Sen. Bob Casey Calls The Republican Party A ‘Joke’ For Opposing COVID Relief

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:33 pm

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) didn’t hold back on Republicans on Saturday, calling the party a joke for opposing COVID relief now after they passed a massive tax cut for the wealthy in 2017.

“The tax bill they passed in 2017 wasn’t just bad, it was an obscenity,” Casey said. “The Republican Party on fiscal responsibility is a joke. They have no credibility on this.”

The Democratic lawmaker said GOP opposition to COVID relief has nothing to do with government spending. Instead, the GOP’s real beef with the bill is that it helps average Americans, not wealthy Republican donors.

“They only cry about fiscal responsibility when workers and folks across the country are being helped,” Casey said.

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

Video:

Sen. Casey said:

The hard right took over the Republican Party a decade or so ago, but at least in the last five years, and the tax bill they passed in 2017 wasn’t just bad, it was an obscenity. I’ve said that more than once. The folks who had no compunction about jacking up debt and deficits to give major corporations a permanent tax break and to give the super rich a break now all of a sudden rediscovered fiscal responsibility. The Republican Party on fiscal responsibility is a joke. They have no credibility on this. It’s only when a Democratic president is in office. And they only cry about fiscal responsibility when workers and folks across the country are being helped. It’s “Katy, bar the door” when they want to give their corporate friends a break.

The GOP has made a joke of itself

The Republican Party has spent decades trying to claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility, all while racking up massive deficits whenever they control the White House.

This was particularly true in the Trump era, when they dropped nearly $2 trillion on a massive tax giveaway for the wealthiest corporations and individuals.

Now that Joe Biden is in the White House, the Republican Party is laughably trying to convince the American people that they care about government spending again.

The Republican Party may have made a joke of itself on this, but there is nothing funny about the millions of people that are suffering as the GOP tries to obstruct meaningful relief.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.