Speaking on Fox News with host Martha MacCallum on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McDonnell, fed-up with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s grandstanding on the coronavirus stimulus bill passed by the Senate, fired back, &#8220;I wish Nancy would turn off all those political talking points.&#8221;
McConnell began by noting that the Senate had come together after the divisiveness of the impeachment proceedings that targeted President Trump:
<blockquote>If you think about it, Martha, we’ve pivoted from impeachment, one of the most contentious fights you can imagine, to passing this rescue package, 96-0. I was proud of the Senate; we came together in less than a week, which was a very challenging thing to do in Congress, with lots of different types of people and lots of different points of view, and we delivered it. I’m confident the House will pass it tomorrow.</blockquote>
MacCallum commented, “So in terms of the House; Nancy Pelosi basically said, thank goodness we got our arms around this thing; Republicans wanted it to be just a big gift to corporations in America, and we wrestled with it and made it something that works for the American worker and the middle class. What do you say to that?”
McConnell answered, “I wish Nancy would turn off all those political talking points. An awful lot of Americans work for big companies. So we didn’t want to exclude the employees simply because of the size of their employer. She knows better than that, and that’s just the kind of thing that she routinely says. I hope it comforts her members because I certainly want them to take up and pass this bill that not a single Republican in the Senate opposed.”
MacCallum played a clip of Pelosi saying, “We had a proposal on pensions in the legislation that my understanding was, and I trust that it’s true, that the president supported, but Senator McConnell wouldn’t do it, but said we’ll do it in the next bill, so we’re ready for that.”
MacCallum asked, “So what is the next bill, and how many more phases of this do you see, sir?”
McConnell replied, “Well, we have a pension problem, but it’s not related to the coronavirus; that’s why it’s not in the bill.”
MacCallum agreed the pension problem was not related to the coronavirus, saying, “No, it’s not.”
McConnell continued, “The emergency bill that we may have to pass in the future needs to be related to the subject. And that was a problem here as some of the elbowing was going on when the Speaker came back from California and tried to get involved in the Senate bill by suggesting a number of things that were completely unrelated to the coronavirus crisis but more related to the Democratic policy agenda. So we’re not going to use these coronavirus relief bills as a way to pass Democratic policy proposals. That’s not what this emergency’s about.”
Asked about the fact that bill might possibly pay people even more than they would normally make and if that would disincentivize them from returning to work, McConnell replied, “Well, we’re all wrestling with that. We’re all listening to Dr. Fauci; you just had Dr Birx on; we can’t get back to normal totally until we defeat this virus, and so our health care professionals, who don’t have a political label, are the people who can help us get out of this pandemic, which is creating the economic problem. So it is a tough call; we all want to get back to normal.”
McConnell noted that most Americans are suffering from “cabin fever, they’re stuck at home, many of them, unable to get out, and unable to get this economy, which was roaring, back up again.”
&nbsp;

Senate Takes Up Coronavirus Relief Bill Passed By House

McConnell, Fed Up, Slams Pelosi: ‘I Wish Nancy Would Turn Off All Those Political Talking Points’

Coronavirus

Mitch McConnell

Nancy Pelosi

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) highlighted &#8220;absurd provisions&#8221; that are &#8220;unrelated to the crisis at hand&#8221; that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) added to the coronavirus stimulus bill, which is needed to protect the economy and American families.
&#8220;Families and businesses need help now to survive the China virus pandemic,&#8221; Cotton <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1242169734763819011">tweeted</a>. &#8220;But @SpeakerPelosi walked away from negotiations to write her own bill, full of absurd provisions completely unrelated to the crisis at hand.&#8221;
Cotton then laid out 12 things that &#8220;Speaker Pelosi is demanding while Americans suffer.&#8221;
Cotton&#8217;s list included:
<ol>
<li>Corporate pay statistics by race and race statistics for all corporate boards at companies receiving assistance.</li>
<li>Bailing out all current debt of postal service</li>
<li>Required early voting</li>
<li>Required same day voter registration</li>
<li>10k bailout for student loans</li>
<li>For companies accepting assistance, 1/3 of board members must be chosen by workers</li>
<li>Provisions on official time for union collective bargaining</li>
<li>Full offset of airline emissions by 2025</li>
<li>Greenhouse gas statistics for individual flights</li>
<li>Retirement plans for community newspaper employees</li>
<li>$15 minimum wage at companies receiving assistance</li>
<li>Permanent paid leave at companies receiving assistance</li>
</ol>
&#8220;The Democrats see an opportunity in this crisis,&#8221; Cotton concluded. &#8220;Not to help the American people, but to hold an emergency relief bill hostage until they get their radical wish list. How long will Arkansans and Americans across the country have to wait?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MSNBC’s <a href="https://twitter.com/GarrettHaake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GarrettHaake</a> on Dems&#39; Coronavirus bill: They&#39;re looking to include &quot;election security and vote by mail … [things] that are arguably not a current crisis” <a href="https://t.co/BcC2YoCqA4">pic.twitter.com/BcC2YoCqA4</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1242205113256529921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yesterday, Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrats-block-coronavirus-bill-that-provides-lifeline-to-economy-families">blocked</a> a $1.8 trillion stimulus bill, which included $1,200 payments to millions of Americans and numerous other benefits, from being passed after Pelosi allegedly blew up the deal, according to Republicans and various reports.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-explodes-on-pelosi-for-ruining-stimulus-bill-that-protected-economy-families">unloaded</a> on Pelosi during a speech on the Senate floor yesterday, saying that the Senate was doing just fine until her &#8220;intervention.&#8221;
“The American people are watching this spectacle,” McConnell said. “I’m told the futures market is down 5%. I’m also told that that’s when trading stops. So the notion that we have time to play games here with the American economy and the American people is utterly absurd.”
“So I want to explain what just happened,” McConnell continued. “Our good friends on the other side would not have been disadvantaged one bit if this vote had succeeded because it would have required potentially 30 more hours of discussion, during which these seemingly endless negotiations could go on as long as they would like.”
“Now the build up to this, so everybody fully understands, is that we had a high level of bipartisanship in five different working groups over the last 48 hours where members who were participating were reaching agreement,” McConnell continued. “And then all of a sudden the Democratic leader and the Speaker of the House shows up, and we’re back to square one. So, we’re fiddling here, fiddling with the emotions of the American people, fiddling with the markets, fiddling with our health care. The American people expect us to act tomorrow. And I want everybody to fully understand if we aren’t able to act tomorrow, it will be because of our colleagues on the other side continuing to dicker when the country expects us to come together and address this problem.”
“Now I changed my vote which gives me the opportunity to move to reconsider at a later time. That’s all I can do in the face of this obstruction. Look, I can understand obstruction when you’re trying to achieve something,” McConnell continued. “This obstruction achieves nothing. Nothing whatsoever other than prevent us from getting into a position where there are literally 30 more hours that they could use to continue to dicker. So at a time when the country is crying out for bipartisanship and cooperation — and we saw that over the last 48 hours when regular members of Senate, not in the leadership office, not in the speaker’s office for goodness sakes, she’s the Speaker of the House, not the speaker of the Senate. We don’t have one. We were doing just fine until that intervention.”
<div class="post-body fbia-body load-external-scripts fitvids css-rgx5yz enc9ux60">
“So I want the American people to fully understand what’s going on here,” McConnell continued. “The markets are already reacting to this outrageous nonsense. We have an obligation to the American people to deal with this emergency and to deal with it tomorrow. And if we don’t, I want everybody to fully understand you’ve seen everybody who’s on record, I’ve conspicuously avoided trying to turn this into any kind of partisan effort for two days. But it’s pretty clear what’s going on here.”
“Hopefully some adults will show up on the other side of the room and understand the gravity of the situation and the need to act before the markets go down further and the American people become even more depressed about our lack of ability to come together under the most extraordinary circumstances,” McConnell continued. “We’ve never been confronted with anything like this before. It’s totally different. And we’re not immune to it in terms of the public health risk. The coronavirus has hit the Senate today as well. We have five members, five members in self-quarantine. Everybody understands the emergency, particularly when it hits close to home. It’s not just back in our states, but right here in the Senate. So I would say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, step up, step up. Help us reach an agreement so we can do what needs to be done for the American people no later than tomorrow.”
</div>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The American people expect us to act. If we fail, it will be because Senate Democrats are continuing to dither while the country expects bold, bipartisan action. <a href="https://t.co/23pFHoDtCl">pic.twitter.com/23pFHoDtCl</a>
&mdash; Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) <a href="https://twitter.com/senatemajldr/status/1241890195676573696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

U.S. Senate Meets As Virus Rescue Plan Stalls

Senator Highlights Pelosi’s ‘Absurd’ Coronavirus Bill That Is ‘Unrelated To The Crisis’

