Republicans are on the offensive against the newly signed $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus bill as they rush to gain a foothold against the Democrats’ first major victory on the way to 2022.
GOP lawmakers, who have voted in unison against the legislation, are betting that they can diminish the bill’s popularity in the long run, even if polls have shown it to receive widespread approval, including from their own voters.
The focus among Congressional Republicans is twofold: highlighting provisions they hope will harm the Democrats and accusing their political opponents of trying to get credit for an economic recovery that Republicans say was set in motion by the Democrats. Trump administration.
“I’m not surprised that the initial reaction of the American public to this, before they know what’s in it, would be positive. The thought of many Americans getting a check for $ 1,400, why wouldn’t they like it? “Minority leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Pentagon Takes Heat For Extending Guard’s Time As Capitol Fundraising Spits At Trump-GOP Rifts Top GOP Senators: Capitol Police Can’t Justify Reinforced Security MORE (R-Ky.) Said during an interview with “PBS NewsHour.”
“What they don’t know is how much of the bill has nothing to do with the pandemic,” McConnell said. “The economy is just going to have a fantastic year. It has nothing to do with this huge list of democratic desires. “
Republicans have their work off their hands.
A poll by Morning Consult and Politico found that 75 percent of registered voters, including 59 percent of Republicans, support the bill.
A Pew Research survey lowered support among Republicans, at 41 percent, but found a rift within the party: Only 30 percent of Conservatives said they support it, compared to 61 percent of self-proclaimed moderate or liberal Republicans.
Her. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio RubioOvernight Defense: Top GOP Senators Demand Answers to Expanded Guard Deployment, Capitol Screens | Security costs estimated at 1 million | House Panel Takes War License Revocation In 2002 On The Money: Biden Celebrates Emergency Bill With Democratic Leaders | Democrats debate fast track for Hillicon Valley infrastructure package: Google criticizes Microsoft for ‘naked business opportunism’ | Sanders invites Bezos to testify at the inequality hearing | AFL-CIO hits Rubio MORE about union endorsement (R-Fla.), Who is due for re-election next year, called the polls “a joke.”
“I mean, public polls are as accurate as the people who do them, the methodology they use and all that sort of thing. … There’s a lot, a trillion dollars of non-COVID stuff. If people find out about that, they will be furious, ”added Rubio.
The GOP’s political gamble comes as the party must defend 20 Senate seats in next year’s midterm elections, including two in states won by President Biden
Joe BidenPentagon takes charge of extending Guard’s time at Capitol Booker to try to make child tax credit expansion permanent Sullivan says tariffs won’t be at the center of talks with China MORE: Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Senate Republicans huddled behind closed doors to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) for a caucus lunch this week, where they say Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Who oversees the campaign arm, briefed them on the state of the campaign. 2022 races and how they could try to arm pieces of the coronavirus law against Democrats.
Her. Mike Braun
Michael Braun Amazon removes books that view LGBTQ issues as mental illness Senate honors movie ‘Hoosiers’ Senate braces for ‘God-awful,’ ‘stupid’ session ahead of COVID-19 relief vote MORE (R-Ind.), Who was asked about Scott’s post, summed it up by saying, “Just that much of what’s in that package feels good, of course, the poll behind it, but when we get exactly the details of it. most people will say, “What?” “
The NRSC already carries out digital advertisements against Sens. Mark KellyMark KellyCollins Will Support Becerra Before HHS Secretary Manchin Will Vote To Confirm Becerra As HHS Secretary Schumer Moves To Bring Up Becerra’s Nomination Following Committee Draw MORE (D-Ariz.) And Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock Biden, Harris to Travel to Atlanta to Sell Aid Package Trump Urges Herschel Walker to Run for Senate in Georgia Mike Lee Says’ For the People ‘Vote is’ As If Written In Hell By The Devil Himself ‘ LAKE (D-Ga.), Who are both on the ballot next year, on the COVID-19 scam law.
“The $ 2 trillion stimulus package signed by President Biden by law … is a historic waste of money that not only exposes our economy to inflation but also reflects the increasingly liberal priorities of the current Democratic Party,” Scott said in a statement. .
The Senate’s GOP effort comes as former President Trump
Donald Trump Pentagon Takes Heat For Extending Guard’s Time As Capitol Fundraising Spits At Trump-GOP Rifts Trump Rally Organizer Claims Alex Jones Threatened To Throw Her Off Stage: MORE Report, which received bipartisan criticism for its handling of the pandemic, also took credit for developing the coronavirus vaccine.
