Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) appeared on MSNBC Friday evening to debrief about the $2 trillion bipartisan stimulus bill, which was approved by the House earlier in the day and promptly signed by President Trump, but ended up spending a portion of the interview talking about Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), the rogue Republican who signaled he would temporarily stall the House vote by invoking a call for quorum. 
“I tried to be respectful of his enthusiasm for his idea, but I did tell him that it wasn’t going to work, that we will have a voice vote, and it wasn’t going to hold us up to much,” Pelosi told Maddow on Friday evening, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/dangerous-nuisance-pelosi-slams-republican-who-requested-roll-call-vote-on-coronavirus-relief-bill">The Washington Examiner</a>. 
“We always knew we would pass this bill and we would pass it today, and we would not let any nuisance stand in the way,” continued Pelosi. “That’s really what he was, a dangerous nuisance.”
Amidst the last-minute stunt, Massie received bipartisan blowback from leading political figures, including President Trump, who called him a third-rate grandstander just looking for publicity. 
Former Secretary of State John Kerry also unloaded on the GOP Congressman in a Twitter post Friday morning, complete with a crude hashtag: “Breaking news: Congressman Massie has tested positive for being an a**hole. He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity He&#8217;s given new meaning to the term #Masshole.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Breaking news: Congressman Massie has tested positive for being an asshole. He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity. He&#8217;s given new meaning to the term <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Masshole?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Masshole</a>. (Finally, something the president and I can agree on!) <a href="https://t.co/N1CNLPsZjc">https://t.co/N1CNLPsZjc</a>
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnKerry/status/1243552337429438464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
Although President Trump promptly signed the stimulus package, Pelosi told Maddow on Friday that the president’s comments in the oval office during the signing made him a “dangerous president.”
“Later in the day we saw the president sign the bill, and he was a dangerous president,” said Pelosi, who explained that she took issue with Trump remarking that earlier in the month everything was great, but now the nation is facing a strong challenge. 
“Twenty days ago we had nearly 500 cases, 17 deaths, we had a threat that he chose to ignore, and now we have about 100,000 cases and over 1,500 deaths, and he’s still in that state where he’s not doing enough,” said Pelosi. 
Both Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) have praised the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus epidemic at various points, with Cuomo <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/cuomo-praises-trumps-coronavirus-response-his-team-is-on-it/">remarking</a> that the president has been “ready and willing to help” last week. According to The San Jose Mercury News, Newsom <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/27/coronavirus-gavin-newsom-california-response-trump/">called Trump</a> “terrific” on Friday, and said he appreciated the president’s “nice words.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-blasts-general-motors-for-wasting-time-to-produce-ventilators-uses-defense-production-act">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on Friday to compel General Motors to begin producing medical ventilators after negotiations with the company stalled. 
“Our negotiations with GM regarding its ability to supply ventilators have been productive, but our fight against the virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course,” said Trump.

Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry

Pelosi Calls Rogue Republican ‘Dangerous Nuisance,’ Jabs Trump As ‘Dangerous President’

Coronavirus

COVID-19

Donald Trump

MSNBC

Nancy Pelosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s attempted partisan sabotage of the coronavirus relief bill might mark a new low for her. That the bill finally passed doesn&#8217;t excuse her reckless gamesmanship.
Republican and Democratic Senate leaders were close to an agreement when Pelosi parked her partisan broomstick and poured poison into the congressional punchbowl.
&#8220;Talking to some Senate GOP sources,&#8221; Townhall political editor Guy Benson tweeted. &#8220;They seem stunned and angry. I&#8217;m told there was lots of bipartisan input into the legislative outline &amp; emerging specifics — including an agreement in principle on broad strokes. Then Pelosi showed up and threw a partisan grenade.&#8221; Sources said the Democratic leadership moved to exploit the crisis by attaching its socialist wish list to the bill.
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Brian Riedl, a conservative known more for his scholarship than partisanship, had strong words. &#8220;The Senate Democrats just engaged in one of the most cynical displays of partisanship I have ever seen in the U.S. Senate,&#8221; said Riedl. &#8220;They let Pelosi blow up a bipartisan agreement.&#8221;
Keep in mind that Republicans and Democrats had already hammered out an imperfect deal before Pelosi&#8217;s last-minute shenanigans. Republicans had already reluctantly agreed to certain repulsive provisions to ensure prompt relief for suffering people and the free-falling economy.
Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt also expressed uncharacteristic disgust. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell &#8220;jammed his own caucus to pass @SpeakerPelosi bill because he knows we are in a catastrophe and action needed,&#8221; Hewitt tweeted. &#8220;If businesses founder, they cannot be resurrected from ashes. Vote by @SenateDems most outrageous obstructionism I&#8217;ve ever seen and @senatemajldr anger is righteous.&#8221;
Following Pelosi&#8217;s and Sen. Chuck Schumer&#8217;s lead, congressional Democrats degenerated to class warfare to justify their obstruction, calling the bill a corporate bailout and slush fund that would not protect workers. But that was just cover for loading the bill with partisan perks that wouldn&#8217;t alleviate problems caused by the virus.
Democrats added provisions to increase federal control over elections including federal mandates on how and when we vote, and who collects absentee ballots. Conservatives have long believed these progressive proposals — mandatory early voting, mail-in ballots (which would allow ballots to be marked behind closed doors), same-day registration and legalized ballot harvesting — are aimed at manipulating election outcomes and facilitating voter fraud. These measures have consistently failed, but Pelosi and company figured that with a gun to Republicans&#8217; heads, they would cave to avoid being perceived as uncompassionate. Congressman Adam Schiff insulted Americans&#8217; intelligence even more than he usually does, by depicting these provisions as necessary to strengthen &#8220;the health of our democracy.&#8221;
Other Democratic add-ons included aid for Planned Parenthood, millions for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and an increase in the minimum wage to $15 per hour for all businesses receiving stimulus funds.
Perhaps worst of all was their ploy to require airlines receiving assistance to fully offset carbon emissions by 2025. &#8220;There is a whole concern in our country that if we&#8217;re giving tens of billions of dollars to the airlines, that we could at least have a shared value about what happens to the environment,&#8221; Pelosi tweeted.
To understand just how disgraceful this little trick was, consider the reaction of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s former chief of staff, Saikat Chakrabarti, the principal architect of AOC&#8217;s notorious Green New Deal and a progressive&#8217;s progressive. &#8220;I helped write the #GreenNewDeal and I think this is ridiculous,&#8221; Chakrabarti tweeted. &#8220;The tiny little emissions standard increase doesn&#8217;t even do anything meaningful to stave off climate change and gives the @GOP leverage to get rid of real help for working people. Solve the problem at hand.&#8221;
How can Democrats still get by with their professions of compassion when they can&#8217;t tie their shoes without injecting politics into their shoelaces? How dare they hold this relief bill hostage for items that have nothing to do with the crisis or assisting those suffering from it while otherwise claiming to support it?
This stunt showcases the level of extremism choking the reason out of the Democratic Party. Likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden&#8217;s shameless support of these Green New Deal provisions puts the lie to the notion that he is a moderate alternative to some of the more extreme leftist Democratic candidates.
One can hope for more bipartisanship in tackling this pandemic and its surrounding economic devastation, but that can only happen if we decouple from relief bills the less urgent problems unrelated to the crisis. So far, congressional Democrats have resisted that, which, in a sane world, would come back to bite them in November.
David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book is &#8220;Guilty by Reason of Insanity: Why the Democrats Must Not Win.&#8221; Follow him on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

