Members of Congress screwed around, played games, and engaged in a coordinated and politically motivated scheme to inflict economic pain on millions of Americans for months. The lack of a COVID relief package is inexcusable. The reasoning behind it is why millions want to burn Washington to the ground—with every inhabitant burnt to a crisp.
Now, with a coronavirus package being passed to avoid a government shutdown at the tune of $900 billion, some checks are included, but it’s too late now. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi knew a COVID relief bill would help Trump get re-elected, so she torpedoed it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer knows such a bill will help Republicans keep the Senate, so they helped gum up the works. After all of this, these clowns get first dibs on the new COVID vaccines that were approved. You screw around with Americans’ livelihoods and reward yourself…with access to the vaccine first.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was having none of it, and this may be the first and only time the Minnesota leftist makes a point that carries bipartisan support. She ripped members of Congress who set up appointments to be vaccinated first before health care workers and the elderly. Incoming Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) agreed. Omar’s barrage included hitting fellow squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who got the shot over the weekend (via Fox News):
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., criticized her fellow lawmakers over the weekend for putting themselves ahead of frontline workers and vulnerable populations who she says should receive the coronavirus vaccine first.
As members of Congress began to receive doses, Omar said on Twitter that it was "shameful" for lawmakers to be prioritized for the vaccine.
"We are not more important [than] frontline workers, teachers, etc. who are making sacrifices [every day]," Omar wrote. "Which is why I won’t take it. People who need it most, should get it."
[…]
Omar’s fellow Squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., received a dose over the weekend and made herself available to answer questions about the experience on social media.
.@NancyMace and @IlhanMN will probably rarely agree on anything but both say members of Congress shouldn't be getting the vaccine in front of others. pic.twitter.com/BgN8p01NSp
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) December 21, 2020
This is not a path to redemption for Omar. Oh, hell no. But she, for once, probably made a point that’s not insane, and one that included ripping her fellow lefty ally, AOC. There will be no catfight between the two here, sadly—but you can certainly see why Trump had an upset win in 2016 with developments like this on the Hill. This is the "all talk, no action" example Trump rails about. And then, when nothing happens, and millions of Americans’ are tortured by economic pain, Congress rewards itself with getting inoculated first. You can see how events like the French Revolution happened, but here, in the United States, the ballot box is our guillotine.
Use it well.
