This piece was originally published in the December 2, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.
Photo by MIKE STOLL on Unsplash
— Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) after Steve Mnuchin questioned her credentials when she asked him why he’s preventing COVID relief funds from being used
The HEROES Act has been sitting on McConnell’s desk for more than 200 days, as MILLIONS of Americans are out of work and in dire need of aid.
It’s time for Trump and McConnell to do their jobs and provide the safety and security the American people need.
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- Democratic Congressional leaders said this afternoon that they would support negotiations based on the watered-down bipartisan stimulus plan offered up by a group of Senate Republicans and moderate Democrats yesterday morning. This is likely a last-ditch attempt to get McConnell to agree to a compromise solution and get something into the hands of the American people before the holidays.
- After waiting months with no federal aid or new COVID relief measures, and with McConnell refusing to take up the House-passed HEROES Act, anything would be better than nothing at this point. But even this significant compromise is still not yet a done deal without the McConnell’s support, which is far from certain. And, as we explained yesterday, the compromise has some serious drawbacks. As Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) pointed out earlier, it’s “not ideal.”
- We have yet to see any kind of empathy from McConnell for the families, children, workers, and local governments who are suffering. He did, however, shed a tear over the departure of a colleague this morning. And his own “plan” for COVID relief is, unsurprisingly, much worse than the conservative compromise which Democratic leaders have agreed to use as a starting point for negotiations.
Don’t miss today’s edition of What’s Trending?, where we break down how progressives are discussing the transition and what it’s like to be a Boomer in the toxic echo chamber of Facebook. Read it and subscribe here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Trump’s attempt to sneak a repeal of a niche law governing liability for social media companies into the defense budget fell flat within hours today. Not long after Trump floated the idea of ending Section 230, which has been a recent talking point for right-wing lawmakers who say they’re being censored by big tech, Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) shut it down.
- Inhofe told reporters that while he also thinks the policy should be repealed, a Section 230 repeal wouldn’t be included in the must-pass defense spending bill because it “has nothing to do with the military.” If you’re in the mood for a rabbit hole, here’s an article that dives deeper into Section 230 and the recent Senate hearings on the law that have brought tech company executives to the Hill.
- Remember when Trump said that he would refuse to sign a defense funding bill that contained a provision to rename military bases that bear the names of Confederate figures? It looks like he’s going to have to put that promise to the test. The provision, supported by senators of both parties and spearheaded by Senator Warren, will be in the final version of the must-pass bill.
- Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was sworn in today, which means we’re saying a final goodbye to his predecessor — the twice-appointed, never-elected, now former Senator Martha McSally.
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