LIMBAUGH: The Worst Time For Congressional Partisanship

Congress

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’

Mitch McConnell

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says the House of Representatives will finally take up the bipartisan Senate coronavirus relief bill on Friday, more than 24 hours after the measure passed the Senate, 96-0. In a press conference Thurdsay morning, however, she says she is still unsatisfied with the bill and that a fourth coronavirus relief package may be necessary.
Both Pelosi and House majority leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) say the House will hold debate on the bill Friday morning and anticipate it will pass on a &#8220;voice vote&#8221; despite vocal opposition from progressive House Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who, Wednesday, threatened to derail the legislation by forcing the House to do an in-person, roll call vote.
“In order to protect the safety of Members and staff and prevent further spread of COVID-19 through Members’ travel, the Republican Leader and I expect that the House vote on final passage will be done by voice vote,&#8221; Hoyer wrote in a memo to colleagues sent Thursday night. &#8220;Members who want to come to the House Floor to debate this bill will be able to do so.&#8221;
If House members want to object to the bill, but cannot make it the the floor of the House, there will be a digital option.
“In addition, we are working to ensure that those who are unable to return to Washington may express their views on this legislation remotely. My office will send out information tomorrow with those details,&#8221; Hoyer said.
Pelosi also warned objectors like Ocasio-Cortez, that forcing a roll call vote &#8212; which any Member of Congress has the power to do when a voice vote is on the table &#8212; would carry with it consequences, and would not delay voting or force a further round of negotiations.
&#8220;If somebody calls for a recorded vote, we have options. And then once they know we have options, they probably won&#8217;t call for it,&#8221; Pelosi said in a press conference Wednesday night, after the bill passed the Senate.
&#8220;We will have a victory tomorrow for America&#8217;s workers,&#8221; Pelosi added. &#8220;If somebody has a different point of view, they can put it in the record.&#8221;
The House is taking an additional 24 hours to review the Senate&#8217;s legislation, likely because House Democratic leaders need to head off objections from House progressives, who have pushed for a &#8220;just stimulus&#8221; that provides for direct payments to workers but holds back on any aid to businesses. Ocasio-Cortez, over the last week, has said she would push for a bill that includes a student loan bailout, a mass release of prisoners, and a moratorium on evictions. Other progressives have mentioned similar ideas. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) demanded that any stimulus bill include an &#8220;overhaul&#8221; of the United States&#8217; healthcare system.
In order to head off the complaints, Pelosi announced Thursday that the House would begin working on a fourth coronavirus relief bill &#8212; this one likely designed to press through progressive measures excised from the Senate&#8217;s bipartisan agreement or those included in Pelosi&#8217;s 1,400-page House relief package that went largely ignored after public outcry.
&#8220;As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., expressed confidence Thursday that her chamber will pass the third coronavirus relief bill on Friday, she’s already focused on writing a fourth phase of aid and suggested that in a future measure, Congress might consider providing more direct payments to Americans,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/pelosi-says-she-doesn-t-think-we-ve-seen-end-n1169596">NBC News reported Thursday</a>.

nancy pelosi

Pelosi Says House Will Vote On Coronavirus Relief Friday, Outlines Fourth Relief Bill To Satisfy Progressives

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

On Wednesday night, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the largest stimulus bill in history, amounting to some $2.2 trillion in relief measures, including $1,200 checks to most American adults (and another $500 for most children), a $500 billion loan program for struggling businesses, cities and states, nearly $400 billion for employee-retention funds for small businesses and another $130 billion for hospitals, among other provisions.
Now the bill goes to the Democrat-majority House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is trying to make sure her fellow &#8220;disappointed&#8221; Democrats get on board.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced Wednesday that the House will convene at 9 a.m. on Friday to consider the bill, which will be voted on by voice vote so that House members won&#8217;t need to return to Washington amid the crisis.
While the Senate passed the bill 96-0, with some Senators absent due to self-quarantine or health concerns, the House may not see such unanimity. Despite the economic relief bill&#8217;s sweeping provision and staggering final cost, it is not enough for many House Democrats, who want more of their agenda items included, as demonstrated by the House Democrats&#8217; bill floated Monday and quickly withdrawn after widespread backlash over its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-highlights-pelosis-absurd-coronavirus-bill-that-is-unrelated-to-the-crisis">long list</a> of non-crisis-related, &#8220;Democratic wishlist&#8221; provisions — including new voting laws, collective bargaining rights for federal unions, and imposing carbon emissions caps on airlines.
While Pelosi strongly signaled Wednesday that she will get the bill passed in the House on Friday, she also revealed that she&#8217;s having to do some work behind the scenes to get &#8220;disappointed&#8221; Democrats to back the historic bill.
&#8220;What is important is for us to recognize the good that is in the bill, appreciate it for what it does,&#8221; Pelosi <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/cnntv-nancy-pelosi-stimulus-bill/index.html">said</a> on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;Situation Room&#8221; Wednesday evening. &#8220;Don&#8217;t judge it for what it doesn&#8217;t because we have more bills to come.&#8221;
&#8220;Those comments came just after Pelosi told House Democrats on a series of conference calls that she is already thinking about the substance of the fourth coronavirus relief package that Congress will have to pass to respond to the crisis, according to sources on the calls,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/stimulus-senate-action-coronavirus/index.html">CNN</a> reports. &#8220;Pelosi made it clear to members who are disappointed that the pending bill did not include enough of their priorities that they will have a chance to add those provisions in the fourth package, the sources said.&#8221;
&#8220;At the start of all this we had two bills, which were about emergencies &#8230; and the emergency isn&#8217;t over, but the focus was on those two bills. Now we&#8217;re mitigating for the damage of it all to the health and to the livelihood of the American people,&#8221; Pelosi told CNN. &#8220;That is in this bill. And then we will go forward for recovery. Emergency, mitigation, recovery. And again all along the way still addressing the emergency and mitigation needs by focusing on how we build the economy in a positive way as we meet the health needs of the American people.&#8221;
All it takes is one House Democrat to force his or her fellow members of Congress to appear in Washington in person to vote, and democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been one of the more vocal critics of the Senate bill, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-coronavirus-package-vote/index.html">told CNN</a> Wednesday that she might do just that. While she said she&#8217;s &#8220;open&#8221; to a remote vote &#8220;if necessary,&#8221; she said, &#8220;With the health risks of travel, there is no easy choice here. But essential workers are showing up and putting their health at risk every day, and if the final text of a bill is set up to hurt them, it may be something we have to do.&#8221;
An incensed tweet Wednesday by the congresswoman about the Senate adjourning also highlighted her sentiment that members of Congress should be physically in D.C. &#8220;The Senate might ADJOURN FOR A MONTH after this bill?&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. &#8220;This is completely dangerous and unacceptable. We HAVE to be able to respond to people’s needs. People don’t have this time. Even IF the Senate can even return on the 20th (big IF) that may not be enough time to solve May.&#8221;
She followed that up with a tweet blasting the Senate bill for supposedly containing a &#8220;historic corporate giveaway,&#8221; writing: &#8220;Just a reminder that there is absolutely no good reason why Senate Republicans are tying a historic corporate giveaway to getting relief money in the hands of families. They could just authorize sending checks to families today, right now, &amp; deal with the rest. But they refuse.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Senate might ADJOURN FOR A MONTH after this bill?
This is completely dangerous and unacceptable. We HAVE to be able to respond to people’s needs.
People don’t have this time. Even IF the Senate can even return on the 20th (big IF) that may not be enough time to solve May. <a href="https://t.co/O5XnubG0l1">https://t.co/O5XnubG0l1</a>
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1242856168063672326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 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">
Just a reminder that there is absolutely no good reason why Senate Republicans are tying a historic corporate giveaway to getting relief money in the hands of families.
They could just authorize sending checks to families today, right now, &amp; deal with the rest. But they refuse.
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1242894936753700879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-finds-creative-ways-to-help-people-businesses-amid-crisis-dan-crenshaw-cheers-positive-moves">Texas Finds Creative Ways To Help People, Businesses Amid Crisis; Dan Crenshaw Points Out ‘Positive Moves’</a>

