Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drew some attention on social media Wednesday after he blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for “holding up” the next stimulus relief package over her insistence that cannabis is a “proven COVID-19 therapy.” Negotiations regarding the HEALS Act have been ongoing, with a number of provisions that are included and absent sparking heated debate on Capitol Hill.
Speaker Pelosi is still holding up this entire package over bizarre unrelated things like carveouts for the marijuana industry. She even claimed to the press that pot is a proven COVID-19 therapy!
I hope she’s shared this breakthrough with Dr. Fauci.
Can we get serious yet? https://t.co/CksSWrMKDN
— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) August 4, 2020
Pelosi’s remarks about cannabis, and McConnell’s criticism of them, came in late July as she addressed provisions in stimulus packages that are unrelated to the pandemic and economic relief. While the HEALS Act includes a number of such provisions – $1.75 billion for a new FBI building, $377 million for a West Wing renovation, and $8 billion for military weaponry – her proposed HEROES Act included the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act.
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That bill seeks to prohibit federal financial regulators from penalizing banks and depository institutions that provide services to legal cannabis-related businesses, with Pelosi stating she does not “agree with you that cannabis is not related to” the pandemic. She defended that stance by explaining that “this is a therapy that has proven successful,” though she failed to provide proof of those claims.
McConnell’s finger-pointing, the latest instance of a Congressional lawmaker placing blame on the relief package’s delay on somebody else, didn’t necessarily gain much fanfare from social media users, many of whom pointed out that his own proposal includes billions of dollars in funding for unrelated provisions. Others were quick to note that McConnell has been the one holding up relief, as the Democratic-backed HEROES Act was approved by the House in May, though it has been sitting on McConnell’s desk ever since, dubbed a “$3 trillion left-wing wish list.” Scroll down to see how social media is reacting to McConnell’s remarks.
One of the major problems with our government is that bills contain things unrelated to the bill. You want something passed, it should pass on it’s own merits, not by unrelated crap thrown in it to grab votes. Those F-85 contracts should be part of a military bill, not this.
— Steve Johnson (@oldcrow77) August 4, 2020
People are dying and in pain and if marijuana helps who the hell are you to stand in the way? You’d prefer $500,000 going to trump refurbishing the White House during a pandemic????? The real problem is you
— crft (@keraz37) August 4, 2020
Ready whenever you are, sir. https://t.co/lvG9pRHjZd
— Jonathan Dale (@orbidale) August 4, 2020
The Dem House passed a bill 10 weeks ago and the GOP has stalled talks, Moscow Mitch is both lying to the public and adding to the immense suffering the pandemic is causing for health and people’s livings
— Orrite Then (@OrRite_Then) August 4, 2020
Vote the whole GOP out (Greedy Old Politicians)https://t.co/lX5UZcyp1Q
Can we talk about this ? pic.twitter.com/j9JmtkPObZ
— NoFaceNoName (@1221IZZI) August 4, 2020
YOU WON’T EVEN LET REPUBLICAN SENATORS VOTE ON YOUR GARBAGE BILL!
— ☇RiotWomenn☇ (@riotwomennn) August 4, 2020
Speaker Pelosi passed a comprehensive bill more than 75 days ago
You said it wasn’t urgent, didn’t work and even took a long weekend while Trump golfed
You need to STFU and do your job
Unbelievable that you’re cutting the so much needed $600 unemployment benefits to $200. Can you live on $200 a month?
— Lavande du Sud😷 (@LLavandedusud) August 4, 2020
Is the $377MILLIONS to renovate WH West Wing a priority?
Or building a new FBI HQ for 1.75BILLION to benefit Trump’s hotel a priority?
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. You get serious. Marijuana is proven to help with anxiety and depression and pain. In fact there was nothing wrong with it until Nixon decided to weaponize it against peaceful protesters aka the hippies. What do you think the citizens are experiencing now?
— Alt_McMasterDisaster 🌹@OGO5111 (@OGO51111) August 4, 2020
Mitch had 80 days to negotiate with the Speaker and House then waits until the end of July to wake up and realize that others are suffering. Mitch McConnell is a poor excuse of a human being. Mitch had no federal judges to pass so it does not care about anyone except itself.
— Stephanie from Blue State (@stephofimperial) August 4, 2020
@SpeakerPelosi can give up the pot portion of their bill & you give up the below list of complete fat added to the @GOP bill. $ need to be directly related to covid. Unemployment, eviction & small bus money. Stop all the BS and get it done!! pic.twitter.com/esJCzx1dbK
— Cyndi Cobb CITM (@SCBeachygirl) August 4, 2020
She’s holding it up because Trump wants to add millions to do renovations inside the White House and hundreds of millions to build a new FBI headquarters. Can we get serious yet?
— Christine (@guelphgirlchris) August 4, 2020
Stop pretending Pelosi is the reason you did nothing for the past two months to have a bill ready to pass through both houses in July to avoid what just happened on July 31.
— Scott Santens🧢🏄♂️ (@scottsantens) August 4, 2020
We’ll get serious when you take out the provisions for new fighter jets and a new FBI building to prop up Trump’s hotel
— Edward Kim (@eddiek005) August 4, 2020
$300 million for White House renovations, and building a new FBI building in the middle of DC! Who’s holding this bill up? 2 ½ months on YOUR desk with zero action, and lots of long breaks! WHO’S holding this bill up? YOU ARE! #MoscowMitch
— David Fenton (@dumpherrtrump) August 4, 2020
