Stimulus Checks: Mitch McConnell Says Republicans 'Stand Ready to Deliver' and Social Media Weighs In

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans 'stand ready to deliver' help to Americans [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans "stand ready to deliver" help to Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, a comment that had Twitter frustrated. The Senate is still in its August recess and talks between Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House on another coronavirus relief package have stalled. McConnell said he still hopes there will be a new package, and agreed there should be another $1,200 stimulus check sent to Americans in need.

"To my Democratic colleagues: The coronavirus doesn't have a stake in this election. Struggling families across America need our help, and Republicans stand ready to deliver," McConnell tweeted on Wednesday. He included a clip from his interview with WEVV, in which the Kentucky Republican said the country does need "an additional boost" in his opinion. "I hope we'll still be able to get there," McConnell said. "Although, as we're doing this interview, we're at a stalemate."

House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act in May, but McConnell refused to take up the bill. Instead, he waited until late July to introduce the $1 trillion HEALS Act, which then led to negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The talks ended without a deal on Aug. 7, even though Democrats agreed to lower the cost of their demands to $2 trillion. Pelosi said the White House still rejected that. On Thursday, Pelosi spoke with Meadows over the phone, but there was still no deal.

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"Here's what we ought to do, in my opinion," McConnell told WEVV. "Liability protection, so we don't have an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic - to protect doctors, hospitals, nurses, universities, K-12 and businesses - focus on kids in school... renewal of the small business loan program... and of course the hospitals and all the healthcare providers need another slug." McConnell also voiced support for another stimulus check, although the proposed Republican "skinny" package did not include a stimulus check.

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The stalemate on the next relief package comes as millions of Americans remain unemployed and the coronavirus death toll continues to climb. More than 180,000 Americans have died from the virus and there are 5.9 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The Labor Department reported Thursday that another 1 million Americans filed for unemployment for the first time. It was the second consecutive week of 1 million jobless claims.

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