Ocasio-Cortez

Senate Passes $2 Trillion Relief Bill; Pelosi Has Message For ‘Disappointed’ House Democrats

U.S. Senate

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to Twitter Wednesday to chastize the Senate for a proposed plan to recess immediately after voting to pass a massive, $2 trillion coronavirus relief package, but privately, CNN reports, the Democratic socialist threatened to hold up coronavirus relief herself by forcing her House colleagues to return to Washington, D.C., to vote on the measure in person.
&#8220;The Senate might ADJOURN FOR A MONTH after this bill?&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez whined on social media, after discovering, from CNN, that the Senate plans to adjourn after passing coronavirus relief Wednesday. &#8220;This is completely dangerous and unacceptable. We HAVE to be able to respond to people’s needs. People don’t have this time. Even IF the Senate can even return on the 20th (big IF) that may not be enough time to solve May.&#8221;
But Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s complaint does not necesssarily stem from her concern for her fellow man. Like other members of the progressive &#8220;Squad&#8221; &#8212; Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) &#8212; Ocasio-Cortez does not support the bipartisan relief package, which she says gives too much power and money to corporations. Instead, she and others are behind a 1,400-page House bill, which pairs elements of the Senate legislation with elements of the Green New Deal, massive handouts to labor unions, a $30,000-per-person student loan bailout, and dramatic changes to the American electoral process.
In fact, Ocasio-Cortez and Omar have said the House bill doesn&#8217;t go far enough. Omar participated in an online townhall hosted by Democratic socialists Wednesday night, designed to marshal support behind a &#8220;just stimulus.&#8221;
If the Senate leaves after passing their bill, Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s chances of forcing Democrats and Republicans back to the bargaining table over the House bill all but vanish.
In the House, Ocasio-Cortez seems poised to take similar measure to delay any relief package if it does not include certain additional items, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-coronavirus-package-vote/index.html">CNN reports</a>, and has warned that she will force her House colleagues to vote on the coronavirus relief package in person, even if it means defying Centers for Disease Control and Prevention &#8220;social distancing&#8221; guidelines, putting older Members of Congress at risk.
&#8220;The New York Democrat has expressed her frustration with reports of the stimulus deal, suggesting it&#8217;s too tilted towards corporations. The deal was reached between senators from both parties &#8212; including the senior Democratic senator from her state, Chuck Schumer, and the White House,&#8221; CNN reported Wednesday. &#8220;Ocasio-Cortez told CNN she is not ruling out asking for a recorded vote, which would force lawmakers to return to Washington and vote in-person, something that most members of Congress are eager to avoid amid the coronavirus pandemic.&#8221;
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who has not scheduled the Senate package for a vote and will not commit to bringing the bipartisan legislation to the floor, did tell colleagues, in a phone call Wednesday afternoon that, when the bill does make its way to the House, that she&#8217;d prefer a unanimous voice vote. Any member who decides not to participate in that voice vote could &#8212; as Ocasio-Cortez seems to be planning &#8212; force the dreaded, in-person roll call vote.
The move could &#8220;delay final passage&#8221; of the bill &#8220;for days,&#8221; according to CNN.
Ocasio-Cortez has not released a list of demands, but based on her social media missives, it seems she&#8217;ll push for things like an <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1242621795246751744">en masse release of prisoners</a>, a <a href="https://twitter.com/SenGianaris/status/1241747580641574914">complete moratorium on evictions and foreclosures</a> that includes rent relief, and a student loan bailout, just to begin. Her colleagues have even gone so far as to propose a &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omar-says-coronavirus-outbreak-calls-for-radical-takeover-of-private-hospitals">radical takeover</a>&#8221; of private health care.
The House returns to session on Thursday at 11am EST.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Warns She May Singlehandedly Delay Coronavirus Relief, Force In-Person Vote

Ilhan Omar

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who tried over the weekend to derail a bipartisan, multi-trillion dollar coronavirus relief package by introducing her own handout-packed 1,400 page bill, has already gaveled the House of Representatives out of session Wednesday and will not commit to bringing a Senate bill, passed in the wee hours of Tuesday night, to a vote.
In an statement issued Tuesday night, Pelosi said merely that “House Democrats will now review the final provisions and legislative text of the agreement to determine a course of action,” but stopped short of committing to bring the hard-fought bill, which was negotiated over the course of five days, in two rounds &#8212; one over the weekend and one in session Monday and Tuesday &#8212; to the floor of the House for a vote, leaving the legislation, which could mean economic survival for millions impacted by coronavirus lockdowns, in limbo.
Instead, she added that the Senate negotiations, which involved Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Trump administration, had merely taken Congress “a long way down the road in meeting the needs of the American people.”
“Thanks to the unity and insistence of Senate and House Democrats, the bill has moved a great deal closer to America’s workers,” the California Democratic leader added, again stopping short of suggesting the bill would receive consideration in the House.
Pelosi&#8217;s statement went mostly without acknowledgement Tuesday night, particularly among legislators proud to have inked the $2 trillion deal designed to buoy Americans left unable to work amid the coronavirus pandemic and boost the country&#8217;s chances of surviving an inevitable economic downturn.
But Wednesday morning, as the House gaveled into session, it suddenly became clear that Pelosi did not intend to have House members review the bill; the House went in and out of session in just under three minutes.
&#8220;House was in this morning at 10 a.m. and 42 seconds. Out at 10:02 and 37 seconds No business of note. No resignations, etc. Back in tomorrow at 11 a.m.,&#8221; Politico&#8217;s Jake Sherman reported Wednesday morning.
He later added that, &#8220;To be abundantly, 100% clear: This means the House is not likely to vote on the Senate’s coronavirus bill today.&#8221;
Pelosi confirmed the lack of a vote to Politico&#8217;s Heather Coyle, who reported that &#8220;Pelosi also said there’s &#8216;no way&#8217; to pass the bill on the House floor today.&#8221;
Logistically, Pelosi may be correct. The Senate has yet to move the legislation through, and will likely pass the bill sometime today. But Coyle also reports that Pelosi and her caucuses have a copy of the bill and could gavel into an emergency session as early as this evening, if House Members believe the coronavirus relief package is truly important &#8212; and the House was expected to vote on the bill by unanimous consent, because Pelosi was expected to abide by Schumer&#8217;s negotiations (and subsequent agreement) on the bill.
Even that seems in doubt now. As Schumer and Senate Democrats were hammering out what they thought was an acceptable deal, House progressives, like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) were fighting him behind the scenes, tweeting out their own objections to the Senate bill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I will not support a bill that prioritizes a $500 billion corporate slush fund over financial relief to workers, families, and communities.
Let’s get our priorities straight. <a href="https://t.co/52ZYbteJMW">pic.twitter.com/52ZYbteJMW</a>
&mdash; Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ilhan/status/1242579934612271106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Others <a href="https://twitter.com/CPDAction/status/1242551619419602948">joined the socialist Center for Popular Democracy</a> for an online meetup to discuss a &#8220;more just&#8221; relief package, signaling that the House would not, in fact, vote on the bill by unanimous consent.

