WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) blasted President Joe Biden’s pending $1.9 trillion COVID bill during a conference call Friday.
Senator Toomey says the economy is in a much different place now and another big spending bill is not needed, “We need to reopen our schools. We need to end the lockdowns. That’s what we need. Pennsylvanians and Americans have more disposable income than they ever had. We have a record-high savings rate, and we saw tremendous job growth for the month of January, even in these industries like restaurants and hospitalities. That tells us if governors aren’t shutting down these industries, they’ll come back.”
Toomey made those comments supporting the first five COVID relief bills because of the initial economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
Even with these current negotiations, Toomey expressed frustration after 10 Republican senators who went to the White House recently were rejected, “The president could’ve easily gotten a $1 trillion, bipartisan bill done and fulfilled his commitments to unity and working across the aisle. And lets be very clear about what this is…this is not a COVID bill…this is the last train leaving the station that the Democrats can plausibly pretend its about COVID.”
Toomey also blasted part of the bill which includes $4 billion for ‘socially disadvantaged ranchers and farmers,’ “All you have to do is be a member of a handful of ethnic minority groups. It is complete discrimination on the basis of race, and if you’re in one of the preferred racial groups, the taxpayer will pay off all of your debt in USDA loans. If you’re a poor, white farmer, you get nothing. How is that even consistent with our constitution?”
A final vote in the Senate on the Coronavirus Relief bill won’t likely happen until this weekend.
