This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/senate-coronavirus-stimulus-bill.html
The article has changed 26 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 21 | Version 22 |
|---|---|
| A Unanimous Senate Vote That Nobody Seemed to Agree On | A Unanimous Senate Vote That Nobody Seemed to Agree On |
| (3 days later) | |
| WASHINGTON — After a four-year stretch marked by an acrimonious fight over a Supreme Court vacancy, the poisonous Kavanaugh confirmation and a bitter impeachment trial, was it too much to hope that a global health and economic crisis could suddenly rid the Senate of its own partisan infection? | WASHINGTON — After a four-year stretch marked by an acrimonious fight over a Supreme Court vacancy, the poisonous Kavanaugh confirmation and a bitter impeachment trial, was it too much to hope that a global health and economic crisis could suddenly rid the Senate of its own partisan infection? |
| It was. | It was. |
| True, the Senate voted 96 to 0 late Wednesday night to deliver a sweeping $2 trillion response to the coronavirus pandemic, a remarkable show of unanimity for the biggest government aid package in history. The House passed the measure and sent it to President Trump on Friday after having to hustle lawmakers into town to overcome a sudden Republican threat to hold it up. | True, the Senate voted 96 to 0 late Wednesday night to deliver a sweeping $2 trillion response to the coronavirus pandemic, a remarkable show of unanimity for the biggest government aid package in history. The House passed the measure and sent it to President Trump on Friday after having to hustle lawmakers into town to overcome a sudden Republican threat to hold it up. |
| The outcome was never in doubt. Members of Congress are as worried as every other American about the pandemic, and have the power and the money to do something about it, so significant action was inevitable. Lawmakers also knew they would be quickly run out of office if they failed to respond adequately to the gravest national health emergency in a century. | The outcome was never in doubt. Members of Congress are as worried as every other American about the pandemic, and have the power and the money to do something about it, so significant action was inevitable. Lawmakers also knew they would be quickly run out of office if they failed to respond adequately to the gravest national health emergency in a century. |
| The test was in both the final contents of the package and how members of the Senate, which took the lead on assembling wide-ranging legislation that touched nearly every facet of the economy and the health care system, would get it done. Could they come together as they did in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and put aside their political differences in a show of strength and solidarity, or would they continue to wage the political war that has been intensifying for years? | The test was in both the final contents of the package and how members of the Senate, which took the lead on assembling wide-ranging legislation that touched nearly every facet of the economy and the health care system, would get it done. Could they come together as they did in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and put aside their political differences in a show of strength and solidarity, or would they continue to wage the political war that has been intensifying for years? |
| On the floor, at least, it was the latter. Glowering senators, hands on hips and fingers wagging, spent a good part of three days castigating one another across the aisle as Democrats held up the emergency aid to wring what they saw as essential concessions from the White House. | On the floor, at least, it was the latter. Glowering senators, hands on hips and fingers wagging, spent a good part of three days castigating one another across the aisle as Democrats held up the emergency aid to wring what they saw as essential concessions from the White House. |
| The accusations and the tone were ugly. Democrats accused Republicans of being callous and trying to jam through legislation that would have enabled corporate corruption while giving short shrift to American workers. Republicans stepped it up a notch and essentially accused Democrats of killing their fellow citizens. | The accusations and the tone were ugly. Democrats accused Republicans of being callous and trying to jam through legislation that would have enabled corporate corruption while giving short shrift to American workers. Republicans stepped it up a notch and essentially accused Democrats of killing their fellow citizens. |
| “When you will look back on this in a day — in a week, in a month — you will just ask: How many deaths could have been prevented if this bill had been passed yesterday instead of today,” Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Senate Republican, said on the floor as he pounded Democrats for blocking the measure. | “When you will look back on this in a day — in a week, in a month — you will just ask: How many deaths could have been prevented if this bill had been passed yesterday instead of today,” Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 3 Senate Republican, said on the floor as he pounded Democrats for blocking the measure. |
| The whole episode was discouraging to longtime senators such as Pat Roberts, the veteran Kansas Republican who is retiring. | The whole episode was discouraging to longtime senators such as Pat Roberts, the veteran Kansas Republican who is retiring. |
| “This is not the Senate I came to 24 years ago,” he lamented. “This blanket of comity and respect is pretty threadbare right now.” | “This is not the Senate I came to 24 years ago,” he lamented. “This blanket of comity and respect is pretty threadbare right now.” |
| In some ways, the legislative dynamic was a reverse of the situation 12 years ago when the House, in fits of acrimony and blame, got tied in knots over the 2008 economic rescue and left it to the Senate to more calmly go about its business despite deep divisions of its own. This time, it was the Senate that became bogged down in fighting while the House seemed more grown up — something no self-respecting senator ever wants to contemplate. | In some ways, the legislative dynamic was a reverse of the situation 12 years ago when the House, in fits of acrimony and blame, got tied in knots over the 2008 economic rescue and left it to the Senate to more calmly go about its business despite deep divisions of its own. This time, it was the Senate that became bogged down in fighting while the House seemed more grown up — something no self-respecting senator ever wants to contemplate. |
| Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the toxic spectacle that unfolded on the floor was how manufactured all the outrage appeared to be. Negotiations were continuing just steps away in the leadership offices of both Republicans and Democrats, and virtually everyone knew that there was going to be a resolution at some point soon — though majority Republicans were up in arms that Democrats were using their leverage to extract more of what they wanted. The harsh attacks — and the Republican suggestion that Democrats were pushing extraneous provisions that really were not part of the relevant negotiations — were in some ways pure political theater. | Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the toxic spectacle that unfolded on the floor was how manufactured all the outrage appeared to be. Negotiations were continuing just steps away in the leadership offices of both Republicans and Democrats, and virtually everyone knew that there was going to be a resolution at some point soon — though majority Republicans were up in arms that Democrats were using their leverage to extract more of what they wanted. The harsh attacks — and the Republican suggestion that Democrats were pushing extraneous provisions that really were not part of the relevant negotiations — were in some ways pure political theater. |