Pelosi Gavels House Out Of Session After Just Three Minutes, Will Not Commit To Vote On Coronavirus Relief

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s (D-NY) former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti torched Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for playing games with the multi-trillion dollar coronavirus stimulus bill.
“Well I do think that there is a whole concern in our country that if we’re giving tens of billions of dollars to the airlines that we could at least have a shared value about what happens to the environment, but that is an excuse, not a reason, uh, for Senator McConnell to go forward,” Pelosi said in a video clip posted on Twitter. “Some of the other issues, like not fully extending family medical leave, not funding food stamps, I hope that will all change in the next few hours, but they’re issues that are central to the well being of America’s families.”
Chakrabarti responded on Twitter by writing, &#8220;I helped write the #GreenNewDeal and I think this is ridiculous. The tiny little emissions standard increase doesn’t even do anything meaningful to stave off climate change and gives the @GOP leverage to get rid of real help for working people. Solve the problem at hand.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I helped write the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreenNewDeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreenNewDeal</a> and I think this is ridiculous.
The tiny little emissions standard increase doesn’t even do anything meaningful to stave off climate change and gives the <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOP</a> leverage to get rid of real help for working people. 
Solve the problem at hand. <a href="https://t.co/KemaYkV7gn">https://t.co/KemaYkV7gn</a>
&mdash; Saikat Chakrabarti (@saikatc) <a href="https://twitter.com/saikatc/status/1242644083039862785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pelosi had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrats-block-coronavirus-bill-that-provides-lifeline-to-economy-families">reportedly</a> ruined Senate talks between the Republicans and Democrats on Sunday, which postponed getting a bill done to protect American families and the economy for several days.
White House and Senate leaders reached a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus spending bill during the early morning hours on Wednesday.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/03/24/trump-coronavirus-congress-economic-stimulus/">reported</a> (formatting adjusted):
<blockquote>The agreement capped five straight days of intensive negotiations that occasionally descended into partisan warfare as the nation’s economy reeled from the deadly pandemic, with schools and businesses closed, mass layoffs slamming the workforce and tens of thousands falling ill.
The legislation, unprecedented in its size and scope, aims to flood the economy with capital by sending $1,200 checks to many Americans, creating a $367 billion loan program for small businesses and setting up a $500 billion fund for industries, cities and states. Other provisions include a massive boost to unemployment insurance, $150 billion for state and local stimulus funds and $130 billion for hospitals. &#8230;
The Senate bill would direct payments of $1,200 to most American adults and $500 to most children, create a $500 billion lending program for companies, states and cities, and extend an additional $367 billion to help small companies deal with payroll problems. It would bolster the unemployment insurance system and pump $150 billion into U.S. hospitals. The bill more than doubled in size in just a few days.</blockquote>
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senate-white-house-strike-deal-on-2-trillion-stimulus-spending-bill">said</a> during a press conference on Tuesday that the multi-phase stimulus spending packages would total a staggering $6 trillion and would be the largest spending bill in history.
“This package will be the single largest main street assistance program in the history of the United States,” Kudlow said. “The single largest main street assistance program in the history of the United States.”
“This legislation is urgently needed to bolster the economy, provide cash injections and liquidity and stabilize financial markets to get us through a difficult period, a difficult and challenging period in the economy facing us right now but also to position us for what I think can be an economic rebound later this year,” Kudlow continued. “Phase two delivered the sick leave for individuals, hourly workers, families and so forth. Phase three, a significant package for small businesses, loan guarantees will be included. We’re going to take out expenses and lost revenues.”
“The total package here comes to roughly $6 trillion: $2 trillion direct assistance, roughly $4 trillion in federal reserve lending power,” Kudlow added. “Again, it will be the largest main street financial package in the history of the United States.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Holds Weekly News Conference

‘THIS IS RIDICULOUS’: AOC’s Ex-Top Aide Torches Pelosi For Coronavirus Stimulus Games

Democrats, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are signaling surrender in the battle over a massive coronavirus relief package, moving back to the bargaining table on the bipartisan Senate bill after a Monday stunt, which saw Pelosi announce her own competing relief bill packed with handouts to Democratic constituencies, fell flat.
Already by Monday evening, Schumer was back at the bargaining table, negotiating with White House officials, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, deep into the night, even as Democratic activists insisted on social media that Pelosi&#8217;s bill — a 1,400-page monolith — would take precedence over the Senate&#8217;s bipartisan package.
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/03/24/trump-coronavirus-congress-economic-stimulus/">The Washington Post</a> reports that the White House agreed to some basic concessions, including an &#8220;inspector general&#8221; who could oversee what Democrats were inaccurately labeling a $500 billion &#8220;slush fund&#8221; of money, available to corporations hurting six months after the coronavirus shutdown ends, as low- and no-interest loans. The new bill will, reportedly, do away with &#8220;means testing&#8221; for coronavirus relief checks, extending help to even those who do not make enough to file a Federal tax return, and will increase the amount of money available to hospitals and other healthcare facilities, as reported by <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mnuchin-schumer-optimistic-coronavirus-stimulus-package-say-deal-close-n1167401">NBC News</a>.
Schumer, who, just yesterday, was openly critical of the Senate bill, seemed willing to meet repeatedly with Mnuchin to hammer out some basic additions to satisfy his caucus. Schumer also seemed determined to save face, after Democrats met with swift and almost universal condemnation for their decision to sideline an extensive coronavirus relief plan at the behest of Speaker Pelosi, who had just returned from a recess and was absent from Congressional meetings on the subject.
The minority leader said in a speech Tuesday that the two sides have moved from the &#8220;5-yard line to the 2-yard line&#8221; on an agreement and that he sees no reason they cannot come to a deal on the Senate bill.
Pelosi was largely quiet Monday afternoon, as members of the media scoured her bill looking for improvements over the Senate package. Instead, investigators discovered handouts to select charter schools, the Kennedy Center, the United States Postal Service, wind and solar energy firms, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The bill also contained demands for Green New Deal-like regulations on airlines, a near-complete overhaul of voting systems, and a shot in the arm for struggling labor unions.
Tuesday morning, however, Pelosi signaled that she&#8217;s setting aside her bill as Democrats focus on negotiating the Senate&#8217;s package.
&#8220;The easiest way to do it is for us to put aside some of our concerns for another day, and get this done,&#8221; Pelosi told CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box.&#8221; &#8220;If it has poison pills in it, and they know certain things are poison pills, then they don&#8217;t want unanimous consent – they just want an ideological statement.&#8221;
She also expressed delight that negotiations were moving forward, even though she spent much of Monday condemning Republicans.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a> on CNBC says admin agreed to oversight of Treasury $500 b fund to help impacted industries which she says is “big change” &#8211; “I’m optimistic” says bill more “worker oriented”
&mdash; Deirdre Walsh (@deirdrekwalsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/deirdrekwalsh/status/1242446532378533894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is likely good news for Americans who have been waiting for some economic relief as the coronavirus lockdown continues to take its toll on industry. The most optimistic predictions from the Senate suggest a final bill could be on the table as early as Monday evening.