Tom Cotton

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who led the effort to ink a comprehensive, bipartisan coronavirus relief package, erupted in anger Monday morning, excoriating Democrats who pulled an eleventh hour political stunt, calling time on the stimulus as they pursued a separate relief packaged, authored by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and packed with handouts to unions, and Green New Deal demands.
McConnell, clearly incensed, took to the Senate floor to voice his concerns, shredding the Democrats&#8217; proposals.
“Tax credits for solar energy and wind energy. Provisions to force employers to give special new treatment to Big Labor. And listen to this — new emissions standards for the airlines. Are you kidding me?,” McConnell raved.
&#8220;This is not a juicy political opportunity. This is a national emergency,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;They ought to be embarassed.&#8221;
“I’d like to see Senate Democrats tell NYC doctors they’re filibustering hospital funding and more masks because they want to argue with the airlines over their carbon footprint,&#8221; McConnell added, jabbing at Democrats over their proposed conditions to coronavirus relief, including a cap on airline emissions and a handout for &#8220;alternative&#8221; energy companies that peddle solar panels and wind turbines.
The normally reserved McConnell even lashed out at Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) who, as recently as Sunday, was a supporter of the bipartisan coronavirus relief bill.
&#8220;And it looks like we’re worried more about the economy than we are the health care and the wellbeing of the people of America,” Manchin groaned, referencing a so-called &#8220;slush fund&#8221; for corporations, which Republicans say is merely a provision that will dole out interest-free loans to businesses still affected by the coronavirus lockdown in six months, provided that they don&#8217;t spend the money on C-suite salaries and stock buybacks.
McConnell fired back: “The American people are waiting for us to act today! We don’t have time for this! We don’t have time for it!”
“Answer my question!” McConnell demanded of Manchin. “In what way would the Democratic Party be disadvantaged?”
Manchin eventually trailed off on health care, clearly forgetting that the negotiated bill &#8212; which was up for debate and not passage when it was sidelined &#8212; contains money for hospitals and healthcare workers handling the coronavirus response.
Pelosi, reportedly the force behind the Democrats&#8217; decision to abandon a bipartisan relief effort, unveiled her bill at 2 p.m. EST on Monday. It is expected to total more than $1.6 trillion in spending and include provisions bailing out the post office, mandating same-day voter registration, pushing diversity quotas on corporate boards, and, potentially, funding abortion providers with money unhindered by the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayers from directly funding abortion services &#8212; something Pelosi tried desperately to sneak into an earlier draft of a coronavirus response bill.
The Democrats may still have to come to the bargaining table on McConnell&#8217;s proposals, however. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), perhaps sensing pushback from his constituencies, said there was still room for movement Monday morning, but would not specify what the Democrats&#8217; were looking to do with the current, bipartisan bill.
Without assent or debate, a coronavirus relief package likely will not pass Congress until at least Friday.

‘Are You Kidding Me?’: Mitch McConnell SHREDS Democrats In Fiery Senate Floor Speech

The Democrats, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), pulled an eleventh hour political move Sunday night, voting to pull a massive coronavirus recovery package after spending days negotiating with Republicans and top administration officials, in order to produce their own hastily constructed stimulus bill packed with handouts to Democratic constituencies.
The move angered Americans who are desperate to find some solace in social and economic quarantine and incensed Senate Republicans who spent days at the bargaining table with prominent Democrats, like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), under the impression they were hammering out a mutually acceptable, bipartisan stimulus package that could get money to individual Americans quickly while preserving some funds for businesses that could suffer long-term financial harm.
Pelosi, who had been on recess, sheltering in her home district, returned to Washington, D.C., Sunday night and upended the process, ordering Senate Democrats to restrict voting, kill the bill, and make way for a second stimulus package, which will hit the House floor at 2pm EST Monday.
Early reports on the Democrats&#8217; bill show a piece of legislation packed with handouts, bailouts, and cash offerings to the Democrats&#8217; top constituencies, as well as provisions demanding enforcement of the Green New Deal, easing voting restrictions, and strengthening union allies.
Townhall&#8217;s Guy Benson reported Monday that the bill contains &#8220;unprecedented collective bargaining powers for unions,&#8221; &#8220;increased fuel emissions standards for airlines,&#8221; and &#8220;expansion of wind and solar tax credits&#8221; — all items totally unrelated to the bill&#8217;s purpose.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to confirm those additions in a fiery floor speech Monday, accusing Democrats of bringing the country to an economic standstill.
Journalist Rachel Bovard managed to get an early copy of the 1,400-page Pelosi bill, and found further evidence of a lack of seriousness on the part of Democratic legislators. According to Brovard, the bill contains provisions bailing out the post office:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It also bails out the postal service. <a href="https://t.co/cy9GYoK7zj">pic.twitter.com/cy9GYoK7zj</a>
&mdash; Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1242116665489399815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The bill also mandates &#8220;risk limiting audits&#8221; of elections, as well as same-day voter registration — a longtime Democrat wishlist item that&#8217;s largely been considered a major hurdle to any voter rights legislation, given the possibility of abuse.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pelosi&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> bill is 1,119 pages and contains provisions for &quot;conducting risk-limiting audits of results of elections&quot; so yeah it&#39;s really very focused on the crisis at hand.🤦🏻‍♀️ <a href="https://t.co/Q6axBi14lZ">pic.twitter.com/Q6axBi14lZ</a>
&mdash; Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1242116258834845710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ah, yes, requiring early voting will save us all from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Gwg4Tcyjx5">pic.twitter.com/Gwg4Tcyjx5</a>
&mdash; Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1242121907694186497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Same day voter registration, a long-time Dem wishlist item, very relevant to addressing those businesses and working families about to go under from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a>. <a href="https://t.co/KizGbEYq9O">pic.twitter.com/KizGbEYq9O</a>
&mdash; Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1242123563760521216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Democrats, Monday, complained that the bipartisan Senate relief bill contains a &#8220;slush fund&#8221; of corporate bailout money that will be doled out six months from the first bill. Senate Republicans were clear Monday that the &#8220;slush fund&#8221; — in actuality, a zero-interest loan program to compensate businesses harmed by government lockdown — has clear restrictions on the $500 billion set aside to assist firms that have not recovered from the coronavirus lockdown within six months, including limits on funding corporate bonuses and stock buybacks.
&#8220;Direct Lending Limitations: executive total compensation may not exceed $425,000; prohibition of stock buybacks during the duration of the loan; borrowers must maintain existing payroll as of March 13,&#8221; per the bill itself.
The Democrats&#8217; bill does address corporations, but not by limiting salaries and buybacks — by demanding that corporations adhere to a non-sensical and irrelevant &#8220;diversity quota,&#8221; completely unnecessary to the task at hand.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Also, guys, let&#39;s maybe focus on restricting stock buybacks and executive compensation with taxpayer loans and save the woke-scolding for later? <a href="https://t.co/6iv0TKbbwU">pic.twitter.com/6iv0TKbbwU</a>
&mdash; Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1242118555107196933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Other provisions of the Democrats bill reportedly include a student loan bailout (up to $30,000 per borrower), and a limit on evictions, foreclosures, and deportations. Other, unconfirmed, reports note that Pelosi plans to include all provisions excised from earlier attempts at politicizing the stimulus bill, including a handout to abortion providers unrestricted by the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer dollars from going to directly fund abortion services.
Pelosi is expected to release the bill at 2 p.m.
&nbsp;

NAncy Pelosi

SHOCK: Dem Stock Coronavirus Package With Green New Deal Handouts, Post Office Bailout, Union Cash