| “Frankly, I think what has been happening on the floor today has been sort of artificial and hasn’t really shown the American public what is truly going on,” Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, said in a speech on Monday. “There were a lot of speeches that were taking place wherein it was sort of a blame game, and I don’t think that is what Americans wanted to see today.” | “Frankly, I think what has been happening on the floor today has been sort of artificial and hasn’t really shown the American public what is truly going on,” Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, said in a speech on Monday. “There were a lot of speeches that were taking place wherein it was sort of a blame game, and I don’t think that is what Americans wanted to see today.” |
| “What Americans didn’t see yesterday and today is the intense dialogue and debate and discussion around the third coronavirus response bill — by far the largest,” Mr. Kaine said. | “What Americans didn’t see yesterday and today is the intense dialogue and debate and discussion around the third coronavirus response bill — by far the largest,” Mr. Kaine said. |
| One reason for the furious show of partisanship was obvious: Senators are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the chamber in November. Several Republican incumbents are in serious trouble and were not going to miss the opportunity to try to score points against Democrats for irresponsibility and to show voters back home they were fighting the good fight in Washington. With Senator Chuck Schumer of the New York, the Democratic leader, organizing the campaign against them, Republicans were particularly agitated when discussing him. Mr. Schumer, who was at the center of the negotiations, drives Republicans into a frenzy. | One reason for the furious show of partisanship was obvious: Senators are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the chamber in November. Several Republican incumbents are in serious trouble and were not going to miss the opportunity to try to score points against Democrats for irresponsibility and to show voters back home they were fighting the good fight in Washington. With Senator Chuck Schumer of the New York, the Democratic leader, organizing the campaign against them, Republicans were particularly agitated when discussing him. Mr. Schumer, who was at the center of the negotiations, drives Republicans into a frenzy. |
| Updated August 17, 2020 | |
| “People are dying, and the Democratic leaders think it an opportunity to score political points and grab power,” said Senator Martha McSally, a highly endangered Republican from Arizona, who took the floor to accuse Mr. Schumer of “flat-out lies.” | “People are dying, and the Democratic leaders think it an opportunity to score political points and grab power,” said Senator Martha McSally, a highly endangered Republican from Arizona, who took the floor to accuse Mr. Schumer of “flat-out lies.” |
| “It is despicable. It is infuriating. It is immoral, and it must stop,” she said of the delay. | “It is despicable. It is infuriating. It is immoral, and it must stop,” she said of the delay. |
| There were some bright spots, almost all of them behind the scenes. Given the rare opportunity to legislate, Republican and Democratic Senate committee leaders did come together to quickly draft major emergency aid efforts. Members of the Small Business Committee, not usually a hotbed of Senate action, were but one example. | There were some bright spots, almost all of them behind the scenes. Given the rare opportunity to legislate, Republican and Democratic Senate committee leaders did come together to quickly draft major emergency aid efforts. Members of the Small Business Committee, not usually a hotbed of Senate action, were but one example. |
| Having watched the crisis tear through China and Italy, Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, who leads the panel, and Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, began working on their own plan in late February. They were joined by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and a former Small Business Administration official, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, in producing a new $377 billion program to provide forgivable loans to small businesses. | Having watched the crisis tear through China and Italy, Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, who leads the panel, and Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, began working on their own plan in late February. They were joined by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and a former Small Business Administration official, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, in producing a new $377 billion program to provide forgivable loans to small businesses. |
| But such successes also came with issues, as Democrats complained they were later blindsided by a provision added to the small-business package that was meant to make sure that nonprofit groups such as Planned Parenthood received none of the money. | But such successes also came with issues, as Democrats complained they were later blindsided by a provision added to the small-business package that was meant to make sure that nonprofit groups such as Planned Parenthood received none of the money. |
| Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, sought to focus on the big picture of the passage without dissent of the huge bill in such a short period of time — though he noted some “stupidity” on the floor from the Democratic side. | Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, sought to focus on the big picture of the passage without dissent of the huge bill in such a short period of time — though he noted some “stupidity” on the floor from the Democratic side. |
| “If I were writing your headline, I’d say the Senate has pivoted from one of the most contentious partisan periods in the nation’s history to passing this rescue package 100 to nothing,” he told reporters after approval of the measure, referring to the impeachment trial. “I think it says a lot about the United States Senate as an institution, our willingness to put aside our differences, and to do something really significant for the country.” | “If I were writing your headline, I’d say the Senate has pivoted from one of the most contentious partisan periods in the nation’s history to passing this rescue package 100 to nothing,” he told reporters after approval of the measure, referring to the impeachment trial. “I think it says a lot about the United States Senate as an institution, our willingness to put aside our differences, and to do something really significant for the country.” |
| Senators did do something consequential, but they were a long way from putting aside their differences. They seem to have more and more trouble doing so, a fact that does not bode well if the partisanship remains so intense even in times of crisis. | Senators did do something consequential, but they were a long way from putting aside their differences. They seem to have more and more trouble doing so, a fact that does not bode well if the partisanship remains so intense even in times of crisis. |