nancy pelosi chuck schumer

White Flag? Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, Signal Surrender On Coronavirus Relief Bill As White House Helps Ink Deal

Charles Schumer

Steve Mnuchin

Former Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) released a video message on social media Monday making the case in plain terms for the urgency of passing the emergency financial relief package that Senate Democrats &#8220;torpedoed&#8221; in the eleventh hour Sunday in order for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to present her own package packed with partisan agenda items unrelated to the crisis.
In a video filmed at a local restaurant in Atascocita, Texas, Crenshaw lays out the harsh economic reality of the situation many businesses face amid government-mandated lockdowns intended to curb the spread of COVID-19.
&#8220;I’m at a Texas BBQ joint that may not make it,&#8221; Crenshaw wrote in a tweet including the first of the two videos (below). &#8220;Democrats tanked the rescue package that would help them, and millions like them. Do not let them get away with this. Do not be silent.&#8221;
&#8220;So I&#8217;m here at the Tin Roof in Atascocita, Texas, just outside Houston, and this place is struggling. They might have to close down,&#8221; says Crenshaw. &#8220;This is the kind of business that would have access to an SBA (Small Business Administration) loan, that would then be forgiven for rent, utilities and payroll. That bill would&#8217;ve kept employees attached to their businesses.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re in a pandemic right now, which means we have to press pause on the economy,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;We&#8217;re asking businesses to close; we&#8217;re asking them to stop serving customers. If we&#8217;re going to ask them to do that, we have to give them the capital to survive during the pause in economic activity. We have to make sure they can keep paying employees and their rent. That&#8217;s what that bill was going to do.&#8221;
&#8220;For small businesses,  those loans would just be forgiven. For big businesses, they would be loans,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;Democrats don&#8217;t like big business. Democrats I don&#8217;t think understand basic economics. They don&#8217;t understand that when your fellow American loses their job, it doesn&#8217;t matter if they are from a small business or a large business. Large businesses need capital. There was $500 billion that would to loanable to big business. Democrats hated that&#8230; Even though within the bill there were parameters in place: No increases for executive pay, no stock buy backs and keeping people on payroll. All of the protections were in there.&#8221;
&#8220;[O]ur economy needs it badly &#8212; it needs it badly,&#8221; the Texas Republican stresses. &#8221; We&#8217;re shedding jobs like crazy. Businesses are closing today, and tomorrow, and the day after that.&#8221;
&#8220;This is no time for partisan politics, but that&#8217;s what the Democrats wanted to do. It&#8217;s the most disgusting thing I&#8217;ve seen,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;Why are they doing it? What do they want in the bill? What&#8217;s their counter-negotiation? This is going to make you really upset.&#8221;
The congressman then lists some of the provisions in the House Democrats&#8217; package including collective bargaining rights for federal workers, which he underscores, &#8220;has nothing to do with the coronavirus,&#8221; adding, &#8220;And by the way, federal workers are stilling getting paid, just like most government workers are.&#8221;
Another provision: &#8220;carbon emissions caps on the airlines if they&#8217;re going to &#8216;bail out&#8217; the Airlines.&#8221; &#8220;Airlines didn&#8217;t do anything wrong,&#8221; says Crenshaw. &#8220;These are American companies. Your neighbors work there. They need help, they need capital fast.&#8221;
Other provisions include election law changes, which Crenshaw again notes has nothing to do with the current crisis.
&#8220;This is partisan politics at its worst,&#8221; he concludes. &#8220;Do not let these people get away with this. Hold them accountable. Call your representative&#8217;s offices now.&#8221;
Crenshaw&#8217;s video follows a series of posts by the Republican presenting information he said &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-crenshaw-posts-info-everyone-in-america-should-read-about-why-democrats-killed-emergency-relief-package">everyone in America, Democrat and Republican, must read</a>.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Second half. <a href="https://t.co/e1rkWbxokv">pic.twitter.com/e1rkWbxokv</a>
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1242283491880054784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dan Crenshaw

WATCH: Dan Crenshaw Gives Urgent Message On Relief Package, Unloads On Democrats For Tanking It

President Donald Trump put his foot down on Democrats&#8217; attempts to advance their leftist political agenda by hijacking the coronavirus relief bill and filling it with partisan demands that are not related to the coronavirus crisis.
The president made the announcement late on Monday night after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrats-block-coronavirus-bill-that-provides-lifeline-to-economy-families">Democrats ruined</a> an opportunity to advance a $1.8 trillion stimulus bill on Sunday night.
&#8220;Republicans had a deal until Nancy Pelosi rode into town from her extended vacation,&#8221; Trump wrote on Twitter. &#8220;The Democrats want the Virus to win? They are asking for things that have nothing to do with our great workers or companies. They want Open Borders &amp; Green New Deal. Republicans shouldn’t agree!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Republicans had a deal until Nancy Pelosi rode into town from her extended vacation. The Democrats want the Virus to win? They are asking for things that have nothing to do with our great workers or companies. They want Open Borders &amp; Green New Deal. Republicans shouldn’t agree!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1242293340151873536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
About an hour later, Trump quote retweeted an article from National Review that was titled: &#8220;Congressional Democrats Add Last-Minute Ideological Demands to Coronavirus Relief Package&#8221;
Trump wrote: &#8220;This will never be approved by me, or any other Republican!&#8221;
The article listed a number of things that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have added to the spending bill.
On Monday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-highlights-pelosis-absurd-coronavirus-bill-that-is-unrelated-to-the-crisis">highlighted</a> some of the spending items that Democrats are seeking that have nothing to do with the coronavirus:
<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>
USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/23/nancy-pelosi-has-packed-coronavirus-stimulus-liberal-wish-list-column/2903577001/">noted</a> that Pelosi&#8217;s bill calls for nationwide ballot harvesting, a shady practice that is believed to lead to <a href="https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity/commentary/vote-harvesting-recipe-coercion-and-election-fraud">voter fraud</a>:
<blockquote>Perhaps the most troubling sections of the bill are under the rubric ‘‘American Coronavirus/COVID–19 Election Safety and Security” or ‘‘ACCESS” Act. This section would impose requirements on states for early voting, voting by mail, required mailing of absentee ballots to everyone, ballot harvesting (i.e., having third parties deliver absentee ballots), online voter registration, same-day registration and other practices which undermine confidence in the integrity of the ballot. In these days of increasing threats to election security we should be moving rapidly back to in-person paper ballots, but this bill would be a radical step in the wrong direction.</blockquote>
Some of the other absurd things that were included in the bill include $35,000,000 for the JFK Performing Arts Center.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats believe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> can be cured by providing $35 million in funding to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. <a href="https://t.co/i26vSzhiYU">pic.twitter.com/i26vSzhiYU</a>
&mdash; toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) <a href="https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/1242265623243165697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Numerous publications have correctly placed the blame on the Democrats for stalling the process for getting suffering American families the relief that they need to make it financially as companies have been forced to shutdown as a result of the coronavirus, which originated in China.
CNN noted that Democrats were engaging in &#8220;political gamesmanship&#8221; with the bill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN: Democrats engaging in &quot;political gamesmanship&quot; with coronavirus relief<a href="https://t.co/ZyaRSAyqsR">https://t.co/ZyaRSAyqsR</a> <a href="https://t.co/VOXYudpTaa">pic.twitter.com/VOXYudpTaa</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1242169889995046913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Even MSNBC noted that the Democrats&#8217; bill involves issues &#8220;that are arguably not a current crisis.”
<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>
The New York Times even called out the Democrats in the lead headline on the front page of their newspaper, writing, &#8220;Democrats Block Action on $1.8 Trillion Stimulus&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats torpedoed a bipartisan emergency bill that:
-Provides payroll &amp; rent for small business -Credit to businesses across America to keep them afloat &#8211; Cash in American’s pockets -⬆️ unemployment benefits
They have no good reasons. Just partisanship. Call your reps NOW. <a href="https://t.co/7WvBaX2wxT">pic.twitter.com/7WvBaX2wxT</a>
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1241889804666785798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump Squashes Democrats’ Partisan Demands For Funding Not Related To Coronavirus