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is under quarantine for possible exposure to coronavirus, expressed deep anger at Senate Democrats who voted down a coronavirus relief package after working on the bipartisan bill all weekend.
&#8220;Nothing in the Senate has shocked me, until today,&#8221; Romney wrote on Twitter. &#8220;Standing in the way of a critically needed rescue package is irresponsible and reckless. Dems say not enough money to states: nearly $200 billion isn’t chump change. Hospitals get at least $75 billion.&#8221;
The Utah senator then went on to suggest that Democrats&#8217; primary objections to the Senate package stemmed from a complete lack of economic understanding.
&#8220;As for funds for companies,&#8221; Romney said, referencing a so-called &#8220;slush fund&#8221; within the bill designed to provide further relief to coroporations and entities suffering six months after any coronavirus lockdown is lifeted, &#8220;it’s to keep entities that employ millions of Americans from folding—it’s to save jobs. Keep this up a little longer and we will go from social distancing to social destruction.&#8221;
Romney has only been in the Senate a short time &#8212; prior to being elected to now-retired Sen. Orrin Hatch&#8217;s seat in Utah, he served as a governor in Massachusetts and a presidential candidate &#8212; but he&#8217;s been open about his desire to work with Democrats where necessary, even to the detriment of the Trump Administration, to which Romney has expressed no loyalty. Just weeks ago, of course, Romney was easily the Democrats&#8217; favorite member of the Republican caucus, voting to convict President Donald Trump on at least one impeachment charge.
Democrats, led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who returned to Washington, D.C., on Sunday after spending most of last week sheltering in her district, voted to end debate on the bipartisan measure, which some senior Democrats had worked on since last Friday. The Senate, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), remained in session even as the House cleared out in order to prepare the stimulus package for passage this week.
At the eleventh hour, Pelosi declared that the stimulus was merely a corporate relief package and that the House of Representatives would be crafting their own legislation to address coronavirus relief, even though high-profile Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), were part of the roped off team that outlined the Senate bill.
&#8220;The party-line vote was a stunning setback after three days of fast-paced negotiations between senators and administration officials to reach a bipartisan compromise on legislation that is expected to be the largest economic stimulus package in American history — now expected to cost $1.8 trillion or more,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/world/coronavirus-updates-world-usa.html?action=click&amp;module=Spotlight&amp;pgtype=Homepage#link-42bc69ff">the New York Times reported</a>. &#8220;In a 47-to-47 vote, the Senate fell short of the 60 votes that would have been needed to advance the measure, even as talks continued between behind the scenes between Democrats and the White House to salvage a compromise.&#8221;
McConnell scheduled a re-vote on the package at 9:45am Monday, hoping that Democrats might be persuaded to back off their threats while the New York Stock Exchange was open and reacting directly to the possibility of stimulus legislation. Schumer, who leads the Senate Democratic caucus, refused to vote, locking himself in his chamber and announcing that no votes would take place before noon Monday.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney: ‘Nothing In The Senate Has Shocked Me’ Until Democrats Voted Down Coronavirus Relief

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) unloaded on the Democratic leadership on Sunday for killing a massive $1.8 trillion spending bill to protect the economy and American families from the fallout of the coronavirus, which originated in China.
McConnell noted that the Democratic leadership, specifically House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), were the ones who killed the bill, which reportedly had strong bipartisan support. The bill would have provided direct payments of $1,200 to millions of Americans and provided numerous other benefits.
&#8220;The American people are watching this spectacle,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;I’m told the futures market is down 5%. I’m also told that that’s when trading stops. So the notion that we have time to play games here with the American economy and the American people is utterly absurd.&#8221;
&#8220;So I want to explain what just happened,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;Our good friends on the other side would not have been disadvantaged one bit if this vote had succeeded because it would have required potentially 30 more hours of discussion, during which these seemingly endless negotiations could go on as long as they would like.&#8221;
&#8220;Now the build up to this, so everybody fully understands, is that we had a high level of bipartisanship in five different working groups over the last 48 hours where members who were participating were reaching agreement,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;And then all of a sudden the Democratic leader and the Speaker of the House shows up, and we’re back to square one. So, we’re fiddling here, fiddling with the emotions of the American people, fiddling with the markets, fiddling with our health care. The American people expect us to act tomorrow. And I want everybody to fully understand if we aren’t able to act tomorrow, it will be because of our colleagues on the other side continuing to dicker when the country expects us to come together and address this problem.&#8221;
&#8220;Now I changed my vote which gives me the opportunity to move to reconsider at a later time. That’s all I can do in the face of this obstruction. Look, I can understand obstruction when you’re trying to achieve something,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;This obstruction achieves nothing. Nothing whatsoever other than prevent us from getting into a position where there are literally 30 more hours that they could use to continue to dicker. So at a time when the country is crying out for bipartisanship and cooperation — and we saw that over the last 48 hours when regular members of Senate, not in the leadership office, not in the speaker’s office for goodness sakes, she’s the Speaker of the House, not the speaker of the Senate. We don’t have one. We were doing just fine until that intervention.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The American people expect us to act. If we fail, it will be because Senate Democrats are continuing to dither while the country expects bold, bipartisan action. <a href="https://t.co/23pFHoDtCl">pic.twitter.com/23pFHoDtCl</a>
&mdash; Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) <a href="https://twitter.com/senatemajldr/status/1241890195676573696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So I want the American people to fully understand what’s going on here,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;The markets are already reacting to this outrageous nonsense. We have an obligation to the American people to deal with this emergency and to deal with it tomorrow. And if we don’t, I want everybody to fully understand you’ve seen everybody who’s on record, I’ve conspicuously avoided trying to turn this into any kind of partisan effort for two days. But it’s pretty clear what’s going on here.&#8221;
&#8220;Hopefully some adults will show up on the other side of the room and understand the gravity of the situation and the need to act before the markets go down further and the American people become even more depressed about our lack of ability to come together under the most extraordinary circumstances,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;We’ve never been confronted with anything like this before. It’s totally different. And we’re not immune to it in terms of the public health risk. The coronavirus has hit the Senate today as well. We have five members, five members in self-quarantine. Everybody understands the emergency, particularly when it hits close to home. It’s not just back in our states, but right here in the Senate. So I would say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, step up, step up. Help us reach an agreement so we can do what needs to be done for the American people no later than tomorrow.&#8221;

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-CONGRESS

McConnell Explodes On Pelosi For Ruining Stimulus Bill That Protected Economy, Families

COVID-19

Democrats

The U.S. Senate is considering upping the payments to Americans in a massive stimulus bill to stem the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the economy.
Sources familiar with the negotiations tell <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-says-stimulus-checks-would-go-to-most-americans-as-senators-eye-higher-amount">Fox News</a> that members of Congress and the Treasury Department are discussing plans to deliver $1,200 to all Americans who qualify in two payments, for a total of $2,400. Children will receive $500 under the plan.
But not all would qualify. &#8220;One source told Fox Business Network that the amount would start to reduce for those making $75,000 and above — and the checks would be limited to those who make $99,000 or less.&#8221;
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday told Fox Business Network that there are plans to deliver $1,000 to most adult Americans within three weeks, and the same $500 per child. That means a family of four would receive as much as $3,000. In early discussions, the plans are for the first checks to go out around April 6, followed by a second wave of the same amount some time in mid-May if the crisis has not abated.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Thursday that he hopes to deliver aid to families “as rapidly as possible.”
“Senate Republicans want to put cash in the hands of the American people,” McConnell said. “This is something we want to do right away. This is not an ordinary policy, but this is not an ordinary time. The American people need help and they need it fast. This will deliver it.”
The cost for the stimulus package to Americans tops $500 billion, while the total cost will be more than $1 trillion.
But who would qualify? &#8220;McConnell indicated job status would not be a factor, and that the money would go to unemployed workers and those recently laid off; those still working; and retirees, even if they&#8217;re already receiving Social Security checks,&#8221; Fox reported.
<blockquote> McConnell’s new proposal also includes relief and support for small businesses, and would provide “new federally guaranteed loans” that he said would “address immediate cash flow problems.” McConnell also said that the Senate was working to let “qualified” small businesses get liquidity through “familiar institutions” like their community banks.
He added that the relief for small businesses would help them to “endure, help workers keep their jobs, and businesses and workers emerge from this ready to thrive.”</blockquote>
Mnuchin has also announced others plans to ease the financial burden on Americans.
“If you owe a payment to the IRS, you can defer up to $1 million as an individual,” he said, adding that the payments would be “interest free and penalty free for 90 days.” But Americans must still file by April 15.
“All you have to do is file your taxes; you’ll automatically not get charged interest in penalties,” Mnuchin said during a coronavirus briefing Wednesday with President Trump looking on.
A new <a class="class" href="http://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NPR_PBS-NewsHour_Marist-Poll_USA-NOS-and-Tables_2003151338.pdf#page=23" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Marist poll</a> conducted for NPR/PBS News earlier this week found that 18% of adults in the U.S. said that they had already lost their job or had their hours reduced due to the pandemic.
President Trump said this week he supports direct payouts to Americans. “I think we’re going to do something that gets money to them as quickly as possible. That may not be an accurate way of doing it. Some people obviously shouldn’t be getting a check for $1,000 but we’ll have an idea at the end of the day what we will be doing,&#8221; he said.
“We’re going big,” Trump said. “We want to go big, go solid.”

U.S. dollar bills

Senate Eyes Higher Amount For Stimulus Checks To Americans. Who Qualifies?

