After a marathon debate and vote-a-rama, which included a historic 11 hour and 50-minute vote on a minimum wage Amendment, the upper chamber on March 6 voted to pass a $1.9 trillion dollar COVID-19 relief bill. Because one GOP Senator, Dan Sullivan, had to return to Alaska to attend a family funeral, the bill was passed by a 50-49 margin. Sullivan’s absence, though, merely hastened the inevitable outcome: had he not been called home, Kamala Harris would have cast a deciding vote, assuring the bill’s passage.
The negotiations, objections, and compromises – such as they were – are now history, for better or worse. The bill will be returned to the House of Representatives for final approval before heading to the Oval Office. For Democrats, the main obstacle turned out to be an objection from one of their own; Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
With the Senate evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, every vote counts for both sides. Just one member crossing the aisle in either direction determines the fate of any bill. Thus, a moderate Democrat like Manchin suddenly finds himself wielding enormous influence, even as he is seen increasingly as a relic in a party that moves ever further left.
They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker