Sen. John Kennedy expressed his disdain for the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill in colorful terms on Thursday.
With the Senate poised to start debate on the legislation, the Louisiana Republican complained that much of the proposed spending provisions were unnecessary and unrelated to the pandemic.
DEMOCRATS TIGHTEN STIMULUS CHECK LIMITS IN BID TO SMOOTH PASSAGE OF $1.9 TRILLION SPENDING BILL
“The only way I know how to improve it is with a shredder,” Kennedy said in an interview with Fox News. “It’s not even a coronavirus bill. Calling this a coronavirus bill is like calling Harvey Weinstein a feminist. It’s chock-full of spending porn.”
He also described the bill as an “orgy of pork.”
Other Republicans have voiced similar concerns about the bill. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican and a fiscal conservative, said he plans to make the Senate clerk read the entire 500-plus-page bill, which could take 10 hours.
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“President Biden said in putting together the bill, he said we want to meet you, us, the Republicans, halfway,” Kennedy added. “If that’s the case, he’s a damn poor judge of distance.”
The House passed the COVID-19 relief measure early Saturday morning in a mostly party-line vote, with all Republicans voting against it.
“The only way I know how to improve it is with a shredder. It’s not even a coronavirus bill.
Calling this a coronavirus bill is like calling Harvey Weinstein a feminist.”@SenJohnKennedy tears into the $1.9T COVID relief bill, calling it an “orgy of pork.” pic.twitter.com/ysNuLCUdaT
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 4, 2021
The Democratic Party aims to rely on the budget reconciliation process, which allows Congress to pass legislation through the Senate with a simple majority if it conforms to certain requirements and directly affects the federal budget, to pass the measure and send it to Biden for his signature.
The Senate is split 50-50, with Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them having a tiebreaker in Vice President Kamala Harris.
