On Tuesday morning, the House released the latest version of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the emergency relief bill intended to help Americans during the coronavirus outbreak. It included a series of corrections and revisions, but Republicans are still wary of how the measure will affect small businesses.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is having none of the Democrats' latest move and blame game.
2day at 948AM we just received the bill from the House the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” What business do democrats hv blaming McConnell all wknd for not calling a vote when we can’t do anything until the House sends it over? They know better Stop the politics!
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) March 17, 2020
Just last night, Chuck Schumer was talking about how angry he and Senate Democrats were that McConnell didn't bring this up for a vote over the weekend.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) March 17, 2020
And the Senate candidates he controls -- @Hickenlooper, @SaraGideon, @CaptMarkKelly, @CalforNC, @AmyMcGrathKY followed suit. https://t.co/2C58TuYYxQ
McConnell released his own hesitations about the House bill in a Tuesday morning press release.
“In particular, it seems increasingly clear that the House’s effort to mandate that small businesses provide new worker benefits, just many small businesses themselves are in major jeopardy of their own, might even be actively harmful unless we urgently address a broader package that includes more and broader small business relief," he wrote.
McConnell promised that the Senate "will not adjourn" until they have passed a better, fairer measure.
While President Trump endorsed the House's measure, he told the media on Monday that if Republicans continue to debate the bill before it reaches the Senate, they will only make it "better."