“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed dropping two of the issues that have been the hardest for Democrats and Republicans to agree upon in a new Covid relief deal – state and local money and liability protections – to pass a deal now that both sides can agree on,” CNN reported on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
“He went on to say, ‘What’s the way forward? We know the new administration is going to be asking for another package. What I recommend is we set aside liability and set aside state and local and pass those things that we can agree on knowing full well we’ll be back at this after the first of the year.’ It’s notable that McConnell referenced a new administration given that he has not yet referred to Joe Biden as President-elect,” CNN said. (Read story here.)
Comment: This is pure Machiavellian McConnell, and pure baloney. Republicans have refused to do anything for state and local governments, who have the primary responsibility for carrying out Covid-19 testing, distributing vaccines, enforcing health regulations, and reopening schools (which will cost tons of money), at the same time they’ve suffered severe revenue declines. Democrats have held out for state and local government aid, and here, McConnell is asking for nothing less than their abject surrender to a completely unreasonable GOP position.
And what is he offering to give up in exchange? Giving up the GOP’s b.s. demand that employers be shielded from liability to workers who get Covid-19 in their workplaces, another completely unreasonable GOP position that should never see the light of day. Among other things, legal immunity would wipe out any incentive employers have to make their workplaces safe from Covid-19 for workers. (Note: Republicans, all along, have been trying to force the economy to reopen and force workers to return to workplaces, no matter how unsafe it was, because they only care about business profits and don’t give an owl’s hoot about whether workers get sick or die.)
It’s nice that McConnell acknowledges there will be “a new administration” next year, but geezus, he can’t even say Biden’s name? In any case, what, exactly, does this mean? Nothing, if the Democrats don’t win both Georgia Senate seats, which just about everybody — including McConnell — thinks is unlikely. And if they don’t, what then? Whatever Democrats get in this package is the last dime they’ll see, that’s what. If Republicans still control the Senate in January, the Democrats will get nothing they can’t get right now, because if McConnell won’t agree to something now, he won’t agree to it then, either.
This is pure grandstanding, folks. It means nothing, because it offers nothing, it’s the same Republican obstinacy that’s been holding up more Covid-19 relief since August.
Update (12/9/20): CNN reports, “After that offer was made, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer trashed it almost immediately.” (Read story here.) As I predicted, they had no trouble seeing it for what it was. Meanwhile, details of what might emerge from these very contentious negotiations are discussed here.
Photos: McConnell and his alter ego
