Sen. John Kennedy condemned his Democratic colleagues for opposing the Republican-led legislation crafted to address the economic effects of the coronavirus.
On Sunday evening, a procedural vote to move forward with coronavirus legislation failed to earn the 60 votes it needed after Democrats voted against the package. They did so again on Monday. In a speech from the floor on Monday, Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said the discord is leading the public to believe the country is run by a “bunch of idiots.”
“Do you know what the American people are thinking right now?” Kennedy asked. “They’re thinking that the brain is an amazing organ. It starts working in a mother’s womb, and it doesn’t stop working until you get elected to Congress.”
He continued, “Do you know what the American people are thinking right now, Mr. President? They’re thinking that this country was founded by geniuses. But it’s being run by a bunch of idiots. Do you know what the American people are thinking right now, Mr. President? They’re thinking, why do the members of the United States Senate continue to double down on stupid?”
Kennedy explained that the legislation had been drafted in a bipartisan fashion with members of both parties adding snippets. The legislation included $2 trillion in cash for people, small businesses, and large corporations hardest-hit by the coronavirus. Kennedy demanded that the Senate get its act together to save the economy.
“I get politics. I have been around it my whole life. But there comes a time when we have to stop thinking about the next election and start thinking about the next generation. What are we going to leave to our children if we allow this economy to crash? And it is happening as we speak,” Kennedy said.
“I mean no ill will toward my Democratic friends. I like and respect every one of them. But let’s pass this bill,” he added.
