SECONDNEXUS
percolately
georgetakei
comicsands
George's Reads
President Donald Trump said that states should be left to their own resources in securing vital medical equipment to curb the global pandemic that's upended daily life in the United States.
Now, his most prominent ally in Congress—Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—is taking the same position in regard to federal assistance to offset the economic fallout imposed by the pandemic.
In a recent radio interview with Hugh Hewitt, McConnell said in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be in favor of any additional federal funding to help the states hardest hit by the virus, implying instead that Democrats were demanding the federal government bail out states whose pension policies had put them in debt.
He'd be more amenable to them going bankrupt.
McConnell said:
"I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route. It saves some cities. And there's no good reason for it not to be available. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don't have to do that. That's not something I'm going to be in favor of."
While McConnell blamed Democrats, at least one Republican disagrees with his position.
New York Congressman Pete King, whose state is hardest hit by the virus, excoriated McConnell in a Wednesday night Twitter thread, likening McConnell to Marie Antoinette.
.@senatemajldr McConnell’s dismissive remark that States devastated by Coronavirus should go bankrupt rather than g… https://t.co/RVcYKYtm6j— Rep. Pete King (@Rep. Pete King) 1587601093.0
...cops, firefighters and healthcare workers makes McConnell the Marie Antoinette of the Senate.— Rep. Pete King (@Rep. Pete King) 1587601108.0
People tended to agree.
#MorningJoe Mitch McConnell is the modern day Marie Antoinette let them eat cake. Let the States file bankruptcy https://t.co/o6cSTBDHBx— Christi (@Christi) 1587636485.0
#CongKing is right!! Tension in GOP as Pete King Calls McConnell 'Marie Antoinette' https://t.co/o099qLxzVT #Newsmax via @Newsmax— Randi Weingarten (@Randi Weingarten) 1587652024.0
Rep. Pete King rips Mitch McConnell as 'Marie Antoinette'. So right! https://t.co/mWZN9JEQ1i— Patricia Reilly (@Patricia Reilly) 1587644570.0
Congressman King said something accurate.
The money is taxpayers money! McConnell thinks it is his money to give as he pleases? https://t.co/PymMmIFsTd— jeanette frankel (@jeanette frankel) 1587616686.0
One of the few unambiguously correct things McConnell has said in what has been a month of deficit busting Congress… https://t.co/QXl66lKvCm— Boris Ryvkin (@Boris Ryvkin) 1587608244.0
Holy crap! I find myself agreeing with Pete King! https://t.co/2dGDKfnlaR— SuzInKS (@SuzInKS) 1587650637.0
Okay--when Pete King is touting the DEMOCRATIC line, we are either in the End Times, or human suffering has actuall… https://t.co/bk0x5T42tG— Victoria Brownworth ☣ #QuarantineSavesLives (@Victoria Brownworth ☣ #QuarantineSavesLives) 1587636862.0
But people didn't absolve King for his enablement of this and other actions from the Republican party.
What empty and hypocritical words from this lifelong crooked politician now at the end of his career. Pete King did… https://t.co/2f93XKSKoR— Schenck (@Schenck) 1587637547.0
Yall been cosigning on POS @senatemajldr inhumanity regarding US FOR DECADES...and NOW you have a problem when the… https://t.co/Y2kg3FES96— Lala11_7 (@Lala11_7) 1587644101.0
Oh now he wants to complain about McTurtle? https://t.co/SyM8URx10i— gina (@gina) 1587647753.0
Will Mitch McConnell fold?