Florida Rep. Val Demings argued that the “crumbs” offered in the latest Republican coronavirus relief package justified how it was blocked by Senate Democrats last week.
“Why are we always, or the GOP, quite frankly, always pushing to offer the American people the crumbs from the table? We need to give them relief that really helps them to carry on their word about being able to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. We need to pass a meaningful bill. And quite frankly, if the GOP is interested in helping American families, the Heroes Act is sitting right there,” Demings said of the House Democrats proposal during a CNN interview on Sunday.
Jake Tapper, the host of State of the Union, pressed Demings on the Democrats’ refusal to support the narrower relief package that would have provided roughly $500 billion for coronavirus treatment, help for schools and universities, and a new round of loans for small businesses.
“Democrats control the House. You don’t control the Senate. You don’t control the White House. You need to compromise. Isn’t something, even the slimmed-down Senate bill, isn’t something better than nothing? Because that’s what the American people have right now, nothing,” Tapper said.
Demings, who had been on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running-mate shortlist, suggested that Republicans do not understand what it means to struggle financially and said that is why they have not agreed to cave to the House Democrats’ demands.
“The American people deserve more than the crumbs from the table. And quite frankly, our leadership has been there, as you well know, for weeks negotiating. There has been movement on our side. But the Republicans have, quite frankly, been ridiculous in their negotiations,” Demings said.
“And it must be nice to maybe not feel like or know the feeling of having to struggle to make ends meet. I talk to people every day in my district who are doing just that. And we need to give them relief that is meaningful. And we intend to do that,” she added.
House Democrats proposed a $3 trillion economic relief package in May and have since added provisions to the package that have increased the total cost of the bill to $3.7 trillion.
