Despite not a single Republican in the House and Senate voting in support of the American Rescue Plan, several of them are trying to take credit for it, and it’s not going down well at all.
The $1.9 trillion stimulus package is considered one of the most helpful pieces of legislation ever produced for the American people. It not only provides desperately needed relief to Americans so they can pay their bills, it provides aid to small businesses, especially sectors of the economy that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic such as restaurants.
In addition, the law provides billions of dollars to help schools reopen safely, and aids cities and states.
It’s the kind of legislation that should have had overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. But Republicans refused to vote for it even though a large percentage of their constituents support it. Every single Republican in the House and Senate opposed the legislation. It only passed the House because Democrats have a several seat majority and it only passed the Senate because Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaker vote.
Republicans have spent a lot of time trying to downplay the positive impact of the law, even claiming that any effects of it should be credited to the stimulus bill passed last year, which is rubbish.
Even more outrageous, Republicans are literally trying to take credit for the legislation on Twitter.
Perhaps the most hypocritical tweet came from Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), who dared to refer to the legislation as “my bipartisan COVID relief bill.”
🚨 #BREAKING 🚨
So proud to announce that the Biden Administration has just implemented my bipartisan COVID relief bill as part of @SBAgov policy!
⬇️ READ MORE HERE ⬇️https://t.co/ojuhTNbTK7 pic.twitter.com/v0KUdrVE0d
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) March 12, 2021
Again, Salazar did NOT vote for the legislation, yet she thinks she can take credit for it? Twitter users did not let her get away with it.
She is trying to pull one over on you, she voted no. Not one single Republican voted yes for the relief bill. pic.twitter.com/HXscWqDySd
— Dawn Forbrick 🦋 (@DForbrick) March 14, 2021
Don’t take credit for this! YOU voted against this!
— Joe Camarillo, Jr. (@joecam1591) March 13, 2021
Just want to add to the chorus of tweets here alerting you to the fact that YOU VOTED AGAINST IT.
— Señor Wilhelm XI (@MrBill11) March 13, 2021
you voted AGAINST covid relief for your constituents including the area I grew up in and call home.
You voted against the American Rescue Plan; against funding our schools, against direct checks, against unemployment expansion.
Taking credit for relief you opposed is shameful.
— ethan p (@eethuhnn) March 13, 2021
You voted against it, lady. I hope all your constituents remember that! https://t.co/ROh2rSAQCG
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) March 14, 2021
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also voted against the legislation, yet pretended that he helped the restaurant industry.
Independent restaurant operators have won $28.6 billion worth of targeted relief.
This funding will ensure small businesses can survive the pandemic by helping to adapt their operations and keep their employees on the payroll.https://t.co/Ob4pRb9Xh4
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) March 10, 2021
Twitter users called him out as well.
That’s great news. So why did you vote against helping restaurants?
— Fred Anklam Jr. (@anklamfred) March 10, 2021
Good thing the Democrats passed this bill that you voted against
— Ben Wexler (@mrbenwexler) March 10, 2021
YOU VOTED AGAINST IT YOU LEERING FOSSIL https://t.co/FX8eRSjlrZ
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) March 10, 2021
Even moderate Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) voted against the legislation, yet praised it while seemingly claiming that it was passed on a bipartisan vote.
We owe it to the American people to WORK TOGETHER in doing everything we can to get them the #COVID relief they need. Bipartisanship is critical in effective legislating.
Please take the time to read my full statement on today’s vote here: https://t.co/Ci0K3GERk3
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) March 10, 2021
Again, ZERO Republicans voted for it, and Twitter users reminded him of that fact.
🙄
If it was that important you’d have voted for the relief bill.— lucy (@lucyfyson) March 10, 2021
He voted for the people to continue to suffer in a pandemic only made worse by his party and they want to continue to make worse now so they can score some points for 2022…..
— MissionAccomplished (@Trollhunter_212) March 10, 2021
Talking out of both sides of your mouth here, Congressman.
— Donna b 🇺🇸 (@DbucB) March 10, 2021
The award for ultimate hypocrite, however, goes to Rep. Lauren Boebert, who tried to downplay the legislation by reminding everyone that the money they are getting is their own tax dollars, which she tried to deny them with her vote against the package.
The framing of stimulus checks is all wrong.
This is not $1,400 dollars being given to you by your generous government.
This is money that you and your fellow countrymen already paid into the system.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) March 12, 2021
Except if not for Democrats, the government would not have passed this stimulus into law at all and Americans would be left to struggle and suffer even longer. Boebert is right about Americans getting their own tax dollars back, but she voted against the legislation. If our tax dollars are going to be used for anything, sending that money back to the people during a time of crisis is certainly a good reason, yet Boebert refused to do that despite her tweet.
Republicans are hypocrites, and their voting record on this bill should be held against them for several elections to come.
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