Senate Votes Down on GOP Relief Aid: Will There Be a New Bill?
Senate Republicans voted in favor of the new relief aid bill that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced, and as expected, the Democrats continue to reject the proposal.
Republican Senator McConnell proposed the new relief bill on Tuesday. The new aid focused on education, healthcare, and budget for economic issues. It also includes expanding the unemployment benefits until the end of this year and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for heavily impacted businesses.
However, the bill's passage, which will help millions of Americans who continue to suffer amid global pandemic, was blocked in a procedural vote on Thursday.
The second stimulus bill was rejected by members of the Democrats with 52-47 votes.
It is still unclear if both parties can attain bipartisan support for another stimulus bill before the presidential election. However, lawmakers are not closing their doors to future talks. It only seems that they appeared not ready to relaunch the negotiations.
The failed approval on the targeted bill comes amid pleas from Federal Reserve officials and others who ask more financial assistance from the government to prevent the economy from sliding further this year.
Despite the series of talks, the Democrats rejected the proposal again, even though most Americans were calling for another relief aid.
The Republican-led targeted bill proposed on Tuesday included the following benefits:
- PPP loans for heavily impacted businesses
- Budget for coronavirus testing
- Funding for schools
- $300 weekly unemployment benefits
- Fund for the U.S. Postal Service
- Provides billions of dollars for farmers
- Devote $258 billion for the second round of paycheck protection subsidies
With the rejection of Senate Democrats on the Republicans' efforts to come up with a new stimulus package, these benefits are more likely not to be received and millions of Americans will continue to suffer.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cited the need for their $2.3 trillion proposed stimulus package to be met before supporting any stimulus bill.
The Republicans believed that one of the reasons why Democrats rejected their proposed relief aid because they knew that somehow it would help President Donald Trump's reelection bid apart from bolstering the country's economy.
"Working families have suffered and waited and wondered whether Washington Democrats really care more about hurting President Trump than helping them through this crisis," McConnell said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.
He also expressed indignation on the comment made by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer that "Republicans are the enemy of the good."
"The Americans we represent, however they vote, know that Republicans aren't our enemies, and Democrats aren't our enemies. The coronavirus is the enemy," said McConnell.
Nevertheless, the Democrats believed that a new round of bipartisan negotiations would follow the bill's failure despite the lack of signs that is happening.
"I still have some hope once this bill is defeated, if past is prologue, there's actually a significant chance that the public heat on many Republican senators as they go back home will have them come to their senses, and they'll start negotiating with us in a serious way," Schumer said.