Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested Wednesday Democrats were not negotiating in good faith over the fifth round of coronavirus relief legislation for political reasons during an election year.
The Kentucky Republican recalled Democrats blocking the Senate GOP police-reform legislation in June following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the hands of a White police officer over Memorial Day weekend that had sparked Black Lives Matter protests nationwide.
“When it’s time to actually make a law, Democrats would rather keep political issues alive than find a bipartisan way to resolve them,” Mr. McConnell said.
One of the major sticking points in negotiations on the HEALS Act, which would fund about $1 trillion in federal funding towards getting children back to school, getting workers back to work, and financing healthcare initiatives to fight COVID-19, is payments for unemployment recipients.
In the prior relief legislation, Congress gave $600 a week in unemployment benefits, but now many Republicans see that as too high of a number, saying most people don’t make that much employed so it prevents workers from returning to work.
Mr. McConnell noted the Congressional Budget Office report said five of six recipients of the unemployment insurance received more to stay home than they would make if they took a job.
“We all know that is not fair,” he said.
The HEALS Act would give unemployed individuals $200 instead of $600 for two months.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it was “shocking” for Mr. McConnell to suggest Democrats were playing politics when the House — led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat — passed a coronavirus relief package before Congress left for the July 4 holiday.
“Over 10 weeks ago, Democrats passed a bill three times the size,” the New York Democrat said.
Democrats complain the unemployment benefits reduction is too much and the proposals lack support for nursing homes or provide any protection from evictions.
“This is not a serious proposal for a country in the midst of a once generation crisis,” Mr. Schumer said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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