and pleaded with the Speaker to allow a vote on it. Again, she shot down any notion of compromise. Bear in mind, the Speaker has explained she will block any compromise for kids, jobs, and healthcare because passing anything short of multiple trillions of dollars would make her look like, quote, ‘a cheap date.’” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 9/16/2020)

 

Speaker Pelosi Has Repeatedly Emphasized Her All Or Nothing Policy: ‘Don’t Be Misled By Thinking, Oh, Well, A Little Bit Is Better Than Nothing. No, It Isn’t,’ ‘We Have Prospects For What Will Happen In January And We Can Go Beyond That’

MSNBC’s ANDREA MITCHELL: “Well, is it better to go forward with some...”
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “No, it isn’t. Now, let me -- thank you so much for that question, because I hear it a lot. And, clearly, it springs from all the good intentions we all have to help people as soon as we can. … So, don’t be misled by thinking, oh, well, a little bit is better than nothing. No, it isn’t.” (MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 9/09/2020)

SPEAKER PELOSI: “[W]here we could perhaps change the timing so it’s less money now. That’s how we were able to come down. We didn’t cut things out we just brought it down. … And we came down $1.2 trillion, and we think we can negotiate within that because we have prospects for what will happen in January and we can go beyond that… And that’s why we have this impasse at this time but, fortunately, we’ll be able to correct some of it in January.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 9/16/2020)

Speaker Pelosi Also Reiterated That Democrat Leaders Are Still Not Offering To Compromise To Get Relief To Americans: ‘We Didn’t Cut Things Out We Just Brought It Down’

PELOSI: “[W]here we could perhaps change the timing so it’s less money now. That’s how we were able to come down. We didn’t cut things out we just brought it down. … And we came down $1.2 trillion, and we think we can negotiate within that …” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 9/16/2020)

“Pelosi has not moved from the position she’s held ever since the House passed the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act in May …” (“Frustrated House Democrats Push For Action On New Economic Relief Bill,” The Washington Post, 9/15/2020)

 

But The Speaker’s Own Members Are Rebuking Her Approach: ‘What Truly “Falls Short” Is Doing Nothing,’ ‘My Conviction Is To Actually Do My Goddamn Job And Come Up With A Solution For The American People,’ ‘We Can Wait Around Forever For The Proposal We Think Is The Perfect Proposal And That Obviously Won’t Be Helpful To Anybody’

“Pelosi has been unwilling to budge from the position she’s held for months -- that Democrats should hold out for a wide-ranging bill with a pricetag of at least $2 trillion, covering a multitude of issues … Increasing numbers of rank-and-file Democrats are beginning to question that approach. Frustration boiled over on a call the centrist New Democrat Coalition held with Pelosi and Hoyer on Tuesday.” (“Frustrated House Democrats Push For Action On New Economic Relief Bill,” The Washington Post, 9/15/2020)

REP. KENDRA HORN (D-OK): “What truly ‘falls short’ is doing nothing. It is flatly unacceptable that congressional leadership is not at the table when businesses are closing, Americans are out of work, and families need help. The political games have to stop.” (Rep. Horn, @RepKendraHorn, Twitter, 9/15/2020)

REP. SUSIE LEE (D-NV): “I cannot repeat this enough: American families, small businesses, and communities cannot wait until 2021 for action.” (Rep. Lee, @RepSusieLee, Twitter, 9/15/2020)

  • REP. LEE: “There’s never been a more critical moment for Congress to put party and politics aside and do what’s right for the American people than during this pandemic.” (Rep. Lee, Press Release, 9/15/2020)

REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): “My conviction is to actually do my goddamn job and come up with a solution for the American people… We have to bring something to the floor.” (“Pelosi Faces Growing Democratic Unrest Over Covid Relief,” Politico, 9/15/2020)

REP. MAX ROSE (D-NY): “Get something done. Get something done!” (“Pelosi Faces Growing Democratic Unrest Over Covid Relief,” Politico, 9/15/2020)

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): “We can wait around forever for the proposal we think is the perfect proposal and that obviously won’t be helpful to anybody. Time is of the essence here…” (“Pelosi Faces Growing Democratic Unrest Over Covid Relief,” Politico, 9/15/2020)

REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): “The truth is that the bottom-line number isn’t as important as the fact that we need to as a country respond to people who are in need during an unprecedented public health crisis…” (“Frustrated House Democrats Push For Action On New Economic Relief Bill,” The Washington Post, 9/15/2020)

REP. CONOR LAMB (D-PA): “I think that if people are able to see us stay here and offer a proposal that is easy to understand, simple and tailored to the pandemic, regardless of what size it is … then we will have done an important thing …” (“Frustrated House Democrats Push For Action On New Economic Relief Bill,” The Washington Post, 9/15/2020)

REP. PETER DeFAZIO (D-OR), House Transportation Committee Chairman: “We can’t leave town without a package…” (“Pelosi Faces Growing Democratic Unrest Over Covid Relief,” Politico, 9/15/2020)

REP. DAN LIPINSKI (D-IL): “I’m disappointed the Speaker seems to have walked back a commitment to get a COVID-19 relief bill deal done. It’s time to follow the [Problem Solvers Caucus] lead & negotiate a compromise.” (Rep. Lipinski, @RepLipinski, Twitter, 9/15/2020)

REP. DON BEYER (D-VA): “If we can’t come to a deal, there’s going to a great deal of disappointment…” (“Despite Pressure For COVID-19 Relief Deal, Stalemate Continues,” Roll Call, 9/15/2020)

REP. MARY GAY SCANLON (D-PA): “We must do whatever it takes to get meaningful relief for children, families small businesses, and local government.” (Rep. Scanlon, @RepMGS, Twitter, 9/15/2020)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Appropriations, COVID-19