Senator Says McConnell’s Bill Is A “Poison Pill” That Will Never Be Passed

Once again, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked quick action on larger stimulus checks for Americans and things got heated on the Senate floor when he clashed with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

McConnell heavily criticized the House-passed bill for $2,000 stimulus checks calling it “socialism for rich people.” The comments were a direct opposition to President Trump’s request that stimulus checks be raised from the $600 included in the $900 billion relief package the president signed into law nearly a week ago to a significantly larger $2,000.

“The data show that many upper-middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, work remotely and remain totally financially comfortable,” McConnell argued. “On the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have had their entire existences turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. We do not need to let the speaker of the House do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help.”

According to McConnel, the $900 billion relief package sign by Trump included “targeted” stimulus efforts.

“There are billions for targeted food assistance, billions for targeted rental assistance, and many billions of dollars for vaccine distribution so we can finally beat this virus and reopen the economy in full,” said McConnell. “These are the kinds of target emergency programs that directly help the most vulnerable. And we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them less than five days ago.”

Earlier this week McConnell introduced a bill of his own for $2,000 stimulus checks and included two other Trump priorities: forming a committee to investigate election security and repealing Section 230. He would not commit to the bill but only suggested that the Senate would “begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.”

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders believes McConnell’s strategy of tying the much needed $2,000 stimulus checks to a voter fraud commission and Section 230 repeal is a “poison pill designed to kill that legislation.”