In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and its resulting economic shock, Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a three day recess back to Kentucky and spent time with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
celebrating the confirmation of another unqualified judge.
At the same time he contacted older federal judges and asked them to retire before election day so he can fill their seats with young conservatives. (Mitch can count votes and appears to be betting that Trump won't be president after this year.)
Meanwhile, Louie Gohmert is objecting to a House bill on the Coronavirus, giving cover to Mitch McConnell for doing jack on the crisis due to the parliamentary issue of "The House hasn't sent the bill over to us yet."
Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Dick Durbin of Illinois called out this nonsense. And Sherrod Brown was on fire:
SEN SHERROD BROWN: I think you've just watched what's wrong with this place. Senator Durbin comes here, and talks about the importance of doing something -- LAST THURSDAY we were supposed to start working on this! We should... I asked Senator McConnell on this floor...I opened this door, Mister President, I pointed down the hall and I said Senator McConnell should come back here, and we should work on this bill. Whether they're actually finished in the House, down the hall doing it or not, we should be working on this. Now we have four more days...Senator McConnell had to go back to Kentucky. I don't know really what he went back for. We asked him to stay and finish this, negotiate it and do it. To take care of stopping this virus. To take care of all the people in my state, in Illinois, in Senator Markey's state, in Senator Coons' state... to take care of all these people who are losing their jobs, and don't know what to do? Senator McConnell went back to Kentucky, wasted three days, make that FOUR days, today is another day we're wasting. Again, I don't know why he went back. Three more days of people worrying, three more days of people self-quarantining. It's three more days of businesses in Columbus and Dayton shutting down. It's the anguish that you feel if you think one of your loved ones is sick. All of that. Empty airplanes. All the things that are happening.
If we want to get something done, we get something done... Who can say anything, but this is a national crisis? We're going to make our unwillingness to do anything contingent on some parliamentary trick? No. We are paid to do this job. Just because Senator McConnell has taken four days and not done it, doesn't mean we shouldn't. We should work.
UPDATE: Well, well...