Donald Trump

U.S. Senate

While his opponent Amy McGrath has been reportedly attacking him in political ads as the coronavirus plagues their constituency, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign suspended its voter contact program in order to query voters if the campaign can provide meals to at-risk constituents.
As <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/17/mcconnell-restructures-campaign-meals-in-effort-for-kentuckians-affected-by-coronavirus/">The Daily Caller</a> reported, McConnell Senate Committee campaign manager Kevin Golden stated:
<blockquote>As Senator McConnell leads bipartisan efforts to help Kentuckians and all Americans cope with the impact of the coronavirus, Amy McGrath continues to run millions of dollars in false, negative political advertising designed to tear us apart. A candidate whose partisanship and ideology is so extreme that she cannot understand what people need in times of crisis is one that should not represent her political party, let alone the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Team Mitch has suspended its voter contact program and is asking Kentuckians if we can be a resource to provide meals for those who are at-risk and cannot get a meal on their own during this difficult time.</blockquote>
A McConnell campaign official informed the Daily Caller, “We paused our entire voter contact program and turned it into an outreach effort for at-risk Kentuckians. Phone bank volunteers are now standing by as operators for folks who need help. Staff and volunteers who, under normal circumstances, would be fanning out across the state to canvass and distribute campaign literature have been now tasked with assisting the needy during this difficult time.”
The <a href="https://amp.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article241231726.html?__twitter_impression=true">Lexington Herald Leader</a> reported that Golden stated, “Amy McGrath’s decision to blanket the airwaves with deceitful ads during the coronavirus outbreak is tasteless and shameful. As Kentuckians adjust their daily lives and schedules to help stem the outbreak, the last thing they need to see on TV is negative political advertising. The McGrath campaign must stop airing all of their advertisements.”
On Monday, the <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2020/03/16/mitch-mcconnell-puts-profit-over-people-health-care-battle/5058638002/">Courier-Journal</a> ran an op-ed by McGrath in which she attacked McConnell, writing, &#8220;Instead of acting immediately to include provisions in an emergency bill to control the costs of vaccines and treatments being developed in response to this outbreak, he held up coronavirus funding in order to make sure Big Pharma would still be able to gouge prices.&#8221;
On Tuesday night, McGrath tweeted, “Mitch McConnell doesn’t care about our commonwealth or our country. He showed that last weekend to the country, and he’s shown that to Kentucky for the past 35 years.” She cited Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post asserting, “Finally, the Republican-led Senate is fiddling while Rome burns. The failure to take an immediate vote on the house’s relief package last week was emblematic of the sloth and irresponsibility of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mitch McConnell doesn’t care about our commonwealth or our country. He showed that last weekend to the country, and he’s shown that to Kentucky for the past 35 years. <a href="https://t.co/RL4HhTWBdq">pic.twitter.com/RL4HhTWBdq</a>
&mdash; Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmyMcGrathKY/status/1240065508336164864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One problem, as NRSC Senior Advisor Matt Whitlock pointed out: “This is a stunning and embarrassing display of ignorance — the House bill made it to the Senate this morning. You want to pretend you’re running a credible challenge to the *Senate Majority Leader* and you get this stuff wrong? Come on.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is a stunning and embarrassing display of ignorance — the House bill made it to the Senate this morning. 
You want to pretend you’re running a credible challenge to the *Senate Majority Leader* and you get this stuff wrong? Come on.
&mdash; Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1240077599432495104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McConnell’s official account noted that The Washington Post corrected the Rubin assertion. The account quoted the Post admitting, “An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delayed a vote on the House’s coronavirus relief package.&#8221; The account added, “Why does Amy McGrath keep lying during a public health crisis?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delayed a vote on the House’s coronavirus relief package.&quot; &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a> 
Why does Amy McGrath keep lying during a public health crisis? <a href="https://t.co/m1x89TMw5i">https://t.co/m1x89TMw5i</a>
&mdash; Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) <a href="https://twitter.com/Team_Mitch/status/1240307290344951810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While McConnell’s Opponent Attacks Him, McConnell’s Campaign Reaches Out To Provide Meals To Constituents

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rebuked his colleague, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for telling two sitting members of the Supreme Court that they would &#8220;pay the price&#8221; if they were to rule conservatively on pending abortion cases.
Speaking on the Senate floor, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/03/05/812465786/mcconnell-condemns-schumers-comments-targeting-supreme-court-justices">McConnell said</a>, “There is nothing to call this except a threat.&#8221;
&#8220;At the very best, his comments were astonishingly reckless and irresponsible,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;The minority leader of the United States Senate threatened two associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period.&#8221;
McConnell asked Schumer to ultimately &#8220;withdraw his comments and apologize.&#8221;
&#8220;No matter the intention, words carrying the apparent threat of violence can have horrific unintended violence,&#8221; McConnell later added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/senatemajldr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@senatemajldr</a> McConnell criticizes Schumer for his threats against Gorsuch and Kavanaugh: The minority leader of the United States Senate threatened two associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, period! There’s no other way to interpret that. <a href="https://t.co/hC0ZqtzEJx">pic.twitter.com/hC0ZqtzEJx</a>
&mdash; Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/1235583773502210050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McConnell was referring to Schumer&#8217;s fiery speech on Wednesday, in which he called out Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh by name, warning them of the hell that will come if they do not side with Democrats on the abortion issue.
&#8220;I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price!&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-to-call-out-schumer-for-controversial-remarks-directed-towards-supreme-court-justices">Schumer said</a>. &#8220;You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.&#8221;
Schumer, who has not apologized, later took the floor and only said that he chose the wrong words, blaming his incendiary language on his New York upbringing.
&#8220;Now I should not have used the words I used,&#8221; Schumer said. &#8220;They didn&#8217;t come out the way I intended to &#8230; I&#8217;m from Brooklyn. We speak in strong language.&#8221;
Other prominent members of the Senate body rebuked Schumer for his remarks and called on him to apologize.
&#8220;At best, it was an injection of partisan politics into the process that should be immune to these justices. At worst it was a threat targeting two sitting members of the Supreme Court,&#8221; said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senator-to-bring-motion-to-censure-schumer-democrat-suggests-he-step-down">reported</a> by The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ryan Saavedra, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) announced on Wednesday that he would bring a motion to censure Schumer for his remarks, saying the minority leader &#8220;has no shame.&#8221;
“Now @chuckschumer is threatening Supreme Court Justices personally, to the point of implying their physical safety is endangered. Disgusting, shameful, and frankly, WEAK,” Hawley wrote on Twitter. “I would call on Schumer to apologize, but we all know he has no shame. So tomorrow I will introduce a motion to censure Schumer for his pathetic attempt at intimidation of #SupremeCourt.”
Both President Donald Trump and Chief Justice John Roberts have publicly rebuked Chuck Schumer for making the threat.
&#8220;Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,'&#8221; Justice Roberts said in a statement. &#8220;Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.&#8221;
&#8220;Schumer has brought great danger to the steps of the United States Supreme Court!,&#8221; tweeted President Trump.

Senate Lawmakers Hold Media Availability After Weekly Policy Luncheons

WATCH: Mitch McConnell Rebukes Chuck Schumer On The Senate Floor For Threatening SCOTUS Justices

Charles Schumer

Supreme Court

Speaking with Fox News on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell laid down the law with a tough, forceful statement asserting that he will not permit the Democrats to turn America into a socialist country, making it doubly clear by gleefully reiterating that he is the “Grim Reaper.”
McConnell stated:
<blockquote>Whether it’s Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, the nominee for president on the Democratic side is going to be on a path to try to turn America into a socialist country. We’re not going to let that happen. Donald Trump is still in the White House, and as long as I am Majority Leader of the Senate I get to set the agenda. That’s why I call myself the Grim Reaper. We will not have the Green New Deal and we will not have Medicare-For-None as long as I am Majority Leader of the Senate.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats are on a path to try and turn America into a socialist country. 
&quot;We are not going to let that happen…We will not have the Green New Deal and we will not have Medicare-For-None as long as I am Majority Leader of the Senate.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/senatemajldr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@senatemajldr</a> <a href="https://t.co/FlAFAUFcO9">pic.twitter.com/FlAFAUFcO9</a>
&mdash; Senate Republican Communications Center (@SRCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SRCC/status/1232714206174236672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In 2019, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/06/14/mitch-mcconnell-grim-reaper-socialist-agenda-serfaty-dnt-lead-vpx.cnn">stated</a>, “Leader McConnell, the Grim Reaper, is creating this graveyard.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed, “Leader McConnell seems to take great pride in calling himself the Grim Reaper … it’s part of the pride he takes as leader of the Senate.”
McConnell replied, &#8220;She&#8217;s got it right. For the first time in my memory, I&#8217;m going to agree with Nancy Pelosi. I am indeed the grim reaper when it comes to the socialist agenda that they&#8217;ve been ginning up over in the House with overwhelming Democratic support and sending it over to America, things that would turn us into a country we&#8217;ve never been.&#8221;
McConnell did relish the nickname; he even sold T-shirts on his campaign website with the moniker. The T-shirts were emblazoned, “So think of me as the Grim Reaper, the guy who is going to make sure that socialism doesn’t land on the president’s desk.” The website stated, “Get Your Official Grim Reaper for $35 and join Team Mitch today!”
In April 2019, during his reelection campaign, McConnell <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/mcconnell-says-he-will-be-grim-reaper-to-democrats-legislation-63796293974">told an audience in Kentucky</a>, “Are we still gonna be a competitive place? Are we still gonna be the kind of place where you realize your ambitions and your energy but if you aren’t able to do that there are still ways to lead a rewarding life? Or are we going to turn this into a socialist country? Don’t assume it cannot happen. It’ll all be in the hands, I think, of the voters of this country next year. If you share my view, and I hope you do, that that’s not what we want America to be like in the future, let me tell you this: If I’m still the Majority Leader of the Senate, think of me as the Grim Reaper. None of that stuff is gonna pass. None of it.”
He continued, “So, we have a big job to do next year. Obviously if we get the House back that takes care of it; if the president gets reelected that takes care of it; but I guarantee you: if I’m the last man standing and I’m still the Majority Leader; it ain’t happening. I promise you it ain’t happening.”

Senate Votes On Final Verdict In Impeachment Trial Of President Donald Trump

WATCH: McConnell Lays Down The Law On Stopping Socialism: ‘That’s Why I Call Myself The Grim Reaper’

Socialism

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is readying the Senate to vote on two powerful pro-life bills: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/graham-reintroduces-20-week-abortion-ban">Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act</a>, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy unless it resulted from rape, incest, or the mother’s life were endangered, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse’s <a href="https://www.omaha.com/news/state_and_regional/ben-sasse-seeks-support-for-abortion-survivors-bill/article_b85e2e10-a43f-5613-a5f4-0c362593c5a7.html">Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act</a>, which “in the case of an abortion or attempted abortion that results in a child born alive,” would ensure that a health care provider present must act to preserve the life of the child.
Graham, the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, introduced his bill supported by Judiciary Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mike Lee (R-UT).
The Judiciary Committee described the bill thus:
<blockquote>The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would make it illegal for any person to perform, or attempt to perform, an abortion without first making a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child. If the post-fertilization age of the unborn child is determined to be 20 weeks or greater, an abortion shall not be performed, unless –</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>It is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman;</li>
<li>The pregnancy is a result of rape and the woman has received medical treatment or counseling at least 48 hours prior to the abortion; or if she chooses to do so, has made a report to law enforcement; or</li>
<li>The pregnancy is a result of rape or incest against a minor and the abuse is reported to either social services or law enforcement.</li>
</ul>
The Committee added, “In the case of the exceptions – the abortion may only proceed in a manner that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive unless that would pose a greater risk of death or serious bodily injury to the pregnant woman; and the abortion provider must receive informed consent from the pregnant woman, certifying that she has been provided the child’s gestational age, a description of the law, and her rights under the law.”
Both bill would require a 60 vote super-majority in the Senate if they hope to break a filibuster; there are 53 GOP senators, but last year three Democrats supported Sasse’s legislation. Sasse <a href="https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/ben-sasse-bill-mandating-care-for-infants-born-alive-during/article_6b86ffb6-8554-5fc0-a937-7cbeb60a451d.html">has said</a> of the bill, “Picture a baby that’s already been born, that is outside the womb, gasping for air, that’s the only thing that today’s vote is actually about. We’re talking about babies who’ve already been born. Nothing in this bill touches abortion access.”
On Tuesday, Sasses stated, “This hearing is about making sure that every newborn baby has a fighting chance — whether she’s born in a labor and delivery ward or whether she’s born in an abortion clinic.&#8221;
On Thursday, Senator John Thune(R-S.D.) slammed Democrats over the issue, saying, &#8220;Unfortunately abortion extremism has grown to such an extent in the Democrat Party that leading Democrats — including a Democrat presidential candidate — have not only ruled out banning late-term abortions, they’ve actually refused to rule out infanticide.”
&nbsp;

McConnell Readies Senate For Two Major Pro-Life Bills

Abortion

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News&#8217;s Bret Baier on Thursday night that there is little difference between the socialist Bernie Sanders and the other Democratic presidential candidates.
&#8220;As you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role,&#8221; Baier said. &#8220;What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a President Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?&#8221;
&#8220;You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War,&#8221; McConnell responded. &#8220;He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. Some of them call themselves moderates.&#8221;
&#8220;If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine,&#8221; McConnell continued. &#8220;I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Mitch McConnell On Bret Baier" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGufGkFz0H4?start=592&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRET BAIER: You heard about the attorney general and his concerns about the president’s tweeting, saying it&#8217;s making it impossible to do his job. Your reaction to that?
MITCH MCCONNELL: My reaction is, the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general, I think the president should listen to his advice.
BAIER: You have a problem with the president&#8217;s tweeting as well?
MCCONNELL: I think that if attorney general says it&#8217;s getting in the way of doing his job maybe the presidential listen to the attorney general.
BAIER: Do you think his tweet about his opinion on the Roger Stone sentencing is inappropriate political interference?
MCCONNELL: The attorney general said it’s making him difficult to do his job. I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general, whose an outstanding law enforcement officer, he&#8217;s a top person in the country. The president made a wide selection in picking Bill Barr pair they got to listen to him.
BAIER: You precedent. Are you concerned at all that President Trump in his mind has some how politicized of the department of justice or this is become the new normal for him?
MCCONNELL: I hate to keep saying the same thing. &#8230; I think the attorney general knows what he’s talking about. I’m not the attorney general but I have confidence in Bill Barr. I think he’s doing a good job and I think he’s told the president, this is not helpful, making it difficult for him to do his job. I think the president will listen to it.
BAIER: If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?
MCCONNELL: Let me remind you what I said in 2016. I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020. I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it.
&#8230;
BAIER: Will there be any judicial vacancies left unfilled?
MCCONNELL: I hope not. I hope not.
BAIER: Do you risk criticism if you do the judges but you don’t get those other big things done like prescription drugs, infrastructure.
MCCONNELL: I risk criticism every day. My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility. We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.
BAIER: Last thing, as you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role. What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a president Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?
MCCONNELL: You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War. He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. They may call themselves moderates. If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine. I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.
BAIER: You have to have an answer for the health care attack, right? That is coming up time and time again in Iowa, New Hampshire, and there is not a Republican answer yet.
MCCONNELL: You mean on prescription drugs?
BAIER: No, I&#8217;m saying overall. You&#8217;re fighting in court against ObamaCare and against pre-existing conditions. The president on the State of the Union says he’s going to fight for pre-existing conditions all time. There’s a dichotomy and not a way forward.
MCCONNELL: Look, let&#8217;s put it this way, you saw that the Democrats couldn&#8217;t even put on a caucus in Iowa, I do not think the country would be better off to put them in charge of our healthcare.</blockquote>

U.S.-WASHINGTON D.C.-SENATE-TRUMP-ACQUITTAL

McConnell: There Is Little Difference Between Bernie Sanders, Other Democrat Candidates

Bernie Sanders

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News&#8217;s Bret Baier on Thursday night that his top priority is confirming as many pro-law judges to the judicial system to the courts and that it is the most important long-term thing that Republicans can do for America.
&#8220;If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?&#8221; Baier asked.
&#8220;Let me remind you what I said in 2016,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it,&#8221; McConnell continued, later adding that he hopes to have filled all vacancies this year.
&#8220;My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility,&#8221; McConnell added. &#8220;We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Mitch McConnell On Bret Baier" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nGufGkFz0H4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>BRET BAIER: You heard about the attorney general and his concerns about the president’s tweeting, saying it&#8217;s making it impossible to do his job. Your reaction to that?
MITCH MCCONNELL: My reaction is, the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general, I think the president should listen to his advice.
BAIER: You have a problem with the president&#8217;s tweeting as well?
MCCONNELL: I think that if attorney general says it&#8217;s getting in the way of doing his job maybe the presidential listen to the attorney general.
BAIER: Do you think his tweet about his opinion on the Roger Stone sentencing is inappropriate political interference?
MCCONNELL: The attorney general said it’s making him difficult to do his job. I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general, whose an outstanding law enforcement officer, he&#8217;s a top person in the country. The president made a wide selection in picking Bill Barr pair they got to listen to him.
BAIER: You precedent. Are you concerned at all that President Trump in his mind has some how politicized of the department of justice or this is become the new normal for him?
MCCONNELL: I hate to keep saying the same thing. &#8230; I think the attorney general knows what he’s talking about. I’m not the attorney general but I have confidence in Bill Barr. I think he’s doing a good job and I think he’s told the president, this is not helpful, making it difficult for him to do his job. I think the president will listen to it.
BAIER: If a Supreme Court seat were to open up before the November election, would you hold that seat open like you did for Merrick Garland to let voters decide what presidential candidates pick the next justice?
MCCONNELL: Let me remind you what I said in 2016. I said you&#8217;d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the president. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020. I’m not aware of any vacancy, but if you are asking me a hypothetical whether this Republican Senate would confirm a member of the Supreme Court to a vacancy that created this year, we would fill it.
&#8230;
BAIER: Will there be any judicial vacancies left unfilled?
MCCONNELL: I hope not. I hope not.
BAIER: Do you risk criticism if you do the judges but you don’t get those other big things done like prescription drugs, infrastructure.
MCCONNELL: I risk criticism every day. My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that our judiciary was the most important responsibility. We’ve done now 51 the circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system: Putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as is written is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, its my top priority.
BAIER: Last thing, as you look at the Democratic race right now, a lot of angst on the Democratic side about Bernie Sanders versus a centrist or moderate role. What would it do to the country, do you think, if it was a president Bernie Sanders, if he was elected over President Trump in November if he&#8217;s the nominee?
MCCONNELL: You’ve got to worry about a nominee who is so attracted to the old Soviet Union years ago that he and his wife and him went to a honeymoon to Moscow during the Cold War. He’s the real deal. What bothers me more is all the rest of them sound very similar. They just don’t describe themselves as socialists. They may call themselves moderates. If the definition of a moderate in the Democratic presidential primary these days is, they&#8217;re not for &#8216;Medicare For All&#8217; but the public option, the public option there will be only be one insurance company pretty soon, so they&#8217;re all heading the same direction, socialized medicine. I think they are all taking far-left positions and even though Bernie Sanders gets some credit for truth in labeling, they are I think all heading in the same direction.
BAIER: You have to have an answer for the health care attack, right? That is coming up time and time again in Iowa, New Hampshire, and there is not a Republican answer yet.
MCCONNELL: You mean on prescription drugs?
BAIER: No, I&#8217;m saying overall. You&#8217;re fighting in court against ObamaCare and against pre-existing conditions. The president on the State of the Union says he’s going to fight for pre-existing conditions all time. There’s a dichotomy and not a way forward.
MCCONNELL: Look, let&#8217;s put it this way, you saw that the Democrats couldn&#8217;t even put on a caucus in Iowa, I do not think the country would be better off to put them in charge of our healthcare.</blockquote>

