By Ronald J. Hansen | Arizona Republic
Threeof Arizona’s four congressional Republicans voted Monday against the $900 billion coronavirus aid bill that averts a government shutdown as well as provides direct cash to taxpayers and more financial help to the jobless.
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Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosarand David Schweikert were among the dozens of lawmakers from both parties who protested a hastily written measure that is the federal government’s first significant new help in battling the pandemic since Congress passed a pair of bills in the spring.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., voted against the first of two votes on the measure.
Despite the pushback, the legislation passed the House of Representatives in a pair of lopsided votes, 327-85 and 359-53. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill late Monday, 92-6.Including its regular budgetary spending as well, the bill is expected to cost $2.3 trillion.
“The whole package is a sell out. I’m voting no,” Gosar said in a Twitter message about the package, which is one of the largest bills in the nation’s history. “Dozens of problems. 5,500 pages long and 2 hours to review. This is nonsense.”
