As the fate of the next stimulus relief bill hangs in limbo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't shying away from placing the blame on Democrats. On Wednesday, McConnell launched yet another attack against the opposing political party, again accusing them of "blocking" the bill "over non-COVID-related wish-list items," a remark that drew plenty of backlash.
McConnell's tweet marked the second in the span of just 24 hours in which he accused Democrats of deadlocking negotiations over "non-COVID-related" demands. In the days since negotiations collapse, he has accused Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in particular, of holding the bill "hostage" due to these demands, claiming that they pushed for "a huge tax cut for blue-state millionaires." The Democratic-backed HEROES Act, however, largely targeted critical aspects of economic relief, including stimulus checks, as well as funding for coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and schools as they began to reopen. According to CNBC, the legislation did, however, seek to roll back the $10,000 SALT cap for two years, which would allow individuals to deduct their state and local property taxes in full.
While that provision largely faced criticism, as many pointed out, McConnell's proposed HEALS Act wasn't necessarily a godsend, either. Under that legislation, $1.75 billion would be provided for a new FBI building, $377 million for a West Wing renovation, and $8 billion for military weaponry. Those were not the only non-COVID-19-related provisions, though, as the bill also included a business lunch tax deduction, something that many social media users didn't hesitate to point out. Others also pointed out that a business belonging to McConnell's wife's family received thousands of dollars in PPP loans. Scroll down to see how social media is reacting to McConnell's latest tweet.