Sen. Bill Cassidy's 'Yeah, But' Vote Against His Own State

By John Amato — March 15, 2021

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy had no defense for voting against the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The American Rescue Act helps over 90% of all Louisianans. With a Democratic House and a 50/50 Senate, not to mention a Democrat in the White House, ARPA is the ONE CHANCE any elected official had to help their state recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. There is no other option. So saying "yeah but I didn't like part of it" just means you put quibbling and partisanship above your constituents. Period.

Bill Cassidy gave weak tea excuses on why he voted against his own people during a pandemic. Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace wasn't having it.

Wallace said, "The pandemic is not just a public health crisis, it's also an economic crisis and according to the White House, stimulus payments will go to 91% of the adults in your state of Louisiana and 93% of the children. And the child tax credit will go to the families of the million kids in Louisiana. Senator, are you saying the people of your state don't need that money?"

SEN. BILL CASSIDY: First let me say Republicans offered an alternative which included that sort of money for the people who needed it. So yes, economic health was needed for families as well as for businesses. We're on board with that. You would have had bipartisan support for that but you know what it also includes?

It includes $1.9 billion to give stimulus to inmates. Inmates are already paid for by the taxpayer. They can't stimulate the economy unless they're purchasing contraband. So here we have 1.9 billion stimulus checks going to inmates. I put up an amendment to strike that and it was unanimously opposed by Democrats. That's the sort of thing which should not be included.

I've written many times that Replicants like Sen. Cassidy forget to mention that inmates were part of Trump's stimulus and that they all voted for it. I wish more television news hosts would bring this information to the forefront.

Goldman Sachs just predicted an 8 percent GDP growth in the US economy because of the 1.9 trillion rescue package that even Fox Business is praising.

But Sen. Cassidy tries to fearmonger the stimulus with unfounded claims.

Now they're trying to do it by just pumping dollars in. It may work or it may ignite inflation which pulls down somebody into a vortex of losing their savings. We'll see. Is it better to let people keep their own money or is it better to take it from them give it back? That's the difference between the two parties."

How will Americans lose all their savings from an infusion of capital? How will helping the states and the local governments with vaccine distribution hurt? How will extending unemployment and restricting foreclosures and evictions cost Americans their savings? Are you nuts, Bill Cassidy?

The GOP has no defense to protect itself from the overwhelming support the American people have for ARPA.

There's predicted to be an 8% GDP growth in the US economy, but Republicans want to nit pick and "yeah but" parts of the plan and attack it.

This, even though they voted for many of the same provisions when Trump passed a stimulus plan in 2020.

Howie Klein writes, "There you have it-- 4 minutes of lies and distortions, that will be endlessly repeated by every Republican on every media platform they can access. All of them from McConnell and McCarthy right down the food chain to the QAnon lunatics like Boebert and Greene..."