D.C. lawmakers leave peoples’ work undone - Boston Herald

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In the real world, workers are expected to wrap up their assigned tasks and projects before heading out on vacation — especially if there are people relying on them.

But no one ever confused Washington, D.C., with the real world, nor politicians with workers who put the people first.

As the national unemployment rate hits 10.2%, time is of the essence for lawmakers to hammer out — and pass — the latest relief bill.

Negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House have been intense, unfruitful and ultimately stalled. Surely this is the time for rolling up collective sleeves and burning the midnight oil until some sort of compromise is reached — for the good of Americans and business who are desperate for relief and protections.

Apparently not. The House and Senate have both left town for August recess, and won’t be back at their desks until early September.

In the real world, they could expect a visit to HR to discuss their poor attitude and dereliction of duty.

But this is Washington, where these erstwhile lawmakers still draw tidy paychecks while millions of their countrymen do not and businesses teeter on the edge of disaster.

It’s about the money, of course.

According to the Hill, Democrats started negotiations with a $3.4 trillion to $3.7 trillion proposal, offering to cut $1 trillion if need be.  Republicans and the White House have are sticking with a  $1 trillion package.

What Congress lacks in results, it has made up for in sniping.

“We are miles apart in our values,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters. “Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn. That isn’t the case. This is very far apart.”

Pelosi said she’s willing to restart talks “When they come in with $2 trillion.”

“As (Treasury) Secretary (Steven) Mnuchin said yesterday, the speaker wants a $2 trillion commitment from us. We’re not going to give it. There are too many things, too many asks on their side that don’t fit, don’t have anything to do with COVID, for that matter,”  said White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow

Democrats and Republicans have yet to work out how much weekly unemployment benefits would be, how much money state and local governments would get, liability protections for reopening businesses and school funding.

If, somehow, the stalemate ends and votes are scheduled, senators would return. If not, the Senate formally reconvenes on Sept. 8.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hoped the Senate would be able to “act sometime soon.”

Not good enough.

This is not just about Pelosi and Mnuchin and the rest of the Capitol Hill crew. This is about those elected to do the work of the people shirking their duty. Yes, these negotiations must be difficult, tedious, exasperating. They are still part of a lawmaker’s job. We understand the desire to take some time off — 2020 has been a strange couple of years — but vacations are not an option for the millions of Americans who no longer have a job.

Get back to work, put in the hours until a relief bill is crafted for the country, it’s what you were elected to do.

To leave the job undone, well, New York Rep. Max Rose summed it up nicely, telling CNN,  “At this point, it’s a middle finger to the American people.”

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D.C. lawmakers leave peoples’ work undone - Boston Herald
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