As businesses shut down and schools close all over Wisconsin while the state's coronavirus cases go from 9 to 33 in a span of 3 days, GOP "representatives" in Congress spring into (in)action.
Despite President Trump's support, all four of Wisconsin's Republican Congressmen voted against the coronavirus relief bill, which passed the House 363-40. https://t.co/uAFhSDyBFv
— Mary Spicuzza (@MSpicuzzaMJS) March 14, 2020
Wisconsin @SenRonJohnson will join WI GOP colleagues in opposing relief bill: https://t.co/JSPesSEMyE
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 14, 2020
I'll leave out the laughable claim of Ron Johnson saying that Trump has shown any kind of "decisive leadership" (he tried to bury information for weeks on coronavirus, and hilariously contradicts himself by the day), and will look past the sketchiness of "public-private partnerships" (which seems to be code for throwing major government contracts at corporate Trump donors). Let's quickly go into the economic argument Johnson is making.
Instead of allowing individuals to use sick leave and stay at their jobs, (mo)Ron wants them to GO ON UNEMPLOYMENT, and then maybe the feds will pay back the states if those people are out of work for a while. And he feels businesses have zero responsibility to take care of their workers, nor does he seem to understand that not forcing workers to choose between their health (and the health of people they come into contact with) and getting paid.
In addition to the ridiculous buck-passing down to the states, does (mo)Ron realize that many states have thrown up barriers to individuals to file unemployment in the first place, including Johnson's own constituents? Former One Wisconsin Now leader Scott Ross noted the disconnect.
Also: Let’s kill the one-week delay for unemployment benefits and the useless additional hurdles placed by @repvos @scottwalker @WIAssemblyGOP & your @wisgop state senator. Um, the GOPers are going to be paid/get health care all of 2020 & they’ve stopped working for the year. https://t.co/QEiVsmmcfC
— Scot Ross (@rossacrosswi) March 15, 2020
This is absurdly inefficient and puts the onus on the sick everyday workers. But hey, I'm sure having the Fed cutting interest rates to near-zero and giving away a total of $2.2 trillion to allow debt-ridden banks and corporations to keep paying their bills will get everyday people tested, treated and help them pay their bills when they get laid off.
The priorities are telling, aren't they? And Charlie Pierce reminded us that a select few are likely to make a lot of money while much of the rest of the country suffers from the effects of this pandemic.
Somebody, somewhere is profiteering on this “public-private” bullshit. You can count on that.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) March 15, 2020
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