Pirate's Cove

Oh, and they shot down a COVID19 aid bill

Senate Democrats block GOP relief bill

Senate Democrats blocked a GOP coronavirus bill on Thursday amid a deep stalemate over the next relief package.

Senators voted 52-47 on the roughly $500 billion Republican bill, which marked the first coronavirus-related legislation the chamber has voted on since it passed a $484 billion package in April.

The vote handed a symbolic victory to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who spent weeks haggling with Republicans and the White House over the contours of the pared-down GOP bill as he sought to overcome deep divisions over the path forward.

GOP leadership worked behind the scenes to lock down 51 votes, a U-turn from last month when McConnell predicted that up to 20 GOP senators wouldn’t vote for any additional legislation. GOP Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) was the only Republican to vote against the bill on Thursday.

But it failed to get the 60 votes needed to overcome Thursday’s procedural hurdle as congressional Democratic leadership and the White House remain at a standoff over a fifth coronavirus package.

Democrats keep saying they will get rid of the filibuster if they win back the Senate, which is a procedural move to protect the Senate from being simply mob rule, protect the rights of the minority party. Better yet, let’s get rid of the 17th Amendment

McConnell called Schumer’s strategy on the coronavirus bill “toxic,” after the Democratic leader told reporters that Republicans were the “enemy of the good.”

“Senators who share the Democratic leader’s toxic attitude, who think the real enemy are their political opponents, I assume will follow his lead and vote no. They can tell American families they care more about politics than helping them,” McConnell added.

Of course, Excitable Chuck Schumer has a different take

“It is laden with poison pills. Provisions our colleagues know Democrats would never support to guarantee the bill’s failure. The truth of the matter is the Republicans and the Republican leader don’t want to pass a bill too many on the hard right in the Senate and outside it would be angry” with, Schumer said.

Poison pills, eh? Like the Democrats giant $2-$3 trillion House bill, which funds all sorts of far left priorities? Strange that he didn’t list them, nor did any reporter do their job and ask. CNN explains what is in the skinny bill, and can’t find much fault, which pretty much leaves most of the unrelated stuff and porky stuff out of it. Could it do a bit more? Sure. You know what the Democrats could do? Ask for something like $1,200 checks to be put in. We don’t have to do the Big Frigging Bill every time. We could pass this one and then pass one with the $1,200 checks.

Just remember, elected Democrats don’t want to help you unless it benefits them politically and funds their crazy wishes.