Sen. Schumer, McConnell spar over COVID relief bill
Schumer is not impressed with McConnell's latest proposal.
The Senate minority leader, Charles Schumer, believes Republicans and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell are the reason an agreement on a COVID-19 relief hasn’t been made.
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On a call with reporters on Sunday, The Hill reports that Schumer says Senate Republicans are the “No. 1 reason there’s no agreement,” and they “won’t even go along with what Trump is willing” to get done.
There are two scheduled coronavirus relief votes coming up this week but Schumer characterized McConnell’s vote as a “stunt.” On Tuesday, a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will be presented then a separate $500 billion package will be on the table on Wednesday.
In regards to the PPP program, Schumer is unsure whether it will actually happen. He told reporters, “We just don’t know what he [McConnell] plans to do.” But when it comes to the $500B package he characterized it as, “inadequate, just up and down the line” adding that it’s “a sham.”
A similar $500B package was rejected by Democrats last month because they said it was incomplete. But McConnell says, “Nobody thinks this $500B+ proposal would resolve every problem forever. It would deliver huge amounts of additional help to workers and families right now while Washington keeps arguing over the rest,” per The Hill.
President Trump says he is looking for a stimulus deal to be made before Election Day. He suggested a $1.8T compromise earlier this month and expressed he’s willing to do even more, but Republicans are worried about the cost.
McConnell says he is not interested in bringing a $1.8T plan to the floor.
“That’s where the administration is willing to go,” said McConnell. “My members think half a trillion dollars, highly targeted, is the best way to go.”
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But Schumer is adamant that the $500B package proposed is, “not gonna bring any relief to the American people.”
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