On Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took a shot at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republicans, accusing them of holding up coronavirus relief for Americans.
“People across the country are going hungry, COVID is set to explode, and Mitch McConnell dismissed the Senate last week,” the Democratic congresswoman tweeted. “I don’t know how these people can sleep at night. I really don’t.”
People across the country are going hungry, COVID is set to explode, and Mitch McConnell dismissed the Senate last week.
I don’t know how these people can sleep at night. I really don’t.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 23, 2020
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), taking note that the GOP has offered a $500 billion relief bill that Democrats have blocked because they think it is insufficient, responded: “Why is your party filibustering $500 billion in COVID relief? And Joe Biden is cheering them on. Thinking that blocking relief somehow helps Dems win Georgia.”
Why is your party filibustering $500 billion in COVID relief?
And Joe Biden is cheering them on. Thinking that blocking relief somehow helps Dems win Georgia. https://t.co/b8PvuUpSa3
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 23, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez responded with another attack, tweeting, “The House doesn’t have filibusters, @tedcruz. We also passed several COVID relief packages to the Senate that not only include >$500 billion, but also prioritize helping real people as opposed to Wall St bailouts the GOP tries to pass off as ‘relief.’ Nice try though.”
“I hope someone else runs Cruz’s Twitter account because it’d be pretty embarrassing if a US Senator didn’t know this,” she added. “Almost as embarrassing as when Sen. @JohnCornyn didn’t appear to know that Puerto Ricans don’t get to vote in the Presidential.”
I hope someone else runs Cruz’s Twitter account because it’d be pretty embarrassing if a US Senator didn’t know this.
Almost as embarrassing as when Sen. @JohnCornyn didn’t appear to know that Puerto Ricans don’t get to vote in the Presidential
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 23, 2020
Cruz fired back: “@AOC seems not to know there are Democrats in the Senate. Or that Joe Biden (also a Dem) is publicly calling on Senate Dems to continue filibustering COVID relief because he thinks it will help them win Georgia.”
.@AOC seems not to know there are Democrats in the Senate.
Or that Joe Biden (also a Dem) is publicly calling on Senate Dems to continue filibustering COVID relief because he thinks it will help them win Georgia. https://t.co/vy5HG3h2qr
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 24, 2020
“Democrats in the Senate have more than once filibustered a vote on the scaled-back GOP proposal, most recently at the end of October. The bill, less than a third of the size of the $2.2 trillion figured back by Democratic leaders, included boosted federal unemployment benefits, another round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, a key small business rescue program, money for schools and liability protections for businesses,” Fox News noted.
As reported by The Hill, reports that Biden has been pressuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to pass a less extensive bill are “incorrect,” according to a Biden spokesman:
The New York Times reported that Biden’s team was pressing Pelosi and Schumer to cut a deal during the lame-duck, even if it’s smaller than Democratic leaders in Congress prefer. Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden, said it was “incorrect” that Biden was explicitly pushing Pelosi and Schumer to pass a pared-down bill. He didn’t respond to a question about if Biden, who has repeatedly said he wants a deal this year, could support a bill less than $2.2 trillion.
“As the pandemic worsens and the U.S. economy teeters on the edge of another downturn, President-elect Joe Biden is ramping up calls for Congress to pass another coronavirus relief bill before he’s sworn in,” Politico reported on Saturday. “At the same time, he’s aligned himself with Democratic leaders in Congress, who have insisted on roughly $2 trillion in new relief spending — a price tag Senate Republicans so far have refused to accept.”