Senate Republicans And Democrats Meet For Respective Policy Luncheons

McConnell: My Top Priority Is ‘The Most Important Long-Term Thing We Can Do’ For U.S.

Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) suggested on Sunday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the National Rifle Association (NRA) were responsible for attempted assassinations on two police officers in New York City over the weekend.
&#8220;Twice in 12 hours, a single gunman terrorized the New York Police Department, firing upon and wounding uniformed officers stationed in the Bronx in separate attacks that officials have condemned as assassination attempts,&#8221; The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/09/bronx-nypd-police-shootings/">reported</a>. &#8220;One officer was shot in the neck and chin Saturday night when the suspected gunman fired several rounds into a marked police van and then fled, authorities said. At 7 a.m. Sunday morning, police say, the same man walked into the Bronx precinct headquarters and opened fire again, striking a lieutenant in the arm and surrendering after his 9mm handgun ran out of bullets.&#8221;
Columnist David Webb called out Ocasio-Cortez for not responding to the attacks, writing, &#8220;I checked both @AOC and ⁦ @RepAOC and so far no comment about the #NYPD officers shot in her district.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez responded by writing, &#8220;This is not my district, but our thoughts are with all officers &amp; people impacted by this shooting &amp; the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Perhaps you would get less mixed up if McConnell stood up to the NRA &amp; passed common-sense gun safety measures to reduce shootings.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s suggestion that the alleged attempted targeted assassinations could have been stopped by restricting Americans’ Second Amendment rights with legislation is laughably false because the alleged attacker had a history of violent crime and thus would have been banned from owning or possessing a firearm, meaning no law would have stopped him.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Sunday at a news conference that the man had a “lengthy violent criminal history,” including serving over a decade in prison for attempted murder.
Former NFL player and current Republican congressional candidate Burgess Owens slammed Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s response, writing, &#8220;Maybe this isn&#8217;t the perfect timing to remind us how clueless you are when it comes to gun laws. Maybe you&#8217;re not aware of how strict NY gun laws are, or maybe you&#8217;re just trying your best to capitalize on a tragedy and use it for talking points. Disgusting.&#8221;
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Maybe this isn&#39;t the perfect timing to remind us how clueless you are when it comes to gun laws. Maybe you&#39;re not aware of how strict NY gun laws are, or maybe you&#39;re just trying your best to capitalize on a tragedy and use it for talking points. Disgusting.
&mdash; Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) <a href="https://twitter.com/BurgessOwens/status/1226622921965064192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Republican congressional candidate Catalina Lauf took a shot at Ocasio-Cortez, saying that her tweet was &#8220;a veiled radical gun control propaganda message.&#8221;
&#8220;Absolutely sick,&#8221; Lauf continued. &#8220;This was a planned attempt to harm them – not an example of &#8216;gun violence.&#8217; It is the person and their hateful bavior NOT the weapon.&#8221;
In the first part of her tweet, Lauf had mistakenly thought that Ocasio-Cortez deleted her tweet.
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And no surprise <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> now deleted tweet offering sympathy to the NYC officers was a veiled radical gun control propaganda message. Absolutely sick. This was a planned attempt to harm them — not an example of “gun violence.” It is the person and their hateful bavior NOT the weapon.
&mdash; Catalina Lauf IL-14 Congressional Candidate (@CatalinaLauf) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatalinaLauf/status/1226634100410388482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
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EV Freedom Act

Ocasio-Cortez Seems To Suggest McConnell Responsible For Attempted Assassinations In NYC

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

National Rifle Association (NRA)

New York City

Police

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wasted no time after the Senate acquitted President Trump in his impeachment trail, immediately filing cloture on a number of judges as he continued his relentless march toward remaking America’s judiciary with a conservative bent.  The <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom">judges included</a> Andrew Lynn Brasher to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit, Joshua M. Kindred to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Alaska, Matthew Thomas Schelp to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, John Fitzgerald Kness to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, and Philip M. Halpern to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
In March 2019, <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/06/trump-mcconnell-judges-1205722">Politico</a> reported that McConnell was intent on moving as quickly as he could to get conservative judges confirmed:
<blockquote>The Senate is on track to confirm the 34th Circuit Court judge of Trump’s presidency in the next week and the GOP has three more ready for floor action; that would give Trump roughly 20 percent of the Circuit Court seats in the country after just two years in office. At this rate, McConnell and Trump could leave few, if any, vacancies there for a potential Democratic president in 2021.
Even more alarming for Democrats, the GOP is also preparing to pull the trigger on the &#8220;nuclear option&#8221; and change Senate rules once again with a simple majority to allow much quicker confirmation of lower court judges in the coming months. &#8230;
Trump currently has 128 District Court vacancies to fill, and each one can take multiple days under current rules if any senator demands a delay; if Republicans change the rules, Trump could conceivably fill most of those over the next 20 months.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.hughhewitt.com/senate-majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-3/">Speaking with radio host Hugh Hewitt</a> in December, McConnell stated:
<blockquote>Just to put it in perspective, President Obama appointed 55 Circuit judges in 8 years. President Trump with our Senate confirmation has done 50 in 3 years. So the pace is dramatic. What these men and women have in common is they’re all young, they’re all smart. A heavy percentage of them have been Supreme Court clerks. They’ll be on the court for a very long time, and what they have in common is what Justice Scalia used to say – the job of a judge is to follow the law and the Constitution.
You would think that wouldn’t be such a quaint notion, but among Democratic appointees, that’s been their approach. President Obama tipped his hand when he said he wanted to appoint judges who had empathy. Well, that’s great if you’re the litigant for whom the judge has empathy, not so good if you aren’t.</blockquote>
He added, “Another statistic, one out of every four of the U.S. Circuit judges in the country have been put on the bench in the last three years. So we do believe with a second Trump term and a continued Senate Republican majority, we can transform the courts even further … We almost have no vacancies left at the Circuit Court level. I’ve filed cloture petitions on 13 district judges this week, and we’ll start voting on them today. And Hugh, you’ll be pleased to know that my motto for the remainder of this Congress is leave no vacancy behind.”

