Rep. Massie says $2 trillion relief bill is "the biggest mistake in history"

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – Republican Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky tried to force a recorded vote on the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill.

Massie’s argument is representatives of the House should have to vote on the House floor and be held responsible for their votes.

Numerous other representatives had to rush back to Washington Thursday night establishing a quorum and successfully passing the bill through the House Friday.

Massie said representatives were trying to “cover up” their votes.

“Like I said in there, I came here this week to make sure our republic doesn’t die in an empty chamber by unanimous consent. These people need to do their jobs, if they’re telling people to buy a truck, if they’re telling people to buy groceries and grow their food, then by golly they can be in there and they can vote. And that’s what we did this week. They came and you can see it didn’t delay the vote any. They sat on their cans yesterday here. They didn’t do a thing yesterday. They were trying to say they would delay it to have a recorded vote. The truth, if you’re willing to report it, is they don’t want a recorded vote, they don’t want to be on record for making the biggest mistake in history.”

The House needed to have 216 representatives present, half its membership, to pass the bill if one member demands a roll-call vote.

Massie claimed in a tweet, “This stimulus should go straight to the people rather than being funneled through banks and corporations like this bill is doing.”