GOP stiff-arms Democrats on COVID relief checks
GOP stiff-arms Democrats on COVID relief checks
Some retiring House Republicans stopped their work early in 2020
$2,000 COVID relief checks are going nowhere fast. The Senate takes a first step to override the President's defense veto. And check our list of missing House lawmakers at the end of the 116th Congress. This is "Regular Order" for December 31, 2020.
COVID RELIEF CHECKS STUCK IN SENATE. To quote John Cleese from a famous Monty Python sketch, "I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now." That's how the House-passed $2,000 COVID checks bill looks in the Senate. Dead like the Norwegian Blue. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday the larger virus relief checks have 'no realistic path' to approval. No vote has been scheduled, and it's quite possible there won't be one in the Senate.
SENATE WEATHER FORECAST: MORE FINGER POINTING. With the 116th Congress ending on Sunday morning, Democrats can still scream loudly for a Senate vote on $2,000 checks. But they have no parliamentary leverage to get a vote, or to have the GOP drop two other items McConnell added (Sec. 230, elections investigation). So, look for Democrats to keep forcing Republicans to block the COVID checks into the weekend. But it won't change anything.
SENATE TAKES STEP ONE ON VETO OVERRIDE. The Senate on Wednesday voted 80-12 to start debate on President Trump's veto of a major defense policy bill, again confirming there will be more than two-thirds to override that veto. Because Democrats want action on Coronavirus relief checks, no final vote has been set on the veto - so, it might not happen until Saturday night. But it won’t change the outcome. This will be the first veto override of the Trump Administration.
HAWLEY TO OBJECT TO ELECTORAL VOTES. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Wednesday he would join a group of House lawmakers in making formal objections when Congress certifies electoral votes on January 6. The announcement was a setback for Senate GOP leaders, who had urged Republicans not to go down this road. One note: Hawley's statement references protests by Democrats after the 2004 and 2016 elections - those efforts to object to the Presidential vote count went nowhere.
HOUSE TO SEAT IOWA REPUBLICAN. After winning by just six votes, Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa will be sworn in on Sunday when the 117th Congress begins - but Speaker Nancy Pelosi will allow the House Administration Committee to review the election results, as Miller-Meeks will be seated “provisionally.” Losing Democrat Rita Hart has asked for a full investigation. Will Democrats try to repeat the “Bloody Eighth” from Indiana in 1984? Stay tuned.
DECEMBER MISSING MEMBERS. One thing I like to do at the end of a Congress is to see who didn't show up for votes in the final weeks. Sometimes you find that a member was sick. Or you find out a lawmaker who didn’t run for re-election quit showing up. There were several of those at the end of the 116th Congress:
Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA). After a failed bid for Governor in 2019, Abraham announced in late February that he would not run for re-election to Congress in 2020. The Louisiana Republican missed every House vote after October 1.
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT). Bishop also did not run for re-election in 2020. The veteran Utah Republican missed every House vote after December 7.
Rep. John Carter (R-TX). Carter missed every House vote after November 17. His office said the Texas Republican was at home caring for his wife, who had spinal surgery.
Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL). Dunn won re-election in November, but missed every House vote in December. In a Dec. 24 statement, Dunn said he was being treated for "issues related to my existing asthma and a case of pneumonia."
Rep. Larry Marchant (R-TX). Another Republican who did not run for re-election, Marchant missed every House vote after December 8.
Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC). Walker is also leaving Congress this year, having already declared his candidacy for U.S. Senate in 2022. Walker quarantined from the Coronavirus just before Christmas, but tested negative. He missed every House vote after December 10.
Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX). The last time Wright voted was August 22, 2020. The Texas Republican was hospitalized for a week in September for treatment of lung cancer. He won re-election to a second term in November.
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL). Another Republican who did not run for re-election in 2020, Yoho missed every House vote after December 10, after reporting that he had a ‘mild’ case of the Coronavirus.
You will note that there are no Democrats on this list. Normally, the names of those missing votes would have a bipartisan flavor. But because most Republicans refused to take advantage of the temporary Coronavirus rule which allowed members to cast floor votes remotely, Democrats were much less likely to miss House votes in 2020.
UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
House is done with votes for 2020.
Senate meets at 12 noon.
President Trump returns to the White House from Florida (earlier than planned).
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