McConnell Triumphant: Immediately After Impeachment Acquittal Files Cloture On More Judges To Remake Judiciary

Impeachment

Senate Republicans will move quickly to acquit President Donald Trump &#8212; holding a vote as early as Friday &#8212; if the Senate does not vote to allow further witness testimony.
Republican Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) told reporters on Thursday that &#8220;it was possible the trial could end on Friday without Democrats achieving their goal of having witnesses called to testify,&#8221; <a href="http://news.trust.org//item/20200129221314-zxcyl/">according to Reuters</a>.
&#8220;The momentum is clearly in the direction of moving to final judgment on Friday. That vote will be Friday,&#8221; Barrasso said. &#8220;We still have a couple members who said they want to listen to the answers to questions, but that&#8217;s where the momentum is.&#8221;
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that he expects that &#8220;the president will be acquitted, and I think it will be this week.&#8221;
The Senate will spend Thursday posing questions to the two sets of legal teams, the president&#8217;s slate of attorneys and the House &#8220;impeachment managers,&#8221; including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). After the question and answer period has concluded, the Senate will likely adjourn until Friday morning.
As promised when the president&#8217;s Senate trial began, Senators will have one final opportunity to opt to hear from witnesses like former national security advisor John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. They will hold discussion on the possibility and, likely, a vote, sometime Friday morning.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been pushing for witness testimony since before Trump&#8217;s Senate impeachment trial began, in the hopes that the Senate can help close holes left in the House impeachment panel&#8217;s case against the president.
First, they tried to withhold the articles of impeachment as leverage &#8212; a strategy that fell flat when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, simply, that he would not hold a Senate trial until the articles were delivered. They then tried to convince Republicans that witnesses were necessary, a strategy that looked like it would fail, as well, until last Sunday, when early drafts of Bolton&#8217;s book leaked to the New York Times, including a passage that seemed to indicate that Trump had, indeed, withheld foreign aid from the Ukraine until Ukrainian officials agreed to pursue an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
On Monday, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) appeared to be whipping his own small coalition of Republicans to vote for witness testimony &#8212; an effort that looked likely to succeed until sometime late Tuesday, after a &#8220;secret meeting&#8221; where McConnell and allies reportedly convinced Republicans &#8220;on the fence&#8221; about witnesses to vote against prolonging the trial.
The final vote on witnesses will likely happen Friday. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to press the issue as a whole. If that vote goes Democrats&#8217; way, each witness must be assessed and then voted on, independently, before he or she is allowed to testify. Democrats would need four Republicans to vote with their caucus on each individual witness they intend to call.
If the vote does not go Democrats&#8217; way, it&#8217;s not clear how soon the trial could conclude. The Senate rules says, simply that &#8220;[a]t the conclusion of the deliberations by the Senate, the Senate shall vote on each article of impeachment.&#8221;
&#8220;Both sides could try to make motions after the failed witness vote,&#8221; recalled the Hill. &#8220;In former President Clinton&#8217;s impeachment trial, there were two procedural votes, including a failed effort to suspend the rules, before the two votes on the articles of impeachment.&#8221; Clinton&#8217;s trial concluded on the 9th of February and a vote to acquit was held three days later, on the 12th.

Senate Votes On Nomination Of Betsy DeVos To Be Secretary Of Education

Report: Republicans Plotting Friday Acquittal If Senate Turns Down Witness Testimony

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is &#8220;increasingly confident&#8221; that the GOP will have enough votes to block the Democrats from bringing witnesses to the floor in President Donald Trump&#8217;s impeachment trial &#8220;by Friday,&#8221; despite efforts on the part of moderate Republican Senators, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) to whip votes in support of calling former national security advior John Bolton to the witness stand.
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defense-team-to-close-arguments-complicated-by-bolton-reports-11580215229">The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday</a> night that McConnell is desperately whipping his caucus, looking for the votes needed to block efforts at forcing witness testimony, adding that McConnell&#8217;s vote count &#8220;wasn&#8217;t where it needed to be.&#8221; A White House source told the Journal, though, that McConnell and administration allies in Senate Republican leadership were “still in the game.&#8221;
A vote on whether to allow witness testimony is currently scheduled for Friday.
In recent days, several Republicans have expressed a desire to hear from, at least, Bolton, whose new book, &#8220;The Room Where It Happened&#8221; apparently includes new information linking Trump&#8217;s denial of foreign aid to Ukraine with his desire to see Ukrainian officials dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. But those claims are as yet unverified, and White House lawyers, in their closing arguments in the Senate yesterday, cast doubt on Bolton&#8217;s credibility as a witness &#8212; and on whether such a claim even rises to the level of an impeachable offense.
Separately, reports surfaced that acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, could take the witness stand to dispute Bolton&#8217;s assertions, giving some Senators, in favor of removing Trump from office, pause.
McConnell has allies in his fight to prevent witness testimony, the WSJ reports, and in a &#8220;secret&#8221; meeting held late Tuesday, he and other Republicans Senators made the argument that any witness testimony &#8212; even arguably relevant witness testimony &#8212; would do little to change the outcome of the trial and would simply provide Democrats with more ammunition for campaign commercials, partisan attacks, and further House inquiries. No Democrat is likely to be waved away from convicting Trump by Bolton or Mulvaney; they simply want witness testimony to injure the president further.
&#8220;Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Martha McSally of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who face competitive races in the fall, addressed their colleagues in the meeting, people familiar with the matter said. Mr. Gardner said a longer trial would lead to more Democratic attacks, according to a spokesman, and Mr. Tillis called impeachment a sham. Ms. McSally’s office said she doesn’t comment on what happens in private meetings.&#8221;
According to reporters covering the trial, McConnell seems concerned less with witnesses than with trial length. The longer the Senate trial wears on, the more likely it is to impact the president, and the Senate Majority leader wants things &#8220;wrapped up.&#8221;
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I’m at the Senate and it’s clear to me, based on background conversations with several GOP senators, that McConnell is wary of calling witnesses and doesn’t want the trial to get out of control for his party. “Mitch wants this done,” said one of them.
&mdash; Robert Costa (@costareports) <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports/status/1222276893153603587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Wednesday morning, that looks more likely. The latest reports coming out from the Senate all seem to indicate that McConnell is confident that he can put together a coalition of Senators unconvinced by the House managers&#8217; impeachment case, to vote to end the Senate trial.
&#8220;Republicans feel increasingly confident about prevailing,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/28/senate-republicans-calm-down-bolton-panic-107997">Politico reports</a>. &#8220;In the meeting, critics of hearing from witnesses made a &#8216;strong&#8217; case against voting for new evidence, according to two attendees. A third attendee who opposes new witnesses said the meeting seemed to solidify the position against new witnesses and documents: &#8216;I feel good.'&#8221;
A &#8220;feeling of calm had been restored&#8221; in the GOP caucus by the end of the day on Tuesday, Politico adds.

Senators Address The Media After Weekly Policy Luncheons

Report: McConnell ‘Increasingly Confident’ That He Will Have Votes To Block Witnesses In Senate Trial ‘By Friday’

Democrats hoping that former presidential candidate and frequent Trump critic Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) will be a stumbling block for his Republican colleagues during the impeachment trial are undoubtedly disappointed in his response to House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-trial-schedule-released-by-mcconnell-shows-hes-not-playing-games">resolution</a> outlining the proceedings.
While Democrats are taking to various media platforms to express outrage over the Republicans&#8217; plans for handling the trial, accusing McConnell of attempting to “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/impeachment-trial-live-updates/2020/01/21/a52d9a74-3c3c-11ea-b90d-5652806c3b3a_story.html">cover up</a>” the president&#8217;s alleged misconduct by fast-tracking the proceedings, Romney pointed out in a statement issued ahead of the debate Tuesday that the rules set forth by his colleagues &#8220;align closely&#8221; with those established for the impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton, rules which were unanimously approved by the Senate.
Among the Democrats alleging Republican treachery is House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who laid it on thick Tuesday. “We are staring down an erosion of the sacred democratic principles for which our founders fought a bloody war of independence,&#8221; declared Schumer, as reported by<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/impeachment-trial-live-updates/2020/01/21/a52d9a74-3c3c-11ea-b90d-5652806c3b3a_story.html"> The Washington Post</a>. &#8220;The McConnell rules seem to be designed by President Trump for President Trump,&#8221; the New York senator added. &#8220;It asks the Senate to rush through as fast as possible and makes getting evidence as hard as possible.&#8221;
But in his statement responding to the Senate Republicans&#8217; resolution, Romney torpedoed the Democrats&#8217; talking point by looking at the precedent set in the Clinton trial. While stressing that he believes the allegations against Trump are &#8220;extremely serious&#8221; and thus require his fellow senators to &#8220;put political biases aside&#8221; and hear the case in &#8220;good faith,&#8221; Romney made clear that he sees no big problem with the rules laid out by McConnell.
&#8220;The allegations outlined in the articles of impeachment passed by the House are extremely serious — did the President abuse his office for personal political gain, and did he obstruct Congress’ investigation by blocking subpoenas?&#8221; Romney said in the statement. &#8220;These allegations demand that the Senate put political biases aside, and make good faith efforts to listen to arguments from both sides and thoroughly review facts and evidence. I have made clear to my colleagues and the public that the Senate should have the opportunity to decide on witnesses following the opening arguments, as occurred in the Clinton trial. The organizing resolution released tonight includes this step, and overall, it aligns closely with the rules package approved 100-0 during the Clinton trial. If attempts are made to vote on witnesses prior to opening arguments, I would oppose those efforts.&#8221;
Romney has since criticized Democrats over their histrionic response to the resolution. &#8220;If everything is an outrage, then nothing is an outrage,&#8221; said the senator, as reported by Manu Raju (via <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/01/21/romney-im-pretty-cool-mcconnells-rules/">Hot Air</a>). Below is the full text of Romney&#8217;s <a href="https://www.romney.senate.gov/romney-statement-start-impeachment-trial">statement</a> responding to the resolution:
<blockquote>
<div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item">
As we approach the impeachment trial of the President, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to the Constitution, to the people of Utah and to the nation. I want to share my thoughts directly with Utahns — the people I was elected to serve in the Senate — about how I plan to approach this process.
Last week, I and all senators swore an oath to ‘do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God’ in determining whether the president has committed impeachable offenses that merit his removal from office. Deciding whether or not a sitting president should be removed from office is perhaps the most solemn matter that can ever come before the United States Senate. I enter this task with an open mind and a recognition of my solemn responsibility to fulfill my oath.
The allegations outlined in the articles of impeachment passed by the House are extremely serious — did the President abuse his office for personal political gain, and did he obstruct Congress’ investigation by blocking subpoenas? These allegations demand that the Senate put political biases aside, and make good faith efforts to listen to arguments from both sides and thoroughly review facts and evidence. I have made clear to my colleagues and the public that the Senate should have the opportunity to decide on witnesses following the opening arguments, as occurred in the Clinton trial. The organizing resolution released tonight includes this step, and overall, it aligns closely with the rules package approved 100-0 during the Clinton trial. If attempts are made to vote on witnesses prior to opening arguments, I would oppose those efforts.
I will conclude by noting that this is not a situation anyone would wish upon our country. It is difficult, divisive, and further inflames partisan entrenchment. There is inevitable political pressure from all sides. I have spent — and will continue to spend — many hours in careful deliberation about what this process and its potential outcomes could mean for our country. The best we in the Senate can do is strive to meet the obligations outlined by our founding fathers — to honor our constitutional duty and fulfill our oath to do impartial justice. That is the commitment I make solemnly and in good faith to the people of Utah and our nation.
</div>
</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-kicks-off-impeachment-week-by-reminding-democrats-what-theyve-said-in-the-past-about-impeachment">WATCH: Trump Kicks Off Impeachment Week By Reminding Democrats What They’ve Said In The Past About Impeachment</a>

