Amid the worst public health and economic emergency in modern American history, Republican Senators are using hypocrisy and partisan politics to obstruct the Biden agenda and delay critically needed coronavirus relief.
After signalling opposition to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Republicans are falsely claiming that attempts by Democrats to deliver more relief to the American people violate the new Administration’s calls for unity.
But what Republicans refuse to acknowledge is that Americans are united — in their support for Biden’s sweeping rescue package. Three quarters of the American people support the plan’s key provisions — including 50 percent of Republican voters. If Republican Senators want to talk unity, they should start by getting on the same page as their own constituents, and delivering them the help they need to weather this crisis.
The American Rescue Plan Is Broadly Supported by Voters From Across the Political Spectrum
- Across Party Lines, Nearly Three Quarters Of Americans Favor Biden’s Rescue Plan And Want Congress To Pass It. “With support across party lines, large majorities favor President Biden’s COVID rescue plan and want Congress to pass it. After seeing the main provisions 74% favor the plan, including 46% who strongly favor it.” [Twitter, Geoff Garin, 1/28/21; polling for Protect Our Care]
- There Is Bipartisan Support For The American Rescue Plan — Including 50 Percent Of Republicans, 72 Percent Of Independents, And 98 Percent Of Democrats. “There is broad, bipartisan support in the country for the Biden COVID package: 98% among Democrats; 72% among Independents; 50% among Republicans; 46% of Trump voters support it, even though it is explicitly identified with Biden.” [Twitter, Geoff Garin, 1/28/21; polling for Protect Our Care]
It’s Republican Senators That Are on the Wrong Side of the American Public and Their Overwhelming Support of the Biden Bill
- Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT): “I Don’t Think There’s A Single Republican Who Would Vote For The $1.9 Trillion Bill. “‘I don’t think there’s a single Republican who would vote for the $1.9 trillion bill,’ said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), a member of the bipartisan coalition. ‘There may be some appetite for Covid relief legislation that encompasses parts of that… but as a total bill, it’s not likely to get Republican support.’” [Politico, 1/28/21]
- Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA): The Plan “Is Not Going To Get Anywhere.” “‘They have to know this is not going to get anywhere,’ said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) of the Biden administration. ‘It goes nowhere. No, it cannot get 60 votes.’” [Politico, 1/29/21]
- Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO): “I Suspect The Whole Package Is A Non-Starter.” “Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (Mo.) on Thursday said President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, which includes increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, is a “non-starter.” ‘I suspect the whole package is a non-starter,’ Blunt told reporters, though he acknowledged there are elements of it that can secure bipartisan support.” [The Hill, 1/21/21]
- Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) Said That Passing The American Rescue Plan “Be A Very Heavy Lift.” “‘I don’t think it can get 60. Because even the people on our side that would be inclined to want to work with the administration on something like that, that price range is going to be out of range for them,’ said Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D,) the party’s chief vote counter. ‘Absent some change and economic conditions, etc., I think that would be a very heavy lift.’” [Politico, 1/21/21]
- Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) Said “I Don’t Want To Just Throw Money Out There” Despite Once-In-A-Lifetime Public Health Emergency. “‘We’ve already given $5 trillion,’ said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). ‘It’s too high. It’s too vague … I don’t want to just throw money out there.’” [Politico, 1/21/21]
- Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) Claimed It “Makes No Sense” For Congress To Give States Additional Funding. “Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla, recently told ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ that Congress cannot be bailing out states for their prior problems, claiming that it ‘makes no sense.’” [Fox News, 1/21/21]
- Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Is “Skeptical” Schools Need Funding To Reopen. “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a member of the bipartisan negotiating group, has argued that entire pieces of the plan aren’t needed; he isn’t convinced, for example, that schools need $170 billion dollars to reopen. ‘That’s one thing I’m rather skeptical of right now,’ he said Thursday in a live interview with the Washington Post, arguing that private religious schools and charter schools have already reopened without these funds.” [Politico, 1/29/21]
And Are Attacking Democrats for Considering Budget Reconciliation
- Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) Said Passing Relief Through Reconciliation “Would Be Really Problematic For The Country.” “Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a Republican who announced he won’t seek reelection in 2022, warned the Biden administration and congressional Democrats not to move forward on a large new round of coronavirus relief legislation without GOP support, saying such a move ‘poisons the well.’ Portman, who is part of a bipartisan Senate group in talks with the administration, told NPR’s Susan Davis on Thursday he believes acting without Republican input or support of the bill ‘would set the tone for the administration that would be really problematic for the country and frankly, bad for the Biden administration.’” [NPR, 1/28/21]
- Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) Also Said Budget Reconciliation “Is Not Consistent With The Inaugural Address, Which Said We Want To Work Together…” “‘This is not consistent with the inaugural address, which said we want to work together, which I said was very good… and here we have an action that is contradictory to that very pledge,’ said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who announced this week that he wouldn’t run for reelection next year.” [The Hill, 1/29/21]
- Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) Said Budget Reconciliation Was “Certainly Not Helpful” For Bipartisanship. “GOP senators are warning that they view reconciliation as Democrats undercutting the bipartisan talks and contradictory to Biden’s pledge for unity… Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said moving forward with reconciliation was ‘certainly not helpful’ to the bipartisan talks.” [The Hill, 1/29/21]
- Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) Said “It’s Clear” That Democrats Are Done With Deals If They Use The Budget Reconciliation Road. “Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) noted that Congress was able to cut big deals last year on coronavirus relief but if Democrats ‘go down this road [budget reconciliation] it’s clear that they’re done with that.’” [The Hill, 1/29/21]
- Senator Todd Young (R-IN) Baselessly Claimed That Passing The American Rescue Plan Through Reconciliation Would Signal That Biden’s Unity Message “Was Rhetoric, As Opposed To Substance.” “‘That’s going to send a signal to America, and to Republicans throughout Congress, that this president’s message of unity was rhetoric as opposed to substance,’ Republican Senator Todd Young told reporters on Thursday about the possibility of passing the proposal through budget reconciliation.” [CBS, 1/28/21]
- Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) Called Budget Concerns “A Mandate To Move To The Middle,” Despite Republican Support For Key Provisions In The American Rescue Plan. “Republicans have also raised concerns about adding to the deficit, which skyrocketed in the Trump administration. Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the third-ranking party leader, said Biden should stick to the call for unity he outlined in his inaugural address, particularly with the evenly split Senate. ‘If there’s ever been a mandate to move to the middle, it’s this,’ he said. ‘It’s not let’s just go off the cliff.’” [Associated Press, 1/29/21]
- Barasso Also Said Trying To Pass The American Rescue Plan Through Budget Reconciliation “Isn’t Unity. It’s Not Bipartisanship.” “Barrasso on reconciliation: ‘If it occurs, it will likely be done without a single Republican vote. This isn’t unity. It’s not bipartisanship. It’s not healing our divisions. This is a time for President Biden to heed the words of his own inaugural address.’” [Twitter, @IgorBobic, 1/27/21]
But These Same Republicans Used Budget Reconciliation to… Pass Tax Cuts for the Wealthy and Try to Take Away Health Care From Millions of Americans
- Despite Republicans Claiming Reconciliation Would Hurt Relations, They Used The Process Twice When They Controlled Congress. “But several Republicans, including those in the bipartisan group who have professed a willingness to negotiate a small package, warned that pursuing the reconciliation process and bypassing their conference would hurt relations. (When Republicans controlled both chambers and the White House in 2017, they used the process twice.)” [New York Times, 1/28/21]
- Senate Republicans Tried To Use Budget Reconciliation To Repeal The Affordable Care Act In 2017. “Senate Republicans in January 2017 tried to do a lightning-strike repeal of the Affordable Care Act via reconciliation. They moved a budget to do so even before Trump was sworn into office. Their unity/healing arguments now are the opposite of what they said then.” [Twitter, @StevenTDennis, 1/27/21]
- Senate Republicans Successfully Used Budget Reconciliation To Enact Tax Cuts For The Wealthy In 2017. “Republicans used budget reconciliation to pass nearly $2 trillion in tax cuts for the richest Americans. Democrats can absolutely use budget reconciliation to pass a nearly $2 trillion Covid relief plan to help save lives and our economy.” [Twitter, @JeffMerkeley, 1/28/21]