08.11.20

McConnell on “Bill Hemmer Reports”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Fox News Channel’s Bill Hemmer today to discuss COVID-19 relief. See below for highlights or click here to watch the full interview.

On Democrats’ Refusal to Negotiate on COVID-19 Relief:

“I think it's a bit of a stalemate, but look, the American people are sick of the stalemate. They want to get a result, and the result ought to be directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. Kids back in school, jobs, healthcare, direct cash payment to low income people who need our help.

“Those items should not be in dispute, and this hang up over sending almost $1 trillion down to the state and local government— we've already sent them $150 billion and they've only spent 25 percent of what we sent them before. So take that off the table and let's get this assistance directly to the people who need it.”

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“[Republicans] certainly understand the gravity of the moment. We've already allocated $3 trillion over the last few months, we are prepared to provide another trillion dollars or so. All of that has been added to the national debt, giving us a debt the size of our economy for the first time since World War II.

“[Republicans] know this is a serious situation. I think the people who are not being serious are those who want us to squander a trillion dollars on state and local governments [that have] only spent 25 percent of the $150 we've already sent them.”

On the President’s Executive Actions:

“It's not the first choice of anyone, but this is a genuine emergency. We haven't had a pandemic in 100 years. The President is trying to get assistance for those who are unemployed to break out of the stalemate, and it's the only tool he has left available to him in the absence of an agreement with the Democrats. I applaud the President for rising to the occasion during this emergency trying to get help to people whose unemployment plus up expired last Friday.”