Just to let you know, the article you referenced botched the facts a bit. In point of fact Massie blocked a Unanimous Consent "vote". The house wanted to pass one of the largest spending bills in history without having each member go on record with their vote. This forced the House to physically gather enough members in chamber to make a quorum. The house then passed the bill by
voice vote.
I posted an opinion on this process
here. This
NY Times piece gets the story more accurately, and believe me, it is
not favorable to Massie.
What would have been really impressive in my book would have been for our country's leaders to set an example of how to behave when it is
essential to travel, and have seen each member mask up and practice social distancing all the way to Washington. For once set an example people.
I applaud Massie's action. There was so much stupidity and pork packed into the bill I for one would have preferred to see some debate and iteration take place before each member went on the
written record with their vote. What could have been done better? Perhaps they could have added a provision so that the bulk of PP funds did not end up missing its target of small business employee relief. Perhaps the bill could have added
means testing across the board so that situations such as loans that do not require repayment, ever, or $600 a week premiums on top of regular unemployment benefits didn't make it more profitable to refuse to work (in essential jobs) than to sit at home. There was just a post somewhere else on this board about a restaurant manager who couldn't reopen for takeout because staff was not even returning his phone calls.
There is going to be some kind of price paid for firing up the printing presses and printing trillions of dollars out of thin air to fund this poorly thought out legislation. There is no free lunch. Just ask Weimar Germany, Venezualia, Zimbabwe, and even the Roman Empire, just to name a few.
