March 17, 2020 10:08 AM UTC

Enjoy That Nice Long Weekend, Cory Gardner?

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Not confidence inspiring:

.@SenCoryGardner on House #coronavirus bill Thurs on KHOW "I hope it will be worked out. I don't know how the House bill was put together. Did the Speaker of the House invite Kevin McCarthy to help write the bill together? ..But I think that will work through #copolitics #cosen

— Jason Salzman (@BigMediaBlog) March 17, 2020

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The U.S. Senate is getting back to work today after adjourning for a long weekend of flying back to home states to…well, obviously not to practice good “social distancing,” which would have been better served by staying in their D.C. residences. Sen. Cory Gardner flew back to Colorado late last week, before an emergency coronavirus relief bill was passed by the House–crucial days wasted, says Rocky Mountain Values in a press release today:

On Saturday at 12:51 am ET, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a critical package of legislation that will provide free testing, paid sick, family, and medical leave for workers, stronger unemployment benefits, food assistance for children and families, and enhanced Medicaid funding.

But rather than immediately pick up the bill and take action in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and Cory Gardner are waiting in silence — for days… [Pols emphasis]

“This is malpractice. Coloradans deserve to know where Cory is and why he isn’t doing his job to pass coronavirus legislation. Our hope is that this clock will remind Senator Gardner that time is precious during a crisis, and we can’t wait another day for him to take action.” -Marie Aberger, a spokesperson for Cut the Strings CO, a project of RMV

Visit wherescory.org and call on Senator Gardner to pass coronavirus legislation in the Senate TODAY.

The latest word we have is that the Senate GOP, back and rested up we hope, is going to get to work right after lunch–though there appears to be residual quibbling about provisions in the bill like paid sick leave, leaving plenty of room for the political uncertainly Americans can’t get enough of in time of crisis! This, in case you are unclear given the state of things, is sarcasm.

Whatever happens next, look for Sen. Gardner somewhere in the back.