MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Why Kentuckians elect a monster, asks Internet as Mitch McConnell blocks $2000 Covid aid: 'It's insane'

Twitter users seemed to be pretty angry over one man holding so much power over them

After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked an effort on December 29 to increase direct stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000, tempers were obviously running high. Democrat Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders had called for a full vote on the measure in the coming days, only for McConnell to shoot down this Democratic bid to increase direct coronavirus payments to Americans to $2,000 from the current $600.

Schumer said $600 is "not enough" for Americans who need the extra money to pay for groceries and rent. He added, "I don't want to hear that we can't afford it," pointing out that Republicans had previously passed nearly $2 trillion in tax cuts and recently fought to include a tax break for corporate meal expenses. Sanders also pointed out that a consensus already exists. "President Trump, President-elect Biden, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are all in agreement — we have got to raise the direct payment to $2,000. So, that is where we are right now in this historic moment. Do we turn our backs on struggling working families or do we respond to their pain?"

Once the news was reported about McConnell blocking the Democratic bid, the anger spilled on to the state that had voted McConnell into his position of power. Television host Padma Lakshmi tweeted: "A small group of Kentuckians re-elected a tyrant who just blocked increasing Covid aid for the entire country. This is America in 2020." A user replying to her tweet commented: "Fellow Kentuckians, why do you continue to support an actual monster that cares nothing for your well-being? He hates you, but you keep him in office. It’s insane". Another tweet chimed in, saying: "We can only hope that a large group of Georgians fixes this mistake."

Though the legislation could be voted on at a later time or date if McConnell so chooses, for now, it seems the extra cash stimulus is blocked. Twitter users seemed to be angry over one man holding so much power over them. "This highlights why the Speaker & Majority Leader need to either have their powers greatly reduced, their roles eliminated, or the positions elected by the American public. Mitch has far too much power for someone only voted into office by Kentuckians."

Another user wondered why Kentuckians "hate themselves" and the "rest of the US". "McConnell blocked the #2000StimulusCheck bill. Why do the kentuckians hate themselves and the rest of the US so much? Why do they keep electing enemies of the people Mitch McConnell and Paul Rand?" However, some Twitter users defended the state's residents, saying they were victims as much as anyone else. "Kentuckians didn't vote him in. He $$ dropped. Moscow had a 14% approval all during the campaign process. There were more votes 4 him than there R Republican voters in Kentucky. Racists love voter supression. Turn Georgia Blue, Georgia was never red. It's heavily suppressed."

Currently, McConnell's moves in the Senate are being closely watched and could be a factor as GOP senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler clash in the election runoff battle against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in Georgia — the results will determine control of the Senate. Both Loeffler and Perdue have already come out in favor of increasing direct payments in the coronavirus relief package from $600 to $2,000 per person, knowing how important this stimulus check is to determine the outcome in the upcoming contest.