Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is complaining that Democrats are obstructing coronavirus relief, but House Democrats passed the bill in May.
McConnell said on the Senate floor, “he American people fighting all these battles and more, what do the Speaker of the House and the Democratic Leader do with yet another day of deliberations? The Democrats are blocking it all. It’s like they expect applause for merely keeping a civil tone with the president’s team, never mind they’re still obstructing any action for our country.”
Video:
Try not to laugh as Mitch McConnell accuses Democrats of obstructing coronavirus aid that he is trying to kill. pic.twitter.com/EUekJQcrOT
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 4, 2020
There is just one problem. The House passed a new coronavirus relief bill in May that McConnell has refused to allow a vote on. Instead of voting, Senate Republicans went on vacation and let expanded unemployment benefits expire.
McConnell, like Trump, seems to believe that the American people aren’t paying attention, so he is free to invent wild accusations of obstruction that are completely divorced from reality. The truth is that McConnell and Trump have proposed legislation that would cut expanded unemployment benefits, as joblessness continues to grow amid the pandemic.
Trump and McConnell are also demanding liability protection for companies that do not follow health and safety guidelines and force their employees to work in unsafe conditions.
The Democrats have taken action for the American people. The face of coronavirus relief obstruction in Congress is Mitch McConnell.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association