All Eyes On Mitt: Romney’s First Move In Impeachment Trial Disappoints Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is sticking close to the 1999 Senate impeachment rules, inked ahead of then-President Bill Clinton&#8217;s Senate trial, but he&#8217;s instituting a few key changes, including one that will have the Senate voting to admit the evidence compiled in the House Intelligence Committee&#8217;s impeachment inquiry &#8212; something Democrats are suddenly very angry about.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) decried McConnell&#8217;s trial outline as that of a &#8220;rigged&#8221; process, accusing the majority leader of rushing opening arguments, cramming both the prosecution&#8217;s and the defense&#8217;s statements in to barely 48 hours, and of denying the work of the House.
After initial arguments, McConnell has it set up so that Senators will decide which aspects of the House investigation are allowed to come into play in the Senate, <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/news/mcconnell-impeachment-rules-would-condense-opening-arguments">per Roll Call</a>, meaning that while some testimony &#8212; taken during the House Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee hearings &#8212; might be allowed in, evidence &#8220;discovered&#8221; later, like text messages from Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, won&#8217;t come into play unless Senators vote to allow the presentation of further evidence and additional witness testimony.
In 1999, Schumer pointed out in statements to press made Monday night, the House articles were admitted automatically. But McConnell&#8217;s change is strategic. Democrats, including Schumer and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the House investigator-turned-impeachment manager, want to bolster the House&#8217;s case against the President  &#8212; which even The New York Times admitted is thin &#8212; with a second, fresh case made in the Senate.
Schumer, whose bid to hold the articles of impeachment hostage to force McConnell to agree to, at least, additional witness testimony, failed miserably and publicly, railed against McConnell&#8217;s restrictions.
“After reading his resolution, it’s clear Senator McConnell is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through. On something as important as impeachment, Senator McConnell’s resolution is nothing short of a national disgrace,” Schumer said in a statement released Monday night.
“Sen. McConnell’s proposed rules depart dramatically from the Clinton precedent — in ways that are designed to prevent the Senate and the American people from learning the full truth about President Trump’s actions that warranted his impeachment,” he continued. “The McConnell rules don’t even allow the simple, basic step of admitting the House record into evidence at the trial.”
The House will attempt to bolster their own case, if Senate testimony is not allowed, by issuing subpoena&#8217;s to several new, &#8220;key&#8221; witnesses who could have been called in the initial investigation but were not. Former national security advisor John Bolton is expected to be called to testify in the House by Democrats hopeful that Bolton&#8217;s answers might convince their Senate colleagues to accept witnesses.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) also suggested, last week, that the House could view additional evidence from Parnas &#8212; &#8220;several handwritten notes, emails, encrypted messages, and other documents,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/14/house-dems-release-new-impeachment-evidence-related-to-indicted-giuliani-associate-098854">according to Politico</a> &#8212; in additional sessions.
But if Democrats were looking for sympathy over the &#8220;unfair&#8221; rules from moderate Republicans, they found none. On Tuesday morning, just before the trial convened in the Senate, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), no fan of President Donald Trump and a regular critic of McConnell, told reporters that he believed the rule changes were fair and designed to encourage expediency, not secrecy.
&nbsp;

Surprise! Senate Must Vote To Admit House Evidence In Impeachment Trial

The Senate trial over the House Democrats&#8217; two articles of impeachment against President Trump — for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — officially began Thursday, when Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Senators, but the trial begins in earnest Tuesday afternoon with a vote on the procedural rules, followed by the opening arguments from both sides. Here&#8217;s what to expect in the coming days.
The first order of business is the setting of the rules for the trial, the debate over which begins at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday. Though it hasn&#8217;t officially begun yet, the rules debate is already heated.
On Monday, McConnell released the Republicans&#8217; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-trial-schedule-released-by-mcconnell-shows-hes-not-playing-games">resolution</a> outlining the schedule and rules for the impeachment proceedings — and was met with Democrat allegations that Republicans are attempting to fast-track the proceedings in order to &#8220;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/impeachment-trial-live-updates/2020/01/21/a52d9a74-3c3c-11ea-b90d-5652806c3b3a_story.html">cover up</a>&#8221; Trump&#8217;s alleged misconduct.
The Republicans have given the next step the window of 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning: the filing of initial motions and responses to those motions by the Democrats&#8217; team of impeachment managers and Trump&#8217;s impeachment team, as outlined in the Senate Republican resolution:
<blockquote>The President and the House of Representatives shall have until 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, to file any motions permitted under the rules of impeachment with the exception of motions to subpoena witnesses or documents or any other evidentiary motions. Responses to any such motions shall be filed no later than 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. All materials filed pursuant to this paragraph shall be filed with the Secretary and be printed and made available to all parties.</blockquote>
Beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, both parties will have a chance to present arguments on the motions. &#8220;Arguments on such motions shall begin at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, and each side may determine the number of persons to make its presentation, following which the Senate shall deliberate, if so ordered under the impeachment rules, and vote on any such motions,&#8221; the Republican resolution specifies.
Next will be the opening arguments from each side, which have been given a maximum of 24 hours for each team. The decision to limit the opening arguments to two days total, CNN notes, &#8220;indicates Senate Republicans are pushing to finish the trial as quickly as possible — ahead of the President&#8217;s February 4 State of the Union address.&#8221; The Republican resolution reads:
<blockquote>Following the disposition of such motions, or if no motions are made, then the House of Representatives shall make its presentation in support of the articles of impeachment for a period of time not to exceed 24 hours, over up to 2 session days. Following the House of Representatives’ presentation, the President shall make his presentation for a period not to exceed 24 hours, over up to 2 session days. Each side may determine the number of persons to make its presentation.</blockquote>
Republicans are limiting the total hours for Senators to questions both parties to 16 hours, followed by a maximum of 2 hours of response arguments for each party:
<blockquote>Upon the conclusion of the President’s presentation, Senators may question the parties for a period of time not to exceed 16 hours. Upon the conclusion of questioning by the Senate, there shall be 4 hours of argument by the parties, equally divided, followed by deliberation by the Senate, if so ordered under the impeachment rules, on the question of whether it shall be in order to consider and debate under the impeachment rules any motion to subpoena witnesses or documents.</blockquote>
The Senate will then vote on whether or not &#8220;to consider and debate under the impeachment rules any motion to subpoena witnesses or documents.&#8221;
“Following the disposition of that question, other motions provided under the impeachment rules shall be in order,” the resolution concludes. “If the Senate agrees to allow either the House of Representatives or the President to subpoena witnesses, the witnesses shall first be deposed and the Senate shall decide after deposition which witnesses shall testify, pursuant to the impeachment rules. No testimony shall be admissible in the Senate unless the parties have had an opportunity to depose such witnesses.”
The final step will be whether to convict or acquit Trump on the two articles of impeachment.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-kicks-off-impeachment-week-by-reminding-democrats-what-theyve-said-in-the-past-about-impeachment">WATCH: Trump Kicks Off Impeachment Week By Reminding Democrats What They’ve Said In The Past About Impeachment</a>

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