McConnell on Democrats Blocking COVID-19 Relief: “The American People are Still Hurting”
‘If Senate Democrats were half as concerned as they say about American families’ healthcare, they would not have filibustered a multi-hundred-billion-dollar proposal for more coronavirus relief just a few weeks ago.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:
“If Senate Democrats were half as concerned as they say about American families’ healthcare, they would not have filibustered a multi-hundred-billion-dollar proposal for more coronavirus relief just a few weeks ago.
“A Senate minority that was focused on Americans’ health would have let us fund more tests, treatments, and vaccine development, like Republicans tried to do a few weeks ago.
“A Senate minority that was prioritizing wellness would have let us send more than $100 billion to make school safe for students, like Republicans tried to do a few weeks ago.
“A Senate minority that sought to protect citizens with pre-existing conditions would have let us reaffirm legal protections for those Americans, like Republicans had in our bill a few weeks ago.
“A Senate minority that was serious about economic recovery would have let us fund a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program and continue the expanded unemployment checks, like Republicans tried to do a few weeks ago.
“The Senate voted on all of this, three weeks ago.
“Three weeks ago, every single Senator cast a vote on pre-existing conditions, money for testing, money for vaccines, money for safe schools, money for small businesses, and money for unemployed workers.
“Fifty-two Republicans voted to pass all these policies. And every single Democrat who showed up voted to filibuster it dead.
“The Democratic Leader and the Speaker of the House were determined that American families should not see another dime before the election.
“This week, Speaker Pelosi is finally caving to months of pressure from her fellow Democrats, who argue that her stonewalling is hurting our country.
“House Democrats are trying to save face by introducing yet another multi-trillion-dollar far-left wish list with virtually all the same non-COVID-related poison-pills as their last unserious bill.
“Speaker Pelosi’s latest offering still does not include a single cent of new money for the Paycheck Protection Program, to help small businesses that are going under.
“It does nothing to help schools, universities, doctors, nurses, or employers avoid frivolous lawsuits.
“But the House did find room to provide special treatment to the marijuana industry. Their bill mentions the word “cannabis” more times than the words “job” or “jobs.”
“They still want to send taxpayer-funded stimulus checks to people in our country illegally.
“They still want to hand a massively-expensive tax cut to millionaires and billionaires in places like New York City and San Francisco. A pet priority of the Speaker and the Democratic Leader that would do nothing to help working families through this pandemic.
“All of these far-left poison pills are still in their recycled bill. They have no intention of making bipartisan law for American families.
“But there are a few changes from their last bill.
“Get this. Now that supporting law enforcement has become less than fashionable on the far left, Democrats have actually taken out hundreds of millions of dollars for hiring and assisting police officers.
“Their so-called sequel to the HEROES Act has decided that cops are not heroes after all.
“House Democrats couldn’t miss a chance to ‘defund the police.’
“This latest bill from the Speaker is no more serious than any of their other political stunts going back months. If they continue to refuse to get serious then American families will continue to hurt.
“Less than a month ago, every single Senator voted on providing hundreds of billions of dollars for kids, jobs, and healthcare, and reaffirming protections for pre-existing conditions.
“52 Republicans voted to advance all those things. But every single Democrat who showed up voted to block them.
“The American people are still hurting. Layoffs are still mounting. Families need more help and the healthcare fight needs more resources.
“One side voted to supply all that help. The other side decided to block it.”
Related Issues: COVID-19, Senate Democrats, Health Care, Jobs, Small Business, Middle Class
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