WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — On the Senate floor Monday, Senators didn’t hold back their anger.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of playing games with the economy by blocking an emergency coronavirus response bill.
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn says the $1.6 trillion-dollar bill would help the industries hit the hardest by the crisis.
But Democrats say the bill favors big businesses, instead of the American worker.
“The bill still includes something that most Americans don’t want to see: large corporate bailouts with almost no strings attached,” says Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Schumer says they are working with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on a new bill, but Oklahoma Republican Senator Jim Inhofe says Americans can’t afford to wait any longer.
“Look we don’t have time to do that. They have been involved in this thing all along — and that is why it is not necessary to go back and re-do it again,” says Inhofe.
Any bill that the Senate passes would then need to go to the House for approval.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s working to introduce her own legislative package.