In the U.S. Senate, Democrats and the GOP majority have been vigorously debating the form that an economic stimulus package in response to the coronavirus crisis should ultimately take. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio has stressed that a bill should contain real, genuine help for struggling U.S. workers rather than merely being a corporate bailout — and GOP senators, from Sen. Susan Collins of Maine to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have accused Democrats of not negotiating in good faith. Meanwhile, in the U.S. House of Representatives — which has already passed a stimulus bill — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling out Senate Republicans for their shenanigans.

Collins has called Senate Democrats "disgraceful" for rejecting Senate Republicans' proposals. And Ocasio-Cortez, on Twitter, denounced Collins' "crocodile tears" as disingenuous.

Advertisement:

Describing Collins' voting history, AOC tweeted, "@SenatorCollins can keep her crocodile tears. She voted & fought HARD to strip pandemic prep funding. She helped drive the lack of preparation that we had leading up to this. What's actually disgraceful is her "I'm a Moderate Lady" dance to cover up brutal policies and votes."

In a separate tweet, AOC noted that Collins voted for the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 and, in 2017, voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — or as AOC describes it, "the GOP tax scam."

According to Ocasio-Cortez, Collins is "defending an utterly corrupt bill to shower public money on friends and donors. Susan Collins is not a moderate. She just plays one on TV."

Advertisement:

Collins voted for the GOP tax scam.

She voted to appoint Kavanaugh.

She's defending an utterly corrupt bill to shower public money on friends and donors. Susan Collins is not a moderate. She just plays one on TV. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 23, 2020

PBS' Lisa Desjardins, in a Twitter thread, described in detail some of the conflicts that have been occurring between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate during their debates on a stimulus package.

"As the only reporter in the Senate chamber for all that, let me just say WOW," Desjardins tweeted. "I've seen a lot, never seen anything quite like that."

Advertisement:

Desjardins, describing the ways in which the tension "boils over" now, noted how testy things became between Collins and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. When Collins wanted to speak on the Senate floor and Schumer objected, Cotton asserted, "C'mon…. This is bullshit!" And Collins told Schumer, "You are objecting to my speaking? This is appalling!"

Senate chamber boils over. - Sen. Collins asked to speak, Schumer objected.

- Sen. Cotton shouted, "C'mon", "This is bullshit!"

- Collins walked thru her row to Schumer - stood a foot or so away, finger pointed, exclaimed, "you are objecting to my speaking? This is appalling!" — Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 23, 2020

Advertisement:

3/ - Sen. Cotton, standing near the well, presses the point and in an oddly "I am Spartacus!" moment, asks to speak himself.

- Schumer: objection.

- Sen. Cassidy is now Spartacus, asks to speak.

- Schumer: objection. — Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 23, 2020

4/ Schumer is finally able to communicate he wants to ask about the question and move some voice votes. McConnell, there w/ no staff next to him, slows it down and seems he had no warning of Schumer's move. So on the fly they agree to two voice votes and an hour of debate. — Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 23, 2020

Watch a clip below:

