08.05.20

McConnell on Fox News Channel’s ‘Special Report’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined ‘Special Report’ this evening to discuss COVID-19 relief. See below for highlights or click here to watch the full interview.

On COVID-19 Relief Negotiations:

“I think both sides want to get to an outcome, that's the good news. The bad news is we are a long way apart and we'll see. I think the American people need an outcome; it can only be done on a bipartisan basis.

“We need to work our way through our differences and come up with a solution that helps, once again, focus what I think we need to apply the focus to: kids in school, health care, jobs, and liability protections. So that doctors and hospitals, nurses, universities, K-12—our whole society is not afflicted with an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of a pandemic we are all wrestling with.”

On Expiring Unemployment Benefits and Small Business Funding:

“There are two things that are in trouble and need to be dealt with: unemployment and the PPP, the popular small business loan program, both expiring. We need to do a lot more than that but that certainly creates a sense of urgency, and I haven't sensed the sense of urgency on the other side that I would like to see to actually get an outcome.”

On Safely Returning to Sports:

“I'm still hoping, like a lot of other sports fans, that we can figure a way to safely play during this pandemic. I think it's important for the American public to get back to normal as much as possible.

“With many of these athletic events, it's going to be with limited or no audience, but we'll all be watching on TV, and I hope we can have as much of a normal return to sports, safely all across America…It's better to have a [Kentucky] Derby even if there aren't any fans in the stands. We were sorry to have to cancel it back in May but I think it’s going to go off Labor Day weekend.”