As American Families Face Evictions And The End Of Unemployment Benefits Because Of Republican Delays And Divisions Amid Coronavirus Economic And Public Health Catastrophe, Republican Senators Have Blocked A Dozen Bills To Help The American People Suffering Through The Pandemic
New York Times: Republican Stimulus Talks Stall Over Differences on Unemployment
Wall Street Journal: Senate Republicans’ Coronavirus Plan Delayed Over Disagreements
Financial Times: US Stimulus Delayed As Republican Talks Fall Into Disarray
CNN: Timeline For Release Of GOP Stimulus Plan Delayed As Negotiators Race For Deal Amid Holdups
Politico: As Unemployment Grows, White House And Senate GOP Stumble On Virus Talks
Politico: Republican Infighting Leads To Embarrassing Setback On Aid
NBC News: 'What In The Hell Are We Doing?' Senate Republicans Clash Over Coronavirus Relief
CNN: Republicans And White House Divided On Stimulus Proposal: 'I'm Not A No, I'm A Hell No'
Bloomberg: Trump, GOP Struggle to Find Unity on New Stimulus
IN RECENT MONTHS, SENATE REPUBLICANS HAVE REPEATEDLY BLOCKED CRITICAL LEGISLATION TO HELP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE STRUGGLING THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS MADE WORSE BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
JUNE 29: Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) blocked Senator Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) attempt to pass the State, Local and Tribal Fiscal Relief and Rural Stability Act. VIDEO LINK
JUNE 30: Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) blocked Senator Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) attempt to pass legislation to create a national system for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, and mitigation. VIDEO LINK
JUNE 30: Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) blocked Senator Tammy Baldwin’s attempt to pass the COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act, legislation to protect workers from exposure to the coronavirus. VIDEO LINK
JUNE 30: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blocked Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA) attempt to pass the Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act, legislation to contain the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes. VIDEO LINK
JUNE 30: Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) blocked Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) attempt to pass the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, legislation to require states to establish contingency plans for elections in response to national disasters and emergencies. VIDEO LINK
JUNE 30: Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) blocked Senator Patty Murray’s (D-WA) attempt to pass the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, legislation to help address the education and child care crises in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. VIDEO LINK
JULY 1: Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) blocked Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) attempt to pass the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act, legislation to help Americans struggling to pay rent and worried about eviction. VIDEO LINK
JULY 1: Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) blocked Senator Debbie Stabenow’s (D-MI) attempt to pass legislation to make temporary modifications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to expand food assistance to help families in need during the COVID-19 crisis. VIDEO LINK
JULY 22: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blocked Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) attempt to pass the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act, legislation to increase the production of test kits, supplies, PPE and medical equipment. VIDEO LINK
JULY 23: Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) again blocked Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) attempt to pass the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act. VIDEO LINK
JULY 23: Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) blocked Senator Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) attempt to pass the Protecting Renters from Evictions and Fees Act. VIDEO LINK
JULY 23: Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) blocked Senator Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) attempt to pass the American Workforce Rescue Act, legislation to extend expanded unemployment insurance and continue providing benefits until each state’s economic conditions improve. VIDEO LINK
AFTER THREE MONTHS OF UNNECESSARY AND RECKLESS DELAY BY MAJORITY LEADER MCCONNELL AMID THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, REPUBLICANS STILL DON’T HAVE A SUFFICIENT PLAN TO DEAL WITH THE CRISIS.
April 22: McConnell: Take a Pause Here.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “What I'm saying is we're going to take a pause here.” [Fox News, 4/22/20]
May 5: McConnell: Take a Pause Here.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “I know many people are asking for additional legislation. I think I can speak for our conference by saying we’re not ruling that out but we think we’re going to take a pause here.” [Press Conference, 5/5/20]
May 11: McConnell: “We Have Not Yet Felt The Urgency Of Acting Immediately.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “We have not yet felt the urgency of acting immediately. That time could develop, but I don’t think it has yet.’” [Politico, 5/11/20]
May 14: McConnell: “We Will Let You Know When We Think The Time Is Right To Begin To Move Again.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “The president and Senate Republicans are going to be in the same place. We will let you know when we think the time is right to begin to move again.” [Fox News, 5/14/20]
May 19: McConnell: “We Will Discuss The Way Forward In The Next Couple Of Weeks.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “And we have had some sort of preliminary discussions about what comes next but I think the president indicated, the Secretary of the Treasury has indicated, and I have indicated that we still believe with regard to the coronavirus we need to assess what we have already done, take a look at what worked and what didn't, and we will discuss the way forward in the next couple of weeks.” [Press Conference, 5/19/20]
May 21: McConnell: “We’re Not Quite Ready”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “But we need to be able to measure the impact of what we have already done, what we did right, what we did wrong, correct that. And we're not quite ready to intelligently lay down the next step, but it's not too far off.” [Fox News, 5/21/20]
May 27: McConnell: “Let’s Wait a Few Weeks Here”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “So clearly, I felt it was time to hit the pause button, to analyze what we had already done, figure out what mistakes we had made, and think through the impact of getting the economy, of getting it to reopen before we do something again.” … “So what I’m recommending to the administration and to my colleagues in the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans, let’s wait a few weeks here, let’s see what kind of impact opening the economy’s having to begin to restore our country before we start throwing additional money onto the national debt.” [McConnell Press Conference Via Facebook Live, 5/27/20]
June 19: McConnell: “If There Is Something That's Going To Happen It Will Emerge In The Senate, It Will Be Written Beginning In My Office, And It Will Be Done In July.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “So after we passed the CARES Act, some of you may recall, I said we need to push the pause button here.” … “So, if there is something that's going to happen it will emerge in the Senate, it will be written beginning in my office, and it will be done in July.” [Facebook Live, 6/19/20]
June 30: McConnell: “We’ll Make A Final Decision…In July”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “So, that's a prediction I can make about a bill that we'll make a final decision on in July when we get back. I think--I think it is exactly the right time, exactly the right time, to address this issue.” [Press Conference, 6/30/20]
July 13: McConnell: “Sometime Within The Next Three Weeks”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY): “I think you can anticipate this coming to a head sometime within the next three weeks, beginning next week.” [Press Conference Via WYMT, 7/13/20]
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