The recent coronavirus bill – the first of emergency relief measures to be implemented along party lines – includes a $ 1,400 incentive check, extends unemployment benefits through early September, aims to reduce child poverty, and provides more funding for schools and vaccines , all of which are touted by Democrats.
Looking ahead to the upcoming message wars, Republicans point to hundreds of billions of dollars to state and local governments who saw their tax bases dry up during the pandemic, but most GOP senators view such funding as a bailout.
They are also trying to link the bill to larger cultural issues, emphasizing Democratic opposition to an amendment by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) That would have blocked funding for schools that allow transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports and a proposal from Sen. Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzPoll: 81 percent of Republican voters believe Trump Bill would prevent Biden from being removed from Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism Biden DOJ nominee apologizes for ‘harsh rhetoric’ amid GOP criticism MORE (R-Texas) on incentive checks for undocumented immigrants.
The bill already included language banning undocumented immigrants from qualifying for checks, but Cruz and Sen. Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin Democrats Urge IRS To Help Unemployment Recipients Use Tax Benefit Manchin Firms Key Voting Status In 50-50 Senate Schumer Moves To Advance Becerra’s Appointment After Binding Committee MORE (D-Ill.) Accused each other of lying in a day-long battle that began when the Texas Republican claimed hours after a marathon vote that the stimulus bill would allow every undocumented immigrant to get a check.
A CNN fact-check then stated that they were both wrong because while most undocumented immigrants do not qualify, a subgroup with Social Security numbers does qualify.
McConnell pledged to keep overthrowing Democrats in a press conference with reporters, saying Republicans “will talk repeatedly about the provisions in the bill that Democrats don’t want to discuss.”
However, Democrats are high on the agenda after achieving their first major legislative victory.
Her. Gary Peters
Gary Peters Senate Panels Promote Shalanda Young Nomination for Deputy OMB Director Gulf Senate Retirements Puts GOP Ranks On Defense Blunt Retirement Shakes Missouri Senate Race MORE (D-Mich.), Who chairs the Democratic campaign wing of the Senate, hailed the bill as a direct result of the Democrats gaining control of the Senate majority.
“As our country recovers from this crisis, voters will know that the Democrats have delivered real relief and meaningful results, while the Republicans put political obstruction first and turned their backs on their states,” he said in a statement after Biden had signed the bill into law.
The campaign arm also circulated a list of provisions in the bill that Republicans voted against, shot headlines from local newspapers touting the bill in major 2022 battlefield states, and went digital against Rubio and Sen. Ron Johnson
Ronald (Ron) Harold Johnson Ashcroft refuses run to replace Blunt in Missouri Senate GOP faces retirement Brain drain Wave of Senate retirements puts GOP ranks on defense MORE (R-Delete.).
Democrats are also watching closely for Republicans trying to claim the bill.
Her. Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick WickerWhite House Plans To Sell PR Blitz To Sell Coronavirus Emergency Restaurant Group Gets Emergency Funds Thanks To GOP Lawmakers Opposing Bill The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented By National Shooting Sports Foundation – House Takes Emergency; Biden set for primetime address MORE (R-Miss.) Praised the bill’s funding for restaurants, even though he voted against general law, provoking criticism from Democrats. Wicker, asked about his tweet, told reporters that “a good amenity in a $ 1.9. trillion trillion doesn’t mean I have to vote for the whole thing. “
Wicker and Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Cinema
Kyrsten SinemaRestaurant Group Gets Emergency Funds Thanks To GOP Lawmakers Opposing Bill Collins To Support Becerra For HHS Secretary We Need A Voting Rights Solution (D-Ariz.) Had previously proposed an amendment to an upcoming budget resolution that paved the way for the coronavirus law.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiPelosi Launches Infrastructure Debate And Calls For Bipartisanship Biden Celebrates Emergency Relief With GOP Leader Of The Democratic Leaders To Try To Force Swalwell Off Panel MORE (D-Calif.), Speaking to reporters, predicted that more Republicans will take a similar approach and hinted that Democrats will be willing to call them on it.
‘We have a democratic president. Suddenly, many of the same features of those other accounts, in one measure or another, are in this account. And the Republicans have decided they can’t be for it, ”she said. “That’s a shame. As I said, they will get credit for it in their districts. But we have more to say about that.”