Thomas Massie’s forced coronavirus vote is irresponsible

Published March 27, 2020 4:55pm ET



The House was expected to pass a $2 trillion relief package Friday morning to ease the economic burden that has resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. But Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie may have just delayed that relief from reaching businesses and families.

Massie announced Friday morning that he would defy GOP leadership and request a roll-call vote on the relief package, which means that if 216 lawmakers are not physically present in the House to vote on the measure, the relief package will remain at a standstill until a quorum is reached. While New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also considered blocking the bill, it seemed set to pass quickly on Friday until Massie announced his intervention.

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