On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), who Joe Biden has picked to be Senior Adviser and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “pointed out, correctly, that, with faith in a new president, and a vaccine,” that a smaller coronavirus relief bill is acceptable because “you don’t have to extend the benefits as long as we did when we passed the HEROES Act.”
Richmond said that Pelosi was acknowledging that “when we passed the HEROES Act, we knew that this was going to get worse. We knew we needed to extend enhanced unemployment. We knew that we needed to provide help for state and local governments. We knew that we needed to do something for the American people and we would have to do it over the long haul. Because we knew it was going to get worse before it got better. Republicans, on the other hand, and I hate to say this, they were flat-out lying to the American people, saying, oh we’ve passed a curve. This is going to end. And we knew it would not, and we weren’t going to lie to the American people.”
He continued, “So, what has changed now is that there’s a shorter period of time in which we’re going to have to carry these benefits through. And we’ve, unfortunately, lost months and months because of Republican obstruction, but we do have a vaccine that’s coming. We have a president that’s going to do everything he can to end this as quickly as possible. He will lead by example, and he will have the ability to continue to push healthcare reform and other things to make sure that we’re treating people. So, it is a difference, and leadership matters. That’s what it all boils down to. And Donald Trump has shown no leadership, his head has been in a sand bunker for the last couple of months. And so, when you see jobs reports and you see people dying and you see a president playing golf, it’s reason for concern. And so, I think the speaker pointed out, correctly, that, with faith in a new president, and a vaccine, that you don’t have to extend the benefits as long as we did when we passed the HEROES Act.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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