Politics

McConnell Pledges To Add Funding To Coronavirus Paycheck Fund On Thursday

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
Font Size:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said the Senate will be adding funding to coronavirus paycheck fund as early as Thursday.

“Twelve days ago, the Senate passed the largest rescue package in American history. Our bipartisan CARES Act provided more than $2 trillion in relief for workers and families, resources for hospitals and healthcare providers, and emergency lending to blunt mass layoffs and help workers continue to get paid,” McConnell said in a statement.

“As the Administration works to implement this historic legislation and push money out the door, Senate Republicans believe any potential further action will need to be tailored to the actual needs of our nation, not plucked off preexisting partisan wish lists,” McConnell continued.

“Even as the CARES Act continues to come online, one such need is already clear: The small-business Paycheck Protection Program needs more funding. This bold legislation from Chairman Marco Rubio, Chairman Susan Collins, Senator Ben Cardin, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen is providing emergency liquidity to Main Street businesses nationwide to keep paychecks coming,” he said. (RELATED: Sen. Steve Daines Sends Letter To State Department Calling For Investigation Into China’s Role In Coronavirus Spread)

President Donald Trump, right, arrives for a Senate Republican policy luncheon with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

McConnell’s statement comes as Treasury Department officials are reportedly preparing to ask Congress to approve $200 billion to help the Paycheck Protection Program, which was authored by Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, The Washington Post reported. (RELATED: McCarthy Says He Is Still Opposed To ‘Phase 4’ Coronavirus Package)

On March 25, McConnell announced the Senate’s next vote will not be until April 20, right after passing the $2 trillion phase 3 coronavirus package.