Senate Dems Approves Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Pandemic Relief Plan

People were pissed off at this and I can understand why people are sensitive given the minimum wage hike is a basic Democratic principle and Sen. Sinema seemed to be like a mean girl or someone from Clueless here. And, partially since politics is symbolic and this is the age of .gifs and all [years back, instant video got some people in trouble, even before Twitter]. She likes to flaunt her style, but you know, I think she overstepped here, especially for those in her state that still honor John McCain.

As one might recall, he did a thumbs down gesture to reject what would amount to a major screw of the Affordable Care Act. He wanted at least a fuller debate on the question, finding fault with the approach used. But, Sen. Sinema's vote didn't matter here. The Senate parliamentarian already said it was not germane to include a minimum wage hike to pass Big V relief by reconciliation. Plus, eight Democrats, EIGHT, opposed the move here to include a minimum wage hike in the bill. So, bottom line, though her anctics were stupid [including a staff member calling criticism sexist], it was also stupid to focus so much ire at her. Talk about primarying her. You know, in 2024.

Motion to Waive NOT AGREED TO , 49-50 - Tuberville #1386 (prohibit funds made available under title II to States, local educational agencies and institutions of higer ed that permit any student whose biological sex is male to participate in sports designated for women or girls).

— Senate Periodicals (@SenatePPG) March 6, 2021

After Sen. Ron Johnson forced the whole bill to be read aloud and then didn't object when a Democrat move to cut down debate for more time than it took so it both looked stupid and pointless, we had a "vote-a-rama," which is basically an all nighter of message amendments that mostly were defeated. This includes this offensive one, that Lisa M. voted against, balancing off Manchin's decision for some reason to vote for it, while many were eating breakfast. OTOH, things might have been over much sooner if a vote didn't have to be left open for nine hours to deal with Manchin (thanks Maine et. al. for this guy being the 50th vote) wanting to reduce unemployment benefits.

See below: the "slimmest" majority for the Am. Rescue Plan is not really all that slim, is it? The Senate is deeply malapportioned, which explains why the idea that this was *not* widely bipartisan is wrong. https://t.co/rAt7oqk9FH

— Victoria Nourse (@vicnourse) March 6, 2021

Prof. Nourse should know about this sort of thing, being blocked from the court of appeals thanks to the filibuster and Ron Johnson. This is already a steady message without a direct attack on the Senate by the Biden Administration. Biden himself, speaking after the Senate passed their version of the bill, referenced the bipartisan support of the message. This, as an analyst noted, includes various local Republican leaders including the governor of West Virginia. So, a 50-49 (one Republican missing because of a family funeral) -- all Democrats (not DINOs ... including Manchin and Sinema ... all those "I won't support her people, of course, apologized) -- should be put in perspective here.

As Biden is pushing back in further -- to mid-May -- the goal for vaccines for all (my mom got her first shot as did my sister from what I can tell), it is still something that it was all such a close thing. Biden won by a sizable margin -- in the popular vote -- but under 50K votes in the right states could have screwed us. Many more people are represented by the Democratic 50 [though the imbalance hurts Texas too in a way that might give you a 5-4 Republican split with one person, one vote], but we are currently stuck with the system in place. That left this to two close elections in Georgia, one a special election arising from an illness, and both benefiting from Trump laying an egg.

This takes us to the filibuster again, which already was watered down in a way that allows the Democrats (and Biden) some grace. The Republicans didn't use the reconciliation process last year, so the procedural quirk is that the Democrats get two bites of that apple this year. And, the Democrats will again benefit from the end of the filibuster for executive nominations. The Dems need to water it down further somehow, including to manage to pass the voting rights bill. Rick Hasen (Election Law Blog) insists it is impossible to pass H.R. 1 (which has things like D.C. statehood) though doesn't tell us what might be. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who comes off as a moderate (if liberal in various ways), has said she supports ending the filibuster for this measure at least.

The House now needs to have to agree to the Senate changes and the particular pain might be the minimum wage though various reductions might be bothersome. One move was to reduce what people will get -- note bigger checks -- if they make over let's say 70K. I got to say there that if the messaging of "survival checks" is used, maybe that is understandable. The changes very well might be stupid, but that's life, basically. As to the minimum wage, Sinema tweeted that she supports ... well let me quote it ...

pic.twitter.com/a2VkwKcY8r

— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) March 5, 2021

I'm not sure what that exactly means, but I'll take it as support for a minimum wage as a separate bill if there is bipartisan support. There has been some support of that for some lower amount. I think it's possible. I also understand -- though yes a minimum wage hike is stimulus too -- why it makes some sense not to use the stimulus to support this. But, I'll end with this. Sinema and Manchin has not yet been required to really match their anti-filibuster rhetoric in the teeth of actual legislation. 

The voting rights bill very well is that "red line." If they block it with 48 Dems supporting it, I will find being PISSED OFF at them justified. They still will be Democrats, but that would be much more of a FU than her Alicia Silverstone imitation. 

Meanwhile, NOT ONE Republican in either house voted for this. NOT ONE.  And, one of the impeachment managers in the first impeachment collected social media of House Republicans that promoted Trump election lies.