Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), blocked a motion from Bernie Sanders (D-VT) to hold a floor vote on the House bill to provide American’s with a $2,000 direct payment after going months without the federal government offering any type of meaningful relief in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Massachusetts senator Ed Markey joined Sanders in blasting McConnell and the GOP’s efforts this time around to prevent relief to the American people, going as far as to team up with the Vermont senator in preventing a floor vote on the Defense spending bill that Congress is poised to pass despite Donald Trump’s veto.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also requested to bring the CASH Act to the senate floor for a vote by unanimous consent which was also blocked by the Kentucky Senator.
Meanwhile, McConnell could possibly look to “poison pill” the proposed legislation by forcing a combined vote on Section 230 and Trump’s demands for an election fraud investigation.
In any sense, McConnell’s refusal to throw a direct lifeline to the American people with no strings attached could certainly play into how Georgia voters decide that state’s runoff which will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Even if he tries to poison pill the legislation the writing is already on the wall when it comes to the Senate Majority leader going on record for his party that he’ll continue to let the American people suffer during a once in a century pandemic.
Other than that the very next play will be Sanders and Markey filibustering the defense legislation preventing a vote on more Pentagon handouts until McConnell brings the CASH Act to the floor.