Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., started Wednesday’s Senate session by announcing that he would support a coronavirus response bill championed by Democrats and passed by the House despite “imperfections” in the bill. “This is a time for urgent bipartisan action, and in this case, I do not believe we should let perfection be the enemy of something that will help even a subset of workers,” McConnell said.
Calling out what he referred to as “real shortcomings” in the legislation, McConnell focused on the impact on small business. Specifically, he took issue with the impact of paid leave provisions in the text that he argues would “pile even more burdens and costs” on small businesses without providing sufficient funds for such benefits.
McConnell emphasized the need for additional legislation to address the coronavirus pandemic and said he would not adjourn the Senate until it has “passed a far bolder package that must include significant relief for small businesses across our country.”
He noted that Republican lawmakers are “determining the best pathway to put money directly in the hands of the American people” and are considering measures to provide “targeted relief for key industries that are shouldering an outsized burden” due to the pandemic.
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