There is likely nothing that the American people want more right now than for our elected officials to set aside their differences and get to work.
We are facing a common enemy: A global pandemic for which we have no vaccine and no surefire treatment. All we have by way of weaponry is an economy-smothering thing called “social distancing”, which makes restaurants boring and live music impossible.
In order to make “social distancing” work, the government needs to find a way to offset the massive economic loss that comes with keeping human beings away from each other, and this is no time for partisan bickering.
Yet, here we are.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged Thursday the long odds of the Democrats’ $3 trillion coronavirus relief legislation of becoming law and suggested the massive bill could be a starting point of negotiations with the White House and Senate.
“We’re putting our offer on the table, we’re open to negotiation,” Pelosi said Thursday on the eve of the planned vote on the HEROES Act.
Her comments came just as the White House issued an official veto threat on the legislation, accusing Democrats of wanting to pass “long-standing partisan and ideological wish lists” rather than addressing the nation’s public health and economic challenges.
The White House chided Democrats for making certain undocumented immigrants eligible for the second round of $1,200 direct payments, for including a $25 billion “bailout” for the U.S. Postal Service and for funding vote-by-mail and same-day registration priorities.
The House Speaker fired back.
But at the Capitol, Pelosi framed the legislation — the biggest relief package in history — as a necessary expense to deal with the unprecedented economic and health crisis that has left nearly 85,000 Americans dead and 36 million jobless.
“This is really quite an exciting time for us because we have a monumental need for our country at this sad time,” Pelosi said.
Meanwhile, Americans everywhere are worried about paying rent and affording groceries.
