McConnell Releases Outline of Revised COVID-19 Relief Package

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is issuing an outline of the latest COVID-19 relief plan.

The legislation would provide additional funding for coronavirus liability relief, unemployment assistance, and the Paycheck Protection Program under small businesses.

“Leader McCarthy and I have been in discussions with the secretary of the treasury and the president’s chief of staff to try to ascertain what the president would actually sign into law,” McConnell said during a press briefing Tuesday.

He added, “I think we have a sense of what that is. I laid that out in the call that we had just a little while ago. We’re going to send that out to all the offices and get some feedback to see how our members react to a proposal that we can say for sure would be signed into law.”

McConnell stressed, “We don’t have time for messaging games. We don’t have time for lengthy negotiations.”

He suggested after Jan. 1 there will likely be a discussion among lawmakers about another package.

McConnell acknowledged it is going to be up to the “new administration” to decide what it wants to do.

Watch his remarks below:

A bipartisan group of lawmakers also unveiled a $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal Tuesday, as IJR previously reported.

“We’re battling COVID-19 more fiercely now than we ever have before. We recognize that. It’s inexcusable for us to leave town and not have an agreement,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) said Tuesday.

He continued, “It’s not the time for political brinkmanship. You’ll not see any of that here today on this stage. We’re going to intend to move this forward after months of failing to act for one reason or another. We’re not blaming anybody for why they haven’t come to an agreement.”

When asked when he could have a bill ready for a vote, Manchin said, “We’ve worked diligently on that and we would have one ready very soon. I mean we can put one together. We have to do something before the next two weeks.”