Mitch McConnell Gets Stimulus Check Backlash After Tweeting About Supreme Court Confirmation

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may be eager to celebrate Amy Coney Barrett‘s Supreme Court confirmation, but not every American is as willing to rejoice. After McConnell took to Twitter Monday night following the Senate’s vote, he received an influx of criticism as Americans continue to await news on the next stimulus relief deal.

In his Monday night tweet, McConnell announced that senators had “just confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States.” Sharing a video, he called Barrett, who had been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017, “one of the most impressive nominees for public office in a generation will serve for life on our highest court.”

While McConnell made no mention of the ongoing stimulus relief talks – he has made no mention of them on Twitter since Oct. 21 just after Democrats blocked a $500 billion relief bill – those who saw his tweet immediately brought the topic to the front of discussions, and McConnell faced a wave of criticism. Many criticized the senator for pushing forward with Barrett’s confirmation rather than focusing on bringing much-needed relief to the American people. Others slammed McConnell for continuing to refuse to bring the HEROES Act, which was approved by the House of Representatives in May, to the Senate floor for a vote. Scroll down to see what people are saying.

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After having been nominated by President Donald Trump in early October to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Senate, in a Monday evening vote, voted to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court. The final tally was 52-48, with only Maine Sen. Susan Collins crossing party lines to vote against the confirmation.

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Barrett’s nomination and subsequent confirmation, as evidenced by the tallied vote, was controversial. Many Democrats argued that, given the proximity to the Nov. 3 presidential election, the winner of the election should be the one to select a nominee.

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As Barrett’s confirmation proceeded throughout October, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that the majority of registered American voters wished for the Senate to vote on a new stimulus relief package before taking up a vote on Barrett’s confirmation. That poll, according to Newsweek, found that 66% of voters favored a stimulus vote first, whereas only 27% wanted Barrett’s nomination vote to be the Senate’s priority.

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Barrett’s nomination and confirmation proceedings came as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven indicated that after months of negotiations, which had stalled at one point but had been resumed in September, they were closer to reach a stimulus deal. They had begun negotiations in July following the introduction of the HEALS Act. As they work out the final details of the proposal, the new price tag is said to be somewhere between $1.8 trillion and $2.2 trillion. The bill likely includes a second round of stimulus checks.

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Within the last two weeks, Pelosi and Mnuchin have been making a final push to reach a deal in an effort to have a bill approved by Election Day on Nov. 3. Once they reach an agreement, the bill will have to be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before reaching the president’s desk for a signature.

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Now, however, it is impossible for a stimulus bill to be approved by Election Day. Following Barrett’s confirmation vote Monday night, McConnell adjourned the Senate until Monday, Nov. 9.

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With the Senate adjourned, it is no longer possible for a relief bill to go through both chambers of Congress. Although the bill could be approved in the House by Nov. 3, assuming Pelosi and Mnuchin reach a deal by then, it will not be able to be passed by the Senate until on or after Nov. 9. McConnell had previously indicated that he would bring an agreed-upon bill to the Senate floor for the vote, though he did not indicate when that would take place. He is said to have encouraged the White House to not to accept a deal until after Election Day.