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s daughter appeared to praise a violent attack on Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Sunday after Paul announced that he had contracted the coronavirus, which originated in China.
Pelosi&#8217;s daughter, Christine Pelosi, wrote on Twitter in response to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) announcing that he was going into quarantine: &#8220;Rand Paul&#8217;s neighbor was right.&#8221;
Romney&#8217;s announcement that he was going into quarantine followed Paul announcing on Sunday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Leave it to Christine Pelosi <a href="https://twitter.com/sfpelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sfpelosi</a> (Nancy Pelosi&#39;s adult daughter) to have the most disgusting take of the day on twitter dot com.<a href="https://t.co/kGN4It6Isg">https://t.co/kGN4It6Isg</a> <a href="https://t.co/qXC8xlsVdu">pic.twitter.com/qXC8xlsVdu</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1242187234050224129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Christine Pelosi was responding to a tweet from Washington Post reporter Paul Kane, who wrote in response to Romney&#8217;s announcement, &#8220;He told us the other day his biggest personal concern was not getting this because his wife has MS. Now he can’t see her for almost 2 weeks.&#8221;
Romney&#8217;s statement said:
<blockquote>“Since Senator Romney sat next to Senator Paul for extended periods in recent days and consistent with CDC guidance, the attending physician has ordered him to immediately self-quarantine and not to vote on the Senate floor. He has no symptoms but will be tested. He urges members to pass a relief package as quickly as possible that provides assistance for families, workers, and small businesses.”</blockquote>
Paul was violently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-attacked-his-home-registered-democrat-ryan-saavedra">attacked</a> by his Democrat neighbor in November 2017 at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Paul announced on Monday that he was tested for the coronavirus because of recent traveling that he had gone on with his wife and his weekly flights that are a part of his job.
&#8220;Given that my wife and I had traveled extensively during the weeks prior to COVID-19 social distancing practices, and that I am at a higher risk for serious complications from the virus due to having part of my lung removed seven months ago, I took a COVID-19 test when I arrived in D.C. last Monday,&#8221; Paul said in a statement. “I believe we need more testing immediately, even among those without symptoms.  The nature of COVID-19 put me – and us all – in a Catch-22 situation.  I didn’t fit the criteria for testing or quarantine.  I had no symptoms and no specific encounter with a COVID-19 positive person.  I had, however, traveled extensively in the U.S. and was required to continue doing so to vote in the Senate.  That, together with the fact that I have a compromised lung, led me to seek testing.  Despite my positive test result, I remain asymptomatic for COVID-19.
Christine Pelosi&#8217;s inflammatory remarks ignited a firestorm online.
Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway tweeted: &#8220;Democrat leader’s daughter encouraging violent attacks on Republican senators. Truly awful.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrat leader’s daughter encouraging violent attacks on Republican senators. Truly awful. <a href="https://t.co/G65IwElP6M">https://t.co/G65IwElP6M</a>
&mdash; Mollie (@MZHemingway) <a href="https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1242202262832844803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Political commentator Stephen Miller tweeted: &#8220;Are we not doing that dangerous rhetoric thing anymore? Journalists passed around some kook thing Paul&#8217;s dad wrote yesterday. Here&#8217;s the daughter of the Speaker of the House endorsing assault on Rand Paul.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Are we not doing that dangerous rhetoric thing anymore? Journalists passed around some kook thing Paul&#39;s dad wrote yesterday. Here&#39;s the daughter of the Speaker of the House endorsing assault on Rand Paul. <a href="https://t.co/fAmlupRb92">https://t.co/fAmlupRb92</a>
&mdash; Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1242191216403308545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tweeted: &#8220;Will @Twitter and @jack find it ok to approve of a cowardly blindside felony attack by a crazed liberal neighbor? The world watches and waits to see if these “kind and tolerant” comments will be consequenced.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Will <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Twitter</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/jack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jack</a> find it ok to approve of a cowardly blindside felony attack by a crazed liberal neighbor? The world watches and waits to see if these “kind and tolerant” comments will be consequenced. <a href="https://t.co/NGYggJ76s7">https://t.co/NGYggJ76s7</a>
&mdash; Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1242207976708079617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted: &#8220;This is sick &amp; twisted. Rand has contracted coronavirus; in 2017, in a violent criminal attack, he suffered 6 broken ribs, pneumonia &amp; had part of his lung removed—all of which puts him at much greater risk from this deadly virus—and you’re siding w/ the attacker? #LoveEachOther&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is sick &amp; twisted. Rand has contracted coronavirus; in 2017, in a violent criminal attack, he suffered 6 broken ribs, pneumonia &amp; had part of his lung removed—all of which puts him at much greater risk from this deadly virus—and you’re siding w/ the attacker? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveEachOther?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LoveEachOther</a> <a href="https://t.co/YiE7wGW2UD">https://t.co/YiE7wGW2UD</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1242226851705225217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

