Nice try, House Speaker Pelosi, but your "new" COVID relief bill is the same old liberal wish list we saw before, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republican leaders are noting.
Republicans did, however, point out one difference in her latest offering. Pelosi's most recent stimulus package cuts police funding by $600 million. The original package included $300 million for Community Oriented Police Services Programs, which help hire and rehire additional officers, and it provided $300 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, which help law enforcement purchase personal protective equipment and to cover costs to control coronavirus in prisons, as reported by Fox News.
McCarthy and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) argue that Pelosi seems to be giving in to the Defund the Police movement.
The latest "stimulus package" that Nancy Pelosi has been scheming is the same liberal wishlist that Democrats jammed through in May.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 1, 2020
The only difference is that in this one, she cuts funding for police by $600 million.
Some things never change.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) September 30, 2020
Pelosi's "new" COVID bill isn't new.
It's her same old wish list.
- Stimulus checks to illegal immigrants
- Release prisoners
- No-ID voting
But this time she strips out $600 MILLION of police funding from the previous version.
Americans are fed up. pic.twitter.com/UVQw5M5OOj
This is simply more pot smoke & mirrors from @SpeakerPelosi.
— Rep. Arrington (@RepArrington) October 1, 2020
We need temporary & targeted assistance for working families that incentivize fully reopening our country & economy, not marijuana banking, union pension bailouts & tax breaks for the liberal donor class in NY & CA. https://t.co/HfFQyyh9NM
“House Democrats have fully embraced the radical left’s movement to defund the police," Scalise said in a statement to Fox News. "Democrats’ so-called ‘Heroes Act’ removes $600 million from a previous version of the bill that was intended for real heroes: state and local law enforcement."
Democrats counter and say that the relief bill doesn't strip any police funding, it just doesn't add any.
The legislation would provide another round of $1,200 stimulus checks and $500 per dependent, restore unemployment benefits of $600 weekly federal assistance through January and revive the Paycheck Protection Program.
The PPP closed more than 50 days ago and still has more than $100 billion in it. Republicans have introduced a discharge petition to force a vote on a stand-alone extension of the program to funnel help to struggling small businesses, after Democrats blocked consideration of legislation to reopen the program.
While reports suggested that Pelosi's meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the COVID relief bill did not go well today, the speaker told the press that she's "hoping that we will be voting on it today."
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