https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defections-in-the-house-several-dems-
will-vote-no-on-3t-coronavirus-bill
Several Democrats are bucking their party and voting against Speaker Nancy
Pelosi's $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill in the House on Friday.
Some moderate members in swing districts -- including Reps. Abigail
Spanberger of Virginia, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, Kendra Horn of
Oklahoma, Cindy Axne of Iowa and Ben McAdams of Utah-- ripped the massive
measure as a one-sided partisan bill that is going nowhere.
And there's resistance in the most liberal wing of the party, too, where
some say the $3 trillion measure isn't big enough. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a
leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said her "no" vote was
"difficult" but the bill fell short on ensuring Americans continued to get
paychecks and had access to health care.
DEMOCRATS' $3T CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL EXTENDS STIMULUS CHECKS TO CERTAIN
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
At least one Republican, Rep. Peter King of New York, is bucking the GOP
and supporting the legislation that will give nearly $1 trillion to state
and local governments reeling from coronavirus budget holes.
Why this Republican is bucking party lines on Democrats’ $3T coronavirus
relief billVideo
“I can be as much a red state person as anyone. But now we're talking
about survival. And this is no place for politics. There's a lot in the
bill that I disagree with, but Mitch McConnell refuses to bring up aid to
state and local governments. New York will absolutely collapse if that aid
money is not there,” King told Fox News.
The Democratic Party defectors first appeared during a vote Friday morning
when 14 Democrats voted against their party on a procedural resolution,
including moderates, progressives and the liberal freshman squad: Reps.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-
Mich., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.
AOC CITES NEED TO 'PLAY HARDBALL' ON CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGES, IN PUSH
FOR $2,000 PER MONTH PAYMENTS
Ocasio-Cortez, whose Bronx and Queens district has been especially hard
hit by the virus, said the bill is a "mixed bag" with positive funding
for hard-hit state and local governments but falls shorts on direct
assistance and health care.
"Do I think it should be bolder? Yes," Ocasio-Cortez told reporters
outside the Capitol, wearing a "Medicare For All" blue mask. "Do I think
there should be more, especially as a starting offer. Absolutely. But I do
anticipate that there's going to be some sort of deal on the other end."
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez discusses $3 trillion the House of
Representatives billVideo
On the flip side, moderate Democrats who were elected in 2018 during the
blue wave were upset the legislation was drafted without input from
Republicans, unlike the previous four bills that passed with broad
bipartisan support.
Rep. Joe Cunningham
?
@RepCunningham
The public health and economic crisis we are facing is too serious for
one-sided approaches that aren’t going anywhere. Lowcountry workers,
families, and small business owners need real relief
https://cunningham.house.gov/media/press-releases/cunningham-vote-against-
partisan-coronavirus-response-package …
Cunningham to Vote Against Partisan Coronavirus Response Package
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) today announced he would
vote against H.R. 6800, the Heroes Act, releasing the following statement:
cunningham.house.gov
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8:35 AM - May 15, 2020
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“This is Washington politics at its worst," Cunningham, D-S.C., said in a
statement. "While South Carolina families, small business owners, and
workers are struggling, now is not the time to advance a partisan wish
list or refuse to come to the negotiating table. At a time when our
country is in real trouble, we should not be spending precious time on
one-sided solutions that aren’t going anywhere."
STIMULUS CHECKS, STATE AID AND MORE: WHAT’S IN HOUSE DEMOCRATS' NEW
CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL
Spanberger said voters in her Central Virginia district expect the
government to work together during the crisis.
"Unfortunately, many members of Congress — including some in my own party
— have decided to use this package as an opportunity to make political
statements and propose a bill that goes far beyond pandemic relief and has
no chance at becoming law, further delaying the help so many need,"
Spanberger said in a statement announcing her "no" vote.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger
?
@RepSpanberger
The #VA07 people & counties I serve expect us to work together to provide
REAL relief in this crisis. This bill strays far beyond delivering relief
or responding to an urgent crisis, & it has no chance at becoming law.
I'll be voting no on the HEROES Act.
https://spanberger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2889 …
Spanberger Opposes Heroes Act, Urges Bipartisan & Bicameral Cooperation to
Push COVID-19 Response...
spanberger.house.gov
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Horn, another freshman rep who won in a red district in 2018, said the $3
trillion package, known as the HEROES Act, is full of "pet projects" that
are unrelated to the coronavirus crisis and is too costly.
Congresswoman Kendra Horn
?
@RepKendraHorn
This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship, this is the time to find
common ground and deliver help where it is needed most. In response to
COVID-19, our relief efforts must be targeted, timely, and transparent.
The HEROES Act does not meet those standards.
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"This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship, this is the time to find
common ground and deliver help where it is needed most," Horn said. "In
response to COVID-19, our relief efforts must be targeted, timely, and
transparent. The HEROES Act does not meet those standards."
DEMOCRATS' $3T CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL IS TOO SMALL FOR SOME PROGRESSIVES
On the liberal side of the Democratic Party, progressive members wanted
reoccurring $2,000 monthly paychecks, expanded access to Medicare and
inclusion of the Paycheck Guarantee Act that Jayapal had introduced.
That paycheck legislation was designed to ensure workers were paid and
attached to their employers' health care during the pandemic to avoid
layoffs, business closures and more unemployment claims. The plan called
for the federal government to give grants to employers to cover 100
percent of employees' benefits and salaries (up to $100,000 per person)
for the next three months.
"This was a difficult decision for me," Jayapal told reporters Friday at
the Capitol. "There are a lot of things that are good in the bill."
Fox News' Lindsay Carlton and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.