Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says the Senate will vote on roughly $300 billion in "new funding" for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) aimed at helping struggling small businesses, as early as next week, according to Politico's Jake Sherman.
NEW … MCCONNELL says the Senate will vote on “new funding” for the PPP next week.
Dems have suggested in the past they would not accept this. — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 13, 2020
"When the full Senate returns on October 19th, our first order of business will be voting again on targeted relief for American workers, including new funding for the PPP," said McConnell, adding "Republicans do not agree that nothing is better than something for working families. The American people need Democrats to stop blocking bipartisan funding and let us replenish the PPP before more Americans lose their jobs needlessly"
"There is no excuse for Democrats to keep blocking job-saving funding for the Paycheck Protection Program," McConnell said in a Tuesday statement. "Democrats have spent months blocking policies they do not even oppose. They say anything short of their multi-trillion-dollar wish list, jammed with non-COVID-related demands, is "piecemeal" and not worth doing."
Meanwhile, some Democrats have turned on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she rejected President Trump's $1.8 trillion COVID relief offer after telling his team to "go big" during negotiations.
Pelosi panned the offer, calling it "one step forward, two steps back." Instead, she's demanded that Trump revamp the White House proposal.
"Tragically, the Trump proposal falls significantly short of what this pandemic and deep recession demand," she said in a Tuesday letter. "Significant changes must be made to remedy the Trump proposal’s deficiencies."
"A fly on the wall or wherever else it might land in the Oval Office tells me that the President only wants his name on a check to go out before Election Day and for the market to go up," she added.
According to the Daily Mail, however, Democrats want Nancy to stop playing politics with relief for Americans.
"Nancy Pelosi take this deal! Put politics aside people are hurting," tweeted former presidential candidate Andrew Yang on Saturday.
Nancy Pelosi take this deal! Put politics aside people are hurting. https://t.co/bCpFtr2kHh — Andrew Yang🧢🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 10, 2020
Rep. Ro Khana (D-CA) wrote "People in need can't wait until February," adding "1.8 trillion is significant & more than twice Obama stimulus. It will allow Biden to start with infrastructure."
People in need can’t wait until February. 1.8 trillion is significant & more than twice Obama stimulus. It will allow Biden to start with infrastructure. Obama won in 08 by doing the right thing on TARP instead of what was expedient. Make a deal & put the ball in McConnell court. https://t.co/qAEtd049sW — Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 11, 2020
And left-leaning podcast host Dan Pfeiffer of 'Pod Save America' tweeted "While there are potential risks, Democrats should aggressively pursue a COVID Relief deal with Trump," adding "It's the right thing to do, but the politics can also work in our favor."
While there are potential risks, Democrats should aggressively pursue a COVID Relief deal with Trump. It's the right thing to do, but the politics can also work in our favor. Here's how: https://t.co/pyQHjIuEK5 — Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 11, 2020
Unfortunately for struggling Americans, Pelosi seems more concerned with handing Trump a win going into the election.