For a while, observers took the fact that Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell were longtime Senate colleagues as a positive, a signal that the working relationship between Biden, the new president-elect, and McConnell, the powerful Senate majority leader, would be a cordial one.
McConnell's tactics regarding stimulus payments, however, could indicate a rockier road ahead, and a very short honeymoon period, for the two politicians, per Newsweek.
After blocking a unanimous consent vote on increasing $600 payments for individuals to $2,000, McConnell has proposed an alternative that has congressional Dems in a rage, tying the larger payments to the formation of a commission to investigate the 2020 election and a call to repeal big tech liability protections.
McConnell's approach does not appear to have much support.
Biden is among many Democrats and some Republicans calling for the boost in stimulus payments.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., tweeted:
"Instead of having a real debate and letting folks vote how they want, Sen McConnell is setting up a sham vote with the aim of nothing happening."
McConnell was reelected to a new term in November, though two Senate runoffs in Georgia on Jan, 5 will determine if Republicans maintain the majority. Incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., are opposing Democrat candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
Democrats will hold a voting majority if they win both runoffs.
Biden has said he is "looking forward" to a working relationship with McConnell. But the unpleasant and protracted wrangling over the next round of COVID may be showing the president-elect a darker pattern in store.
"[McConnell will] always try to water it down, and when he can kill things outright, he'll do it," Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, previously told Reuters about the majority leader’s approach to dealing with the Biden agenda.
"He's proven that over and over again."
McConnell acknowledged Biden's election victory Dec. 15 and referred to him as president-elect amid President Donald Trump's continued refusal to accept defeat.
McConnell and Biden then spoke via phone.
"I called him to thank him for the congratulations," Biden said, "told him that while we disagree on a lot of things there's things we can work together on.
"I'm looking forward to working with him."
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