Far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and conservative firebrand Senator Ted Cruz found a rare agreement this week and agreed that lawmakers did not have enough time to read the massive coronavirus bill before voting on it.
“That’s why Congress needs time to actually read this package before voting on it. Members of Congress have not read this bill. It’s over 5000 pages, arrived at 2pm today and we’re told we can vote on it in two hours, ” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted late Monday after the $ 900 billion bill was approved.
‘This is not a board. It’s hostage-taking, ”she said, referring to a provision in the bill that would make illegal streaming for commercial profit a crime.
Less than an hour later, Cruz tweeted: “@AOC is right.”
“It’s ABSURD to secretly negotiate a $ 2.5 trillion spending bill and then – hours later – demand an up-or-down vote on a bill that no one has been able to read. #CongressIsBroken, ”continued the Texas Republican, who later voted against the measure.
The bill was sent to President Trump for his signature hours after congressional leaders released the text of the 5,593-page package.
The bill includes $ 600 incentive checks for those who qualify for it, a weekly unemployment benefit of $ 300, and $ 284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, among a host of other benefits.
Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, said rushing a vote does a disservice to lawmakers and the public alike.
And besides, it’s not just the members who need to see the bill ahead of time – YOU do it. The PUBLIC should see these accounts and have sufficient time to contact their representative to let them know how they are feeling. Members are reeling right now because they don’t have time to consult with their communities, ”said Ocasio-Cortez, who voted in favor of the package.
The $ 900 billion stimulus bill was included in a $ 1.4 trillion spending measure needed to keep the government functioning past midnight on Tuesday.
In the upper room, Cruz joined Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), And Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).