House Minority Leader McCarthy Holds Weekly Press Conference

Nancy Pelosi’s Daughter Praises ‘Violent Criminal Attack’ On Rand Paul

Rand Paul

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard prepared the public Sunday for the truly dire economic impact of the state-imposed mass shutdowns of entire industries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a phone interview with the press, Bullard predicted a jaw-dropping rise in unemployment and an even more devastating decline in gross domestic product (GDP) over the course of quarter 2; however, he also sees a financial light at the end of the tunnel, predicting potential &#8220;boom quarters&#8221; in the fourth quarter of this year and the first of next year.
According to Bullard, the U.S. unemployment rate could reach as high as 30% in the second quarter as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns, while GDP could drop as much as 50%, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/markets/us-jobless-rate-may-soar-to-30-25-fed-e2-80-99s-bullard-says/ar-BB11y3ER">Bloomberg</a> reported Sunday.
“This is a planned, organized partial shutdown of the U.S. economy in the second quarter,” Bullard said during the phone interview Sunday. &#8220;The overall goal is to keep everyone, households and businesses, whole,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;It is a huge shock and we are trying to cope with it and keep it under control.&#8221;
The Fed has already taken some aggressive action. Bloomberg notes that last week the Fed &#8220;restarted financial crisis-era programs to help the commercial paper and money markets, after cutting interest rates to near zero and pledging to boost its holdings of Treasuries by at least $500 billion and of mortgage securities by at least $200 billion.&#8221;
But Bullard said the Fed is prepared to do more. The $2.5 trillion in lost income, Bullard said, requires an even stronger and more comprehensive fiscal response — a response, he suggested, that must be open to a wide range of measures and would depend upon &#8220;where Congress wants to go&#8221; in its emergency actions.
Buying corporate debt was one option that Bullard said the Fed could &#8220;certainly look at,&#8221; noting that the Fed is &#8220;already supporting very short term funding markets.&#8221;
In order to provide loans to small businesses — one of the priorities of the emergency economic relief package blocked by Democrats in the Senate Sunday — it would be better to turn to existing small business lending programs rather than taking the time to create a new program, Bullard said.
Though Bullard offered a sobering assessment of the nation&#8217;s economic situation in light of the shutdowns, he also offered some hope.
&#8220;I would see the third quarter as a transitional quarter,&#8221; Bullard said, as reported by Bloomberg. The fourth quarter and the first of next year, he suggested, were likely to be &#8220;quite robust.&#8221;
&#8220;Those quarters might be boom quarters,&#8221; said Bullard.
Bullard&#8217;s grim projections highlight the urgency for Congress to pass the emergency relief package blocked Senate Democrats thwarted, reportedly at the behest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In place of the bipartisan bill, House Democrats presented their own stimulus package Monday that contains a series of non-crisis-related Democratic &#8220;wishlist&#8221; items, including, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-highlights-pelosis-absurd-coronavirus-bill-that-is-unrelated-to-the-crisis">detailed</a> by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton:
<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>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ag-barr-announces-crackdown-on-hoarding-price-gouging-critical-medical-supplies">AG Barr Announces Crackdown On Hoarding, Price Gouging Critical Medical Supplies</a>

Stock Market

The Fed’s Bullard Gives Predictions On When Economy Will Recover From Coronavirus Shutdowns

Economy

Former Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is calling on Americans to hold the Democrats &#8220;accountable&#8221; for having &#8220;torpedoed&#8221; a bipartisan COVID-19 emergency bill that provides funds to small businesses to help cover payroll and rent and other coronavirus-related expenses, expands unemployment benefits, and quickly puts cash in struggling Americans&#8217; pockets.
The real reason House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intervened in the eleventh hour to derail the Senate&#8217;s emergency bill, Crenshaw suggested, was to push her own bill containing a series of non-crisis-related Democratic wishlist items, included some Green New Deal policies and collective bargaining powers for unions. The political stunt, he said, will not be forgotten.
&#8220;Democrats torpedoed a bipartisan emergency bill that: -Provides payroll &amp; rent for small business -Credit to businesses across America to keep them afloat &#8211; Cash in American’s pockets &#8211; unemployment benefits,&#8221; the popular Texas Republican wrote in the first of a series of tweets starting Sunday (posts below). &#8220;They have no good reasons. Just partisanship. Call your reps NOW.&#8221;
&#8220;Do Dems want a recession? A depression? How can they justify this?&#8221; he asked in a follow-up post. &#8220;This bill is critical for the livelihood of millions. Our country will be devastated without immediate help. Dems can lie all they want about &#8216;helping workers&#8217; but now they are destroying their lives.&#8221;
&#8220;I am not one to make hyperbolic statements,&#8221; Crenshaw wrote in another post. &#8220;But what Senate Democrats have done is truly awful. This bill was negotiated in good faith. Been monitoring its progress all week. It can save our economy. And they killed it. Out of spite and bitterness. Hold Dems accountable.&#8221;
&#8220;We will not forget this,&#8221; Crenshaw wrote in response to a tweet by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blaming the decision to block the bill on its supposed inadequate &#8220;protections.&#8221; &#8220;More businesses are closing tomorrow while you peddle this lie. You literally stopped a good bill because it *didn’t have enough red tape*. You hate American businesses so much that you would sacrifice our economy out of pure contempt.&#8221;
On Monday, Crenshaw retweeted a thread by journalist Rachel Bovard, who obtained an early copy of the 1,400-page Pelosi bill, that highlights some of the new Democratic bill&#8217;s provisions, including bailing out the post office, mandating &#8220;risk limiting audits&#8221; of elections, as well as same-day voter registration, and other non-crisis-related, long-time Democrat wishlist items, among them more strict fuel emissions guidelines for airlines, wind and solar tax credits, and collective bargaining powers for unions.
&#8220;EVERYONE in America, Democrat and Republican, MUST read this thread,&#8221; Crenshaw wrote. &#8220;This is what Pelosi killed the rescue package for. &#8216;Corporate diversity requirement,&#8217; &#8216;Airline carbon emissions,&#8217; and the list goes on. Hold these people accountable. They are holding America hostage.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Do Dems want a recession? A depression? How can they justify this? This bill is critical for the livelihood of millions. Our country will be devastated without immediate help. Dems can lie all they want about “helping workers” but now they are destroying their lives.
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1241892474332811265?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">
I am not one to make hyperbolic statements. But what Senate Democrats have done is truly awful. This bill was negotiated in good faith. Been monitoring its progress all week. It can save our economy. 
And they killed it. Out of spite and bitterness.
Hold Dems accountable.
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1241913770076708864?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">
We will not forget this. More businesses are closing tomorrow while you peddle this lie. You literally stopped a good bill because it *didn’t have enough red tape*. You hate American businesses so much that you would sacrifice our economy out of pure contempt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wewillnotforget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wewillnotforget</a> <a href="https://t.co/mhDXytxZh8">https://t.co/mhDXytxZh8</a>
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1241959245261701121?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">
Dems are lying about the rescue bill. They say it’s a “slush fund.” 
In reality, loans to big businesses PROHIBIT increases in executive pay and stock buy backs. It’s in the bill, clear as day.
They don’t have real reasons for opposing this. This is pure, bitter partisanship.
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1242126822533402624?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">
Here is the text on the $500B portion of the bill:
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.
Dems are lying.
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1242127351363895296?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">
EVERYONE in America, Democrat and Republican, MUST read this thread. This is what Pelosi killed the rescue package for. “Corporate diversity requirement,” “Airline carbon emissions,” and the list goes on. 
Hold these people accountable. 
They are holding America hostage. <a href="https://t.co/gJ5pyN1NFG">https://t.co/gJ5pyN1NFG</a>
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1242142362849116163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Emily Zanotti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shock-dem-stock-coronavirus-package-with-green-new-deal-handouts-post-office-bailout-union-cash">reported</a> Monday, early reports on Pelosi&#8217;s bill &#8220;show a piece of legislation packed with handouts, bailouts, and cash offerings to the Democrats’ top constituencies, as well as provisions demanding enforcement of the Green New Deal, easing voting restrictions, and strengthening union allies.&#8221;
After killing the Senate bill, the Democrats blamed provisions that they said amounted to a “slush fund” for corporate bailouts, but which is, as Zanotti explains, is actually a zero-interest loan program designed &#8220;to compensate businesses harmed by government lockdown&#8221; and which contains &#8220;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.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/are-you-kidding-me-mitch-mcconnell-shreds-democrats-in-fiery-senate-floor-speech">‘Are You Kidding Me?’: Mitch McConnell SHREDS Democrats In Fiery Senate Floor Speech</a>

Dan Crenshaw Posts Info ‘Everyone In America’ Should Read About Why Democrats Killed Emergency Relief Package

