Sen. Bill Cassidy: Pelosi is fulfilling a ‘left-wing agenda,’ it’s ‘garbage’
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy reacts to GOP rejecting House Democrats’ coronavirus relief proposal on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
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Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's new $3 trillion coronavirus spending proposal is politically motivated "garbage" that "doesn't pass the laugh test," Sen. Bill Cassidy argued Wednesday.
Appearing on "America's Newsroom" with host Ed Henry, Cassidy, R-La., said Pelosi tried to get away with more liberal additions to the bill once again, but this time it's hidden in the fine print.
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"Clearly she went to her committee chairs and she said give me that which you think maybe we can get in here – a starting point for negotiations so we’ll look reasonable when we retreat from it," he explained. "On the other hand, it is socking it to the American people, cynically saying we’re here to help you but rather instead trying to fulfill a leftwing agenda."
The new proposal -- deemed the HEROES Act -- includes billions for metropolitan cities, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), unemployment, businesses, schools, and national COVID-19 testing. However, the now biggest and most expensive aid package also mentions cannabis 68 times and gives the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) $25 billion. The legislation would also expand direct payment eligibility to some undocumented immigrants.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks about the so-called Heroes Act, Tuesday, May 12, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi unveiled a more than $3 trillion coronavirus aid package Tuesday, providing nearly $1 trillion for states and cities, “hazard pay” for essential workers and a new round of cash payments to individuals. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)
While the House is set to pass the package on Friday, the additional provisions have led Republican senators to announce the bill is "as dead as fried chicken" to them.
The USPS reportedly has found itself in dire straits during the pandemic, with over a thousand employees having tested positive for the virus and more than 40 postal workers dead.
However, in addition, the USPS has announced that without financial aid, they may not make it past September. They've recently asked Congress for $89 billion.
"Yeah, that's all about an unfunded accrued liability in their pension fund [and] other things," Cassidy said, in reference to the USPS stipend.
"There needs to be structural reform to the postal service. My fear is that if you just give them the $25 billion without pushing for the reform, you know five years from now we’re going to have a similar problem," he told Henry.
Cassidy pointed out that although the longer the pandemic lasts the more likely government aid is going to be needed, the end doesn't justify all of these means.
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"Now clearly some aid is going to be needing [to go] further. The longer the crisis lasts, the more likely aid is going to be needed.," he noted. "That said, we shouldn't kind of mash it together again with the wish list. That discredits the true need as people are attempting to sneak in an agenda cynically saying this is about me but really it's about an agenda."
"We need to stick with the need," Cassidy concluded.
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