WI GOPs Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

While we are all sheltering at home and washing our hands and trying to figure out how to juggle work and childcare while the schools are closed…the White House and the House of Representatives worked out an aid package for those in need during the various shutdowns. Mainly individuals and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because this bill is the product of joint negotiations between the WH and the House, you’d expect the vote in support of the bill to be overwhelming bipartisan…and for the most part is was. But I expected it to be even closer to unanimous than it turned out. Final tally, 363 – 40 with a hand full of no votes or votes of present.

What I wasn’t expecting at all was that 4 of those 40 no votes were from the 4 Republican representatives from Wisconsin.

“I fully support H.R. 6201: Families First CoronaVirus Response Act, which will be voted on in the House this evening. This Bill will follow my direction for free CoronaVirus tests, and paid sick leave for our impacted American workers,” Trump tweeted Friday.

Despite Trump’s support, all of Wisconsin’s Republican congressmen voted against the measure. That includes U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher, Glenn Grothman, Jim Sensenbrenner and Bryan Steil.

I am surprised that the four are going against the wishes of the president. Up until now they all seemed to feel it was important to support his agenda and to appear firmly in his camp. I hope this hurts them in November (btw: Rep. Sensenbrenner is not running for re-election). The fact that they have acted in an openly and belligerently calloused way when they should be protecting the health and welfare of not only Wisconsinites but Americans as well should cost them dearly.

USA Today reports the legislation would:

Provide two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave.

Extend unemployment insurance to furloughed workers.

Beef up food assistance for needy families, including seniors and students, and food banks.

Increase Medicaid funding for local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems, to help cover response to the emergency which has claimed dozens of lives and infected hundreds across the country.

Well, the bill isn’t on President Trump’s desk yet. After their three day weekend, the Senate should be back in session sometime this afternoon. Although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t said exactly when that body would take it up. And of course Wisconsin’s Republican Senator Ron Johnson has indicated that he will also oppose it.

Think about that for a moment…

And let me leave you with this final thought…this was on an electric sign outside a church this morning: “Even Judas washed his hands”. Take that anyway you want.

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