Senate’s McConnell Urges Dropping Liability, State Aid in COVID-19 Deal; Schumer Objects

Senate Majority Leader 👤Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that Congress should pass a U.S. coronavirus relief package without Republican-backed business liability protections or aid to state and local governments that Democrats demand, even as progress in private talks was being touted.

The Republican’s proposal, which represented a change in his approach, was immediately rejected by the Senate’s Democratic leader, 👤Chuck Schumer, who called it an attempt to “sabotage” bipartisan talks on coronavirus relief.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said in a statement that bipartisan negotiations “have made good progress and must be allowed to proceed without Leader McConnell’s obstruction.”

Separately, Senator Angus King, an independent, told reporters that he and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham were “very close” to an agreement between themselves on a liability provision. He would not elaborate.

Republicans and Democrats face mounting pressure to deliver a fresh infusion of aid to families and businesses reeling from a pandemic that has killed over 283,000 people in the United States and thrown millions out of work.

“What I recommend is we set aside liability and set aside state and local, and pass those things that we can agree on, knowing full well we’ll be back at this after the first of the year,” McConnell told reporters. “Why don’t we set aside the two obviously most contentious issues?”

“Leaving here (for the year) without a COVID relief package cannot happen,” he said.

Schumer, speaking about an hour later, said ongoing bipartisan negotiations were the best way forward for reaching a deal. Those talks are centered on a $908 billion framework that bipartisan lawmakers from both the House and Senate endorsed last week.