Congress reached a deal on an approximately $900 billion coronavirus relief package, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is placing blame on her Republican colleagues for the delay in reaching the deal.
Pelosi said during Sunday’s press conference, “Let me just say this one thing, because I, from time to time, hear a question here…‘What took so long?’”
She then took aim at Republican lawmakers, “What took so long is because we could not get our Republican colleagues to crush the virus. I couldn’t understand it.”
Watch Pelosi’s press conference below:
“Why would they not want to invest in the science that has told us so importantly that it required testing, tracing, treatment, separation, sanitation and the rest?” the House speaker added.
She continued:
“And when we had the bill in the Heroes Act and even in the smaller Heroes Act, because we reduced the time, they said, ‘We just made a light touch on your language on testing.’ No, 53% of it, to take out everything that referred to minority communities.
[…] Now, we see why. They didn’t believe in the science, we knew that. But they did believe in herd immunity. And that’s why we never could come to that first bill pillar, to crush the virus.”
Pelosi also noted, “I’m proud of the legislation,” but “it’s a first step, we need to do more.”
In announcing Congress reached the deal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tweeted on Sunday evening, “Congress has just reached an agreement. We will pass another rescue package ASAP. More help is on the way.”
President-elect Joe Biden applauded the bipartisan coronavirus relief deal made.
He said in a statement, “I am heartened to see members of Congress heed that message, reach across the aisle, and work together. This is a model for the challenging work ahead for our nation.”
Biden, however, later added, “But this action in the lame duck session is just the beginning. Our work is far from over.”
The president-elect’s statement read:
“On day one, my administration will be ready to undertake additional steps to get the virus under control and build our economy back better than it was before this crisis. In our first 100 days, we’ll be asking all Americans to mask up for 100 days; we’ll have a plan to administer 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days and to get most schools open in the first 100 days.”
The bill includes, in part, enhanced federal unemployment benefits and $600 stimulus checks per adult and child, as well as additional relief for businesses.
