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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democrats in the House and Senate are politicizing the Coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to pass a wishlist of far-left priorities.

Senate Democrats are refusing to begin consideration of bipartisan phase three Coronavirus emergency legislation and have blocked the bill twice since Sunday evening. This obstruction comes even as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for the Senate to act “immediately” as recently as last week.

The proposal, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, would provide much-needed liquidity for businesses and individuals. It would deliver relief to Americans that are struggling to pay their bills and ensure that medical providers have the resources they need.

Contrary to the Democrat talking points, the bill does not include a slush fund for corporations. Instead, it provides loans for businesses so they can continue paying their employees and meet other expenses. This is urgently needed and will help American families keep the lights on. In addition, taxpayers are protected. Since they are loans, they come with conditions and must be repaid.

Democrats continue to mislead on this provision and are claiming the bill helps corporations over middle class families. This is not true – the proposal also grants liquidity funding in the form of direct payments to small businesses and individuals.

Throughout the process, Democrats demanded the inclusion of several priorities such as increased funding for hospitals and medical services, increased funding for state and local governments, and increased funding for unemployment insurance. 

After negotiations, the legislation was amended to meet these requests. Billions and in some cases hundreds of billions in funding exists for these priorities. For instance, the legislation contains $250 billion in funding for unemployment benefits which will ensure an additional $600 in unemployment payments for recipients for three months.

The legislation also contains $75 billion in funding for hospitals, and funding for state and local governments in the form of loans through the supposed slush fund that Democrats have lambasted.

Over in the House, Speaker Pelosi has released a 1,200 page bill that goes even further. One of Pelosi’s deputies, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), said last week that the emergency is “a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.”

Democrats are now pushing countless proposals that are unrelated to the Coronavirus pandemic including mandating airline carbon emissions, prohibiting businesses that take loans from petitioning the federal government, wind and solar tax credits, and permitting federal employees to conduct union work on the taxpayers’ dime.

These proposals do not represent a good faith effort to deliver assistance to American families and businesses during the pandemic. Instead, it is an unabashed attempt to exploit the crisis to enact long-held liberal priorities.