As negotiations continue on another COVID-19 relief bill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is accusing his Republican colleagues of being controlled by “hard-right, wealthy people” who are pushing them to reject a relief bill.
Specifically, he blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and said the Republican leader does not want to strike a deal.
During an interview on CNN on Tuesday night, Schumer said the U.S. is not prepared for a second wave of the virus and that Democratic leaders “feel an urgency” to pass a relief bill.
“The problem, as you pointed out at the beginning, has been Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell is Dr. No. He doesn’t want to get a deal done. His caucus is totally divided,” he charged.
Schumer claimed there are 20 Republican senators “who don’t want to spend any money” on another relief bill.
He continued:
“Because the people who control them, actually, the hard-right, wealthy people, who don’t want to pay any money in taxes, who don’t want to see any federal government involvement seem to be running the show.”
Finally, he said he hopes the American people “put pressure on [McConnell] and all the Republican senators” to pass a relief bill.
Watch the video below:
Senator McConnell has been Dr. No
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 21, 2020
Since May, he's just kept saying no to real COVID relief
And now it’s been widely reported that he said he warned the White House against making a deal on another COVID bill before the election
Democrats won't stop fighting for the HEROES Act pic.twitter.com/5qiI0PAmeZ
Schumer’s comments come as negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continue.
Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammil said on Twitter that the House speaker and Mnuchin spoke for about 45 minutes on Tuesday and that the conversation “provided more clarity and common ground as they move closer to an agreement.”
“Today’s deadline enabled the Speaker and Secretary to see that decisions could be reached, and language could be exchanged, demonstrating that both sides are serious about finding a compromise,” he added.
Today’s deadline enabled the Speaker and Secretary to see that decisions could be reached and language could be exchanged, demonstrating that both sides are serious about finding a compromise. (2/3)
— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) October 20, 2020
Democrats and Republicans have struggled to reach an agreement on a relief bill for months.
The White House drafted a $1.8 trillion relief bill, and Pelosi has been pushing for a $2.2 trillion bill. However, Senate Republicans have balked at the price tag of the Democratic bill.
But, President Donald Trump said in an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday that he would like to see a bill that is “even bigger than the Democrats.”
Senate Republicans are slated to hold a vote on a “skinny” $500 billion relief bill Wednesday to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provide funds for COVID-19 testing, and provide a boost to unemployment benefits.
McConnell reportedly told Senate Republicans on Tuesday that he pushed the White House to not accept a relief deal.
