McConnell Hammers Pelosi for Blocking Coronavirus Bill To Add Green New Deal Items
By Randy DeSoto
Published March 23, 2020 at 10:25am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday of holding up the third phase of coronavirus relief legislation to add Green New Deal initiatives.
Included in House Democrats’ demands are new emission standards for the airlines and tax credits for solar panels, according to McConnell.
“Are you kidding me?” the Kentucky Republican said with anger in his voice. “This is the moment to debate new regulations that have nothing whatsoever to do with this crisis?
“That’s what they’re up to over there. The American people need to know it.”
McConnell continued, “Democrats won’t let us fund hospitals or save small businesses unless they get to dust off the Green New Deal.”
The majority leader said New York hospitals are overrun, yet Pelosi is willing to delay the legislation for pet projects.
“They are holding up legislation that will literally keep people on the payroll because Democrat special interest friends want to squeeze these employers while they’re vulnerable,” McConnell said.
The GOP leader noted that the markets were tanking Monday “because this body can’t get its act together,” but made clear Democrats are to blame.
“Eleventh-hour demands Democrats have decided are more important than Americans’ paychecks and the personal safety of doctors and nurses,” McConnell said.
He then quoted House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina, who said last week during a Democrat conference call, “This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” a source on the call told The Hill.
McConnell further noted a Democrat lawmaker said on the Senate floor Sunday night, “I don’t know how many trillion-plus packages we’re going to have.”
“They ought to be embarrassed! … This is not a juicy political opportunity, this is a national emergency,” he said.
McConnell pointed out Republicans made major changes to meet Senate Democrats’ demands, but Pelosi’s return to Washington scuttled the deal.
“This is no time for this nonsense!” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York responded to McConnell by saying Democrats are “trying to get things done” and make the legislation better rather than deliver partisan speeches.
He did not address McConnell’s assertion that Democrats were trying to add Green New Deal items to the legislation.