As America grapples with the existence and spread of coronavirus, leaders in Washington are being looked at as figureheads to make a difference. While the president and his administration continue working with health officials and communicating with Americans, others in Washington are working on providing relief to Americans impacted by COVID-19.
“Rose Garden of the White House” (Public Domain) by The White House
Already, coronavirus has engendered significant, economic consequences for business owners who are forced to shut their doors, employees who are no longer getting paychecks, and others. As such, Republicans and Democrats are uniting in order to put together appropriate relief for Americans…or at least, they were doing this up until recently.
Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats will present their own legislation to aid Americans impacted by COVID-19, according to Breitbart News. This decision comes in the wake of Democrats and GOP leaders previously attempting to work with one another in the fight against coronavirus.
The Rejection of Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief
Rather than work with Republicans, Pelosi decided over the weekend that Democrats will put forth their own coronavirus relief plan. The House Speaker stated that while Democrats and Republicans are “still talking,” she doesn’t plan to adhere to Mitch McConnell’s March 23 deadline for the Senate to vote on COVID-19 relief.
While the GOP has put forth $1.6 trillion dollars worth of relief for Americans, the House Speaker’s plan remains unclear. Republicans, for their part, have agreed to meet Democrats in the middle on certain regards, namely unemployment insurance.
At this time, Democrats seem unwilling to accept the olive branch from GOP leaders and put petty politics aside. In the long run, such shortsighted attitudes only hurt Americans who are most vulnerable in the wake of coronavirus. Due to the behavior of Democrats, they’re facing heightened amounts of criticism, namely from people who are eager to make and see real progress.
Will Washington Leaders Come to an Agreement?
Reaching an agreement on coronavirus relief for Americans is imperative; however, this process will become significantly longer and more complex if Democrats continue their unwillingness to work with Republicans. As previously stated, the GOP has met their Democrat colleagues halfway on some issues; although, leftist lawmakers appear interested in their way or the highway.
“Rose Garden of the White House” (Public Domain) by The White House
In both the short term and the long term, this attitude is unproductive and downright harmful, in the wake to take on coronavirus.
Do you think Democrats should put aside petty politics and work with their Republican colleagues in Washington? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments section below!