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

Democrats

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/488392-pelosi-urges-trump-to-tap-emergency-war-powers-immediately">called on President Trump</a> to invoke the Defense Production Act and assume dictatorial powers in the United States. Pelosi wrote:
<blockquote>Right now, shortages of critical medical and personal protective equipment are harming our ability to fight the coronavirus epidemic, endangering front-line workers and making it harder to care for those who fall ill. The president must immediately use the powers of the Defense Production Act to mass produce and coordinate distribution of these critical supplies, before the situation worsens and the shortages become even more dire. There is not a day to lose. We must put more testing, more production equipment and more ventilators into the hands of our frontline workers immediately.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump said yesterday that he was only invoking the Defense Production Act so he could use it later in a worst-case scenario.
Pelosi is urging him to use it now. <a href="https://t.co/DCi5SsSfCz">pic.twitter.com/DCi5SsSfCz</a>
&mdash; Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1240618188993368065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Wednesday, Trump signed the act, but also tweeted, “I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1240391871026864130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/trump-signed-defense-production-act-case/story?id=69670828">ABC News</a> explained how much power the act would give Trump; as Ed Morrissey of HotAir <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/03/19/pelosi-trump-seize-means-production-now/">commented,</a> &#8220;it’s basically authority to impose a wartime command economy.&#8221; Here’s how ABC News described the powers given the president:
<blockquote>The executive branch, under this law, can essentially dictate industry production and force companies to sign contracts telling them how to allocate materials. The president can also impose wage and price controls, settle labor disputes and control consumer and real estate credit, among other authorities given by the law.</blockquote>
Yet private industry is already rising to the occasion. As <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/edgarsten/2020/03/18/gms-barra-offers-to-build-ventilators-in-idled-plants/#771e39647543">Forbes</a> reported on  Wednesday:
<blockquote>General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO Mary Barra reportedly suggested to top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow, the automaker could build hospital ventilators while its plants are idled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on Fox News Wednesday, Kudlow said he spoke with executives from two of the three Detroit-based automakers, then apparently alluded to Barra when he explained, “one of them told me even while the men and women may be off for two weeks due to the virus she’s gonna try to call them back so they can produce ventilators and they might even ask them to do it on a voluntary basis for civic and patriotic reasons.”</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ge/ge-healthcare-ramps-up-ventilator-production-amid-coronavirus-spread-idUSKBN2161TW">Reuters</a> reported on Thursday:
<blockquote>General Electric’s healthcare unit said on Thursday it was hiring more people and shifting current employees to ramp up production of ventilators as the global coronavirus pandemic leads to surge in demand for medical equipment. The company said its actions came in response to an unprecedented demand for medical equipment. GE did not disclose how many additional ventilators it expected to produce.</blockquote>
After Trump signed the Defense Production Act, Democratic Congressman Andy Levin of Michigan <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-andy-levin-statement-president-trump-s-invocation-defense-production-act">stated</a>, “Invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 was a great step, and I thank the president. It is essential that the president make urgent use of all authorities granted to him by the Act to direct the domestic production of supplies needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He continued, “I will continue to press President Trump and his administration to call the CEOs of companies relevant to our most urgent needs into the White House, give them precise production quantities and dates they have to meet, and give them 48 hours to present a plan to produce what we need. If they cannot provide satisfactory plans, the Defense Production Act gives the president powers to take additional steps to make sure we do what we have to do to protect the American people in the greatest public health crisis in a century. “There is not one minute to spare. We cannot let partisanship, ego or the aim to score political points get in the way of what we must do to save lives. Let’s get this done.”

House Lawmakers Work On Coronavirus Aid Package Bill

Pelosi: Trump Should Assume Dictatorial Powers NOW

In the current WuFlu crisis, the problem for the Trump-is-an-idiot crowd is that when you step back a bit — and when you subtract his clumsy statements and the usual government missteps in any crisis — the guy has been right about almost everything. Uncontrolled migration, globalization, and the Chinese supply chain — everything Trump has tried to rectify — are precisely what make flus like this so dangerous.
Plus he’s been nice to the Jews so they’ll share the vaccine with us when they make it. Always be nice to the Jews!
The science writer Matt Ridley — a relentless debunker of panic narratives from peak oil to global warming — writes “It is now likely, though not inevitable, that [the virus] will kill hundreds of thousands of people.” Among the reasons the threat is real, he says, is globalization. “If we persist in creating conditions in which viruses can be easily transmitted and amplified, then we will persist in experiencing waves of new viral epidemics.”
So every time you hear a Democrat complain about Trump’s actions, ask yourself this: Do you really want to replace him with the party of open borders and world government? A party that worries we’ll insult our dear Chinese Communist friends by naming the virus improperly? A party that is about to be led by an empty suit who can’t remember the name of God? It would be insane.
Even with Trump at the helm, the Democrats have to be thwarted in this moment at every turn. They are the party of “Never let a crisis go to waste,” which translates into, “Always use people’s fears to extend the power of government.”
There’s a reason this works. Crises like this are exactly what government is good for. Barring the End of Days, a crisis is, by definition, a limited event demanding the rapid acquirement of factual information that can be quickly translated into specific actions. As an example: inventing a vaccine and getting it out to the people. So it’s a time when you can make a specious argument like: “Look how well government is doing! Wouldn’t it be great if it did this all the time?”
That’s why the Democrats are always declaring a crisis where none exists. The climate is a crisis. A Trump phone call is a crisis. Thursday is a crisis. It’s their opportunity to spread the fears of their hysterical base to the rest of us in the hope of cramming their agenda through.
Just watch them.
Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are already holding up action against the virus by stuffing their proposed bills with unnecessary gifts to useless bureaucracies and attempts to expand the welfare state permanently.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez tweeted: &#8220;Right about now would be a great time to weigh emergency measures like: Extending Medicare/Medicaid coverage to all; Eviction freezes; No-strings UBI programs; Eliminating work requirements for SNAP &amp;other assistance; Humanitarian provisions in prisons &amp; decarceral policies.”
Sure, that’ll help!
In the leftist New York Times, leftist writer Farhad Manjoo wrote an op-ed headlined, “Everyone’s a Socialist in a Pandemic.” With the subhead: “Companies and lawmakers are suddenly realizing the value of a strong social safety net. Let’s hope they don’t forget when the crisis passes.”
But no, let’s hope they do forget. A crisis taps into the skills of experts and authorities in the same way a toothache taps into the skills of dentists. But just because you need a filling, doesn’t mean the dentist should run your life.
In normal times, experts and authorities can be the biggest buffoons of all. They don’t know what they don’t know and they can’t do what they think they can. They gum up the works with an excess of caution. “Wash your hands every time you pet your dog.” “Wear a helmet when you jog.” They drastically underestimate the extent and use of their expertise.
In normal times, individual creators driven by normal human motives like curiosity, greed, decency, and glory — people like the Wright Brothers and Bill Gates — are more likely to change the world for the better than massive sclerotic bureaucracies with their five year plans to steal your money and produce nothing.
One of the reasons Trump’s America First agenda has worked so well is because it’s simple enough for the government to put into practice. Guys like Obama who think they can play three&#8211;dimensional chess with the whole planet make a mess out of everything — as indeed he did. Guys like Trump who just want to clean up the neighborhood have taken on as much as government can handle.
So let’s let this crisis go to waste. Let the government have its day. And when this is over, put that power-hungry sucker right back in the Constitutional box where it belongs.

Menu