The GOP is purposefully slowing down passage of the pandemic relief bill, claims VA Democratic rep
While one may be perplexed as to why Republican members of Congress have been so hell-bent on trying to prevent the passage of President Biden’s pandemic relief bill, the American Rescue Plan, which is widely popular among ordinary citizens of both Democratic and Republican party affiliations, one only has to look back at the behavior of the GOP when Barack Obama first took office.
From the moment Obama entered the White House, the primary obsession of every Republican in Congress was to do their damnedest to prevent a single portion of his agenda from being passed no matter how beneficial it might be to the nation and its populace or how much sense any individual item on that agenda may have made.
Now that another Democrat is in the White House and the GOP has lost control of all the major branches of government, their obstructionist habits have reached a new crescendo.
That analysis is courtesy of Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who published a lengthy Twitter thread calling out House Republicans — led by QAnon-“qwasy” Marjorie Taylor Greene — for their petulant delaying tactics meant to slow down the final passage of a bill that must be reconciled with the Senate version before heading to President Biden’s desk for his signature and becoming the law of the land.
Rep. Beyer explained the tactic — and its sad consequences — in detail in the thread of his post.
Congress speeds the consideration of uncontroversial bills, things like renaming post offices, bills that pass out of committees with unanimous support, legislation both parties agree on.
They pass on "voice vote," and if a single Member objects they can request a recorded vote.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 8, 2021
Today I was to preside over consideration of 13 of these noncontroversial bills with bipartisan support, but then the bills were suddenly pulled.
It turned out Republicans planned to demand recorded votes on *everything* to delay the American Rescue Plan. https://t.co/opvpwLidkR
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 8, 2021
With many Americans desperate for much-needed aid after the ravages of the past year wrecked their financial futures, the GOP-instigated legislative slowdown is preventing the quick consideration of legislation proposed by both parties as solutions to pressing problems in Rep. Beyer’s eyes.
They are delaying a bill to award Congress' highest civilian honor to the first responders who protected the Capitol on January 6, including those who are no longer with us.
They are delaying a bill to improve vaccine delivery through the VA.
They are delaying Republican bills.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 8, 2021
Add your name to call on prosecutors to ARREST DONALD TRUMP for his crimes!
Congressman Beyer laid the blame for this condemnable strategy of tactical interference that will do nothing to ultimately prevent the passage of the legislation that is being unnecessarily slowed down at the feet of both Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene and the GOP leadership who has enabled her.
This isn't just a fringe.
Greene and the Freedom Caucus are enabled by their party leaders, Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, who increasingly follow their lead.
Remember this when they make bad faith complaints about "unity" — they are trying to completely disable the House.
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 8, 2021
Despicable indeed!
Let’s hope that Democrats are able to get voters to remember who tried to prevent them from getting pandemic relief money when the midterm elections are held just 20 months from now.
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Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.