Pelosi et al see the desperately needed stimulus bills as a chance to push socialist goals

With the economy seriously damaged, you'd think good leaders would focus on doing the best for the country rather than on grandstanding and extorting goodies from their socialist wish list.

The leaders of today's Democrat party, on the other hand, realize that the crisis is a great time to extort Republicans to get the things Dems want.  Things that buy them votes.