House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are holding aid to businesses and individuals hostage for political purposes during a time of international crisis. When Republicans and Democrats in Congress were close to agreeing to a $1.8 trillion COVID-19 aid deal, Pelosi returned to Washington from a week's vacation and the deal was off.

The Democrats insist the Republican plan didn't go far enough and that it favored wealthy corporations over families. Total crap. The aid package, though perhaps not perfect, would have provided a tremendous amount of relief to an awful lot of people and businesses in need. The truth of the matter is the bill didn't include all of the pork that Pelosi was seeking such as student loan forgiveness and protections for Planned Parenthood.

Pass the bill and if additional aid is warranted, another can be introduced. It's worth noting that the vote on the aid package went strictly upon party lines in the Senate. It is shameful that the Democrats would use a crisis such as this for political gain. They will and should pay the price at the ballot box in November.

By the way, how many of you enjoyed a week's paid vacation last week? Many of you were furloughed or laid off from your jobs or just plain grounded because of the coronavirus crisis, but a paid vacation? Yeah, not many. As I recall, many of you were standing in line to get toilet paper and water and not vacationing.

While President Trump and Vice President Pence were on the front lines and taking heat from morons in the press every day over what to call the virus or whether they were being too upbeat and positive, Pelosi was on vacation. The voters of Northern California need to make that a more permanent arrangement this fall.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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