WASHINGTON - After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sought further talks with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate Majority Leader reiterated his stance that the Democrats are the ones to blame for the delay of the stimulus deal.
On Tuesday, the Democratic figureheads sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, urging him to start the negotiation with them as early as possible this week in order to facilitate a bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Follow the said message, the Senate Majority Leader indicated that his stance remains that the mentioned targeted rescue package should be passed, while bemoanings Democrats for having rejected the prospect of slimmed-down measures, Newsweek reported.
McConnell also posted on his Twitter account that the Republicans have tried for weeks to pass another rescue package.
He also added on his tweet that it would send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, another round of the job-saving PPP, unemployment aid, and healthcare.
The Senate Majority Leader also mentioned in his tweet that the Democrats repeatedly blocked it all but he is still hoping they will be letting them make law soon.
In a separate tweet, McConnell criticized what he called a fixation on a massive slush fund for city governments and state, which he shared was unlinked from coronavirus need.
He also hit out at what he deemed huge tax cuts for upper-class individuals in blue states while complaining about Democrat proposals that proposed no second round of the Paycheck Protection program.
He also questioned the stances of the Democrats regarding their priorities.
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It is already close to eight months since the coronavirus cases skyrocketed nationwide and the last package was received by Americans, the CARES Act, which was signed by President Donald Trump, Fox News reported.
The $3.4 trillion HEROES Act, which is a Democrat-led package passed the House of Representatives in May before the updated version also passed in October but with a mark of reduction on topline spend to $2.2 trillion.
Despite the plans made, the GOP-controlled Senate set the push back with Republican leadership in the upper chamber pushing for a tighter bill together with a lower overall cost.
The proposals made by the Republicans have also gained traction, though, none of the alternative GOP packages have been passed in the Senate.
Schumer and Pelosi mentioned in the letter they have sent to McConnell that they have already spoken about having come down from their original position on cost, and they also questioned the Republican Senator for going lower still with pitches despite them having shifted in a direction closer to the stance of the GOP, NJ.com reported.
The two also called for further discussions in their letter stating that the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession will not end without help coming from the government so it is essential that this bill will have sufficient funding and will deliver meaningful relief to the many Americans who are currently suffering.
They also emphasized that for the sake of the country, they are asking McConnell to come to the table and work with them to produce an agreement that will meet the needs of America in these critical moments.
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