Despite the Senate quickly removing the controversial $15 federal minimum wage hike passed in the House version of the latest COVID stimulus bill, Republican lawmakers are still speaking out against other items included in the plan as Senate Democrats rush to finalize their version of the bill.
For Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla. 3rd District), the price tag, which includes checks for qualified Americans, is too high.
"As far as the stimulus, that is a temporary solution and, again, it just adds to the further debt that our nation is in. For us, as millennials, this is killer because this is on our shoulders. The generations before us, they're not going to have to deal with these problems of sequestration," she told Cheddar. "It's millennials and Gen Zs that are really footing the bill for this."
At 33 years old, Cammack is currently one of the youngest members serving in the House.
In a letter to President Joe Biden, Cammack said approving another trillion-dollar spending bill would be irresponsible, in part, because funds from previous relief bills still have not been allocated.
The cost of the COVID relief bill was not the only concern for Cammack, however. The Florida congresswoman described other measures in the bill as a "wish list of projects" that Democrats are trying to push through.
"It has nothing to do with rescuing America from this pandemic. It had nothing to do with COVID relief," she alleged. Cammack stressed the need to get vaccines for Americans interested in receiving it and reopening schools.
"What does an underground tunnel in Silicon Valley have to do with COVID relief? What does a bridge in New York have to do with COVID relief? This was just some of the garbage that was tucked into this bill," she protested.
While a new poll from Morning Consult and Politico showed more than 70 percent of voters -- including more than half of GOP voters -- support the bill as it stands, Cammack said her party isn't worried about efforts to strike down the relief plan backfiring.
"The previous bills in 2020 under President Trump were all bipartisan. There was Republican and Democrat support. In this bill that Nancy Pelosi just pushed through last week — actually at 2:30 in the morning — that not only had every single Republican vote against it but members of her own caucus," she said.
Ayman Mohyeldin, host of MSNBC Original Podcast 'American Radical,' joins Cheddar News to discuss how the podcast chronicles a woman's path to the insurrection.
Following the attack on the Capitol last year, several major corporations promised to no longer pour funds into the campaigns of Republican lawmakers who supported the January 6 insurrection. But not all have stood firm on their word. Among those that did keep to their promise were Nike, American Express, and Walgreens.
Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H. 2nd District) joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to reflect on the January 6 insurrection and her personal experience in the Capitol when rioters attempted to overtake the House chamber. "What I now understand to be true is that the mob of rioters had reached the third floor and was literally in the hallway running toward us as we ducked into the elevator," she told Cheddar. Kuster recalled the fear she felt, wondering what might have happened if the insurrectionists crossed paths with her group. Kuster noted that she has since received therapy to help cope with the traumatic event. "A thousand acts of courage saved our life and saved our democracy," she said.
Andy Kroll, Washington bureau chief at Rolling Stone, joined Cheddar's Baker Machado to discuss the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection and how it could impact upcoming elections. Kroll talked about whether or not Trump's influence will aid Republicans in the midterms and how it could be a setup for the former president to run in the 2024 presidential election. "This day has become really almost a kind of cause for Republican base voters," he said. "And you're going to see that fueling some turnout, you're going to see that fueling, even, candidates running for office in these midterm elections."
According to a recent analysis from ProPublica and the Wall Street Journal an analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents, and interviews reveal key evidence about the social media giant's role in January 6 insurrection. National Reporter at ProPublica Craig Silverman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services for two weeks after Airlines for America, a lobbying group that represents American, Delta, and other airlines, filed a petition last week with the FCC to stop the deployment of 5G in the U.S. over concerns that the network can interfere with certain systems on airplanes. President Biden spoke out about it, saying it would avoid further delays and cancellations of flights. Light Reading 5G and Mobile Strategies Director Mike Dano joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
On a day where the Dow and Russell 2000 each closed more than 3% lower, Melissa Armo, founder and owner of The Stock Swoosh, says Wednesday's big sell-off could extend into after-hours trading. She joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
The new year has just gotten underway, but the clock is already ticking for the Democratic-led Congress to pass bills regulating big tech. Evan Greer, Director for Fight For the Future, joins Cheddar News to explain why Democratic lawmakers would want to push legislation now, and what a Republican takeover would mean for the industry.
Americans looking to purchase at-home COVID-19 tests will now have to shell out a bit more money after an agreement expired between the White House and companies to sell the tests at cost. The price of Abbot's BinaxNow test kit from October to December was $14 apiece; on Tuesday, Walmart's website listed the test for $19.88, and Kroger listed the tests for $23.99. Carbon Health Regional Clinical Director Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the impact higher prices will have as the nation experiences another surge in cases.
