McConnell: Shut Down Senate For Covid-19 Relief, But Move Ahead On Coney Barrett

[appalachiablue]

'McConnell says shut Senate down for COVID-19 relief bill, but move ahead on superspreader Barrett,' By Joan McCarter, Daily Kos, Oct. 5, 2020.

It's been 142 days since the House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which Mitch McConnell has refused to take up. Meanwhile, the Senate Majority is plotting how to keep the Senate from doing anything before the election other than confirm Trump's controversial and unqualified Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. You know, the nominee who was at the center of the Rose Garden superspreader event.

McConnell spent the weekend going around Kentucky, refusing to say if he'd been tested for coronavirus following his participation in that same event. In the meantime, he's trying to forge ahead with a plan that adjourns the full Senate until October 19, but lets the Judiciary Committee move ahead with Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett starting October 12. So no COVID-19 relief votes, but a Supreme Court nominee who will vote to overturn the Affordable Care Act and take away everyone's healthcare protections.

There are three committee Republicans who have either tested positive or are in quarantine because of exposure to COVID-19—Sens. Mike Lee (UT) and Thom Tillis (NC) are infected, Ben Sasse (NE) is sidelined. Unbelievably, three other Republicans on the committee—Josh Hawley (MO), Marsha Blackburn (TN), and Mike Crapo (ID)—were exposed at the event but have not said that they are quarantining. They've tested negative, but are still subject to the CDC guidelines to self-isolate after exposure. Or would be in a normal world not controlled by Trump and McConnell.

That's a red flag for Democrats, who are weighing options to delay the hearings for Barrett. “Moving forward with the committee process when three senators have recently tested positive for COVID-19 is irresponsible and dangerous, but doing so without requiring all members to be tested before a hearing in accordance with CDC best practices would be intentionally reckless,” Schumer said in the statement to The Post. "If Chairman Graham doesn't require testing, it may make some wonder if he just doesn't want to know the results." The third senator he's referring to is Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, who is not on the Judiciary Committee but who participated in a number of conference meetings and events breathing his germs on people...

More, https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/10/5/1983673/-McConnell-says-shut-Senate-down-for-COVID-19-relief-bill-but-move-ahead-on-superspreader-Barrett

[Frustratedlady]

1. Moscow Mitch is too evil to catch COVID. That evil germ doesn't even want him.

I sure hope his opponent is gaining ground and can win absolutely. The government would be 100% better if he was gone.

[appalachiablue]

2. When does the greed stop; past time for evil Mitch to disappear