Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) ripped into Democrats during his Monday speech on the Senate floor for defeating a cloture vote for the coronavirus emergency bill on Sunday.
As Guy Benson reported earlier, both Senate Minority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) were pushing for unprecedented collective bargaining powers for unions, increased fuel emissions standards for airlines, and expansion of wind and solar tax credits to be tacked onto the bill.
None of their demands have anything to do with the current outbreaks of COVID-19, which is also known as the Wuhan coronavirus, as McConnell pointed out during his speech.
"So let meet give the American people a taste of the outstanding issues we woke up to this morning. Here are some of the items on the Democratic wish list over which they choose — over which they choose to block this legislation last night. Tax credits to solar energy and wind energy. Provisions to force employers to give special, new treatment to big labor, and — listen to this — new emissions standards for the airlines. Are you kidding me? 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 said.
"Democrats won’t let us fund hospitals or save small businesses unless they get to dust off the Green New Deal. I’d like to see Senate Democrats tell New York City doctors and nurses, who are literally overrun as we speak, that they’re filibustering hospital funding and more masks because they want to argue with the airlines over their carbon footprint?" he continued. "I’d like to see Senate Democrats tell small business employees in their states who are literally being laid off every day that they’re filibustering relief that will keep people on the payroll because Democrats’ special interest friends want to squeeze employers while they’re vulnerable. Squeeze these employers while they’re vulnerable. I’d like to see Senate Democrats tell all American seniors who’ve seen their hard-earned retirement savings literally melt away as the markets track toward their worst month since 1931 that they’re continuing to hold up emergency measures over tax credits for solar panels — tax credits for solar panels."
McConnell added the partisan games the Democrats were playing comes as everyday Americans are struggling to meet their financial obligations since many have been laid off as a result of the viral outbreaks.
"[Democrats are] talking like this is some juicy political opportunity. This is not a juicy political opportunity. This is a national emergency. We had days of productive bipartisan talks to get to this point," he said.