President Donald Trump is lashing out against Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., for a potential attempt to delay the House passage of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, suggesting he should be thrown out of the Republican Party.
Trump tweeted as the House debate on the bill was underway:
"Looks like a third rate Grandstander named @RepThomasMassie, a Congressman from, unfortunately, a truly GREAT State, Kentucky, wants to vote against the new Save Our Workers Bill in Congress. He just wants the publicity. He can’t stop it, only delay, which is both dangerous......"
Trump continued via Twitter:
"...& costly. Workers & small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn’t their fault. It is “HELL” dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the “big picture” done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!"
Trump then added:
"By empowering the Radical Left Democrats, do nothing Kentucky politician @RepThomasMassie is making their War on the 2nd Amendment more and more difficult to win (But don’t worry, we will win anyway!). He is a disaster for America, and for the Great State of Kentucky!"
Armed with hand sanitizer and discouraged from using elevators, members of the U.S. House of Representatives convened on Friday to quickly pass a sweeping $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, though it was unclear whether they would be forced to delay.
"Today's vote is about saving lives and livelihoods," Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said. "Congress must act together and act aggressively now to stem this crisis."
As debate commenced, lawmakers sat several seats apart from each other, maintaining distance as they waited for a chance to speak. The House scheduled three hours of debate, headed toward a possible vote around noon ET.
The rare but deep, bipartisan support in Congress underscored how seriously lawmakers are taking the global pandemic as Americans suffer and the medical system threatens to buckle.
Pelosi said House leaders were planning to fast-track the rescue plan by passing it via a voice vote on Friday. She had said that if there were calls for a roll-call vote, lawmakers might be able to vote remotely as not all would be able to be in Washington.
It was unclear whether Massie would block the measure.
"I'm having a real hard time with this," Massie, an outspoken fiscal conservative, said on 55KRC talk radio in Cincinnati.
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., asked Massie on Twitter to let his colleagues know if he intended to delay the bill's passage "RIGHT NOW so we can book flights and expend about $200,000 in taxpayer money to counter your principled but terribly misguided stunt."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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