10.24.20

Disregard Democrats’ Unserious Demands

Senate Democrats Are Calling On The Senate To Take Up COVID Relief Despite Filibustering That 3 Days Ago And Demanding The Senate Consider Numerous Other Unrelated Bills Despite Sen. Schumer Moving To Adjourn The Senate 4 Times In The Last Week

SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “The next huge wave in this pandemic is not looming. It’s here. We cannot afford to wait … Today we’re going to give the Republican majority in the Senate the opportunity to consider critical legislation … In each case, we’re not asking the Congress to pass it -- the Senate to pass it. We’re simply asking them to debate it. We’re asking them to … put these bills on the floor and let there be a debate and let there be amendments. That’s all we ask …” (Sen. Schumer, Floor Remarks, 10/24/2020)

SENATE MAJORITY WHIP JOHN THUNE (R-SD): “The United States Senate has now twice and most recently this week … voted on legislation that would do all the things that [Sen. Schumer] says that he wants to do. Help people who are unemployed: We voted on a bill that had unemployment insurance for people that are unemployed. Help small businesses: We have a bipartisan agreement on the Paycheck Protection Program to provide assistance to small businesses, and that was blocked by the democrats earlier this week. It had money in there, resources on a bipartisan, agreed-upon objective. And that is more money, more resources for schools and universities to open safely. $100 billion in there for schools to open safely. They blocked it. They objected. It had money in there for farmers … They blocked it. It had money in there for the postal service, something that his side has been saying repeatedly we need to address. They blocked it. We had that vote this week. We’ve taken up legislation exactly along the lines of what the Democrat Leader is asking for, and they have consistently blocked it.” (Sen. Thune, Floor Remarks, 10/24/2020)

  • SEN. THUNE: “This isn’t serious, and he knows it. This is all about politics. This is a bogus issue to [distract] the Senate from the work at hand, which is to confirm a well-qualified judge to the Supreme Court …” (Sen. Thune, Floor Remarks, 10/24/2020)

 

Since September Senate Democrats Have Twice Blocked The Senate From Taking Up COVID Relief Legislation

Three Days Ago, Senate Democrats Voted To Block Moving Forward On A Targeted COVID Relief Bill

44 Senate Democrats voted to block the targeted COVID relief bill. (S. 178, Roll Call Vote #207: 51-44, R 51-0, D 0-42, I 0-2, 10/21/2020)

Axios: “Senate Democrats block vote on McConnell’s targeted COVID relief bill” (“Senate Democrats Block Vote On Mcconnell’s Targeted COVID Relief Bill,” Axios, 10/21/2020)

Washington Examiner: “Senate Democrats block $500B coronavirus aid package a second time” (“Senate Democrats Block $500B Coronavirus Aid Package A Second Time,” Washington Examiner, 10/21/2020)

In September, Every Present Senate Democrat Voted To Block Moving Forward On A Targeted COVID Relief Bill

46 Democrats voted to block Senate action on the relief bill. (S.178, Roll Call Vote #168: Motion Rejected: R: 52-1; D: 0-44; I: 0-2, 9/10/2020)

The Hill: “Senate Democrats block GOP relief bill” (“Senate Democrats Block GOP Relief Bill,” The Hill, 9/10/2020)

 

And Sen. Schumer Tried Four Times To Adjourn The Senate Until After The Election Last Week

SEN. THUNE: “The Minority Leader is requesting to move to legislation after having repeatedly this week requested and asked for votes to adjourn, multiple times, leave town. Now all of a sudden he wants to legislate. I think there’s a serious question about the sincerity of the Minority Leader’s request here.” (Sen. Thune, Floor Remarks, 10/24/2020)

  • SCHUMER Today: “We know contradictions when we see them.” (Sen. Schumer, Floor Remarks, 10/24/2020)

SCHUMER Monday: “I will move to adjourn the Senate until after the November 3 election … I move to adjourn and then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted …” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S.6058, 10/19/2020)

SCHUMER Tuesday: “I move to adjourn and to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted …” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S.6320, 10/19/2020; Roll Call Vote #206: Motion to Table Agreed to 52-43: R: 52-0; D: 0-41; I: 0-2, 10/20/2020)

SCHUMER Wednesday: “I am going to move to adjourn until November 9, after the election is decided … I move to adjourn and to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted …” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S.6366, 10/21/2020)

SCHUMER Friday: “I move to adjourn and to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted …” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S.6411, 10/23/2020)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: COVID-19, Senate Democrats