{"id":39335,"date":"2020-03-23T11:09:30","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T18:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=39335"},"modified":"2020-03-23T11:09:30","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T18:09:30","slug":"bought-bitch-mitch-fails-to-pass-bailout-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2020\/03\/23\/bought-bitch-mitch-fails-to-pass-bailout-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Bought Bitch Mitch Fails to Pass Bailout Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"

It looked like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Democratic leaders were well on the way to working out a more extensive relief bill to provide much needed benefits for the American people, when Bought Bitch Midnight Moscow Mitch stepped in to convert the Bipartisan Relief Bill to a Republican Bailout Scam.  Acting in the interests of the American people, Senate Democrats shot it down yesterday.<\/font><\/p>\n

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Senate Republicans late Sunday failed to force through a $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that Democratic lawmakers, union leaders, and progressive advocacy groups condemned as a massive bailout for corporate America that would have done little to address the urgent economic and medical needs of ordinary people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A procedural motion to advance the Republican bill, formally known<\/a> as the CARES Act, received just 47 votes<\/a> Sunday, well short of the 60 needed for passage. Every Senate Democrat present voted no.<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) scheduled another procedural vote on the legislation for Monday morning at 9:45 am ET as talks over the bill continued<\/a> through the evening Sunday.<\/p>\n

One of the most contentious sticking points<\/a> in rapidly moving negotiations over the Republican measure was its call for the creation of a $500 billion business relief program that would be controlled by the Trump Treasury Department, headed by former Goldman Sachs banker Steve Mnuchin. The fund would set aside around $58 billion for the airline industry and $17 billion for \u201csectors considered critical to national security<\/strong>,\u201d Roll Call reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Democrats and progressive critics condemned the program as a corporate \u201cslush fund\u201d<\/strong> and demanded that any bailout money for businesses come with strict oversight and conditions<\/a>, such as strong worker protections against layoffs and a permanent ban on stock buybacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the midst of an unprecedented national crisis, Republicans can\u2019t seriously expect us to tell people in our communities who are suffering that we shortchanged hospitals, students, workers, and small businesses but gave big corporations hundreds of billions of dollars in a secretive slush fund,\u201d Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement announcing her opposition to the GOP legislation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a> (I-Vt.) are also demanding $2,000 in monthly cash payments<\/a> to every person in the United States instead of the means-tested, one-time payments proposed<\/a> by the Republican legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe job of Congress right now is to do everything we possibly can to protect Americans\u2019 lives and wellbeing\u2014not hand out welfare checks to huge corporations<\/strong>,\u201d Sanders tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During a press conference Sunday, President Donald Trump refused to vow that none of the bailout money in the Republican stimulus package would go to his own properties<\/strong>\u2026  [emphasis added<\/em>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Here\u2019s a video report from NBC News.<\/font><\/p>\n

Senate Fails To Advance Coronavirus Stimulus Package, Devastating For Businesses<\/a><\/p>\n