Republican South Dakota Sen. John Thune criticized Democrats on Friday for playing politics with Americans’ lives in regards to holding out on funding for workers who need help, as coronavirus continues to affect jobs.
“I think it’s just unconscionable that Washington Democrats are playing political games with people’s lives. I mean, this is about American workers, and right now, we’ve got a crisis, we’ve got an emergency, and the Democrats in Washington don’t seem very interested in helping to put out the fire,” Thune said in an appearance on Fox News.
“They always want to attach other things, which are not related to this issue. This is the crisis we have in front of us, and all it takes is a little bipartisan cooperation. We could move this thing, and it would be done. We could get the dollars back out on the street, businesses applying, and workers keeping their jobs,” Thune continued.
WATCH:
It’s crazy to me that Washington Democrats are playing politics with Americans’ lives. This is a crisis, and we need to put the fire out. pic.twitter.com/sQgBz0Y5Mu
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) April 17, 2020
“Hopefully it’s a wakeup call to the world about how [China] operates – the lack of transparency, the censorship of journalists – and it’s going to take, I think, a global, international response to hold them accountable. I think there are a lot of ways in which you can do that, but obviously, it’s something the president has put on his agenda,” Thune said. (RELATED: Sen. Thune Says Anyone In Contact With Sen. Paul Will Need To Consult Doctors)
“The president, to his credit, even before he was president, while he was a candidate, he was talking about bringing these supply chains home – these critical capabilities that we need in this country – and that’s something we need to be focused on as well,” Thune went on.
Democrats in the Senate on April 9 blocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s request for more aid for small businesses, calling it a “political stunt.” (RELATED: Senate Democrats Block McConnell’s Bid For $250 Billion More In Small Business Aid)
The Republicans bill would have put $250 billion more into a loan program for small businesses. McConnell was hoping it would pass by unanimous consent, however, Democrats blocked it from passing. Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen both were on the Senate floor and voiced their opposition, saying there needs to be more focus on small businesses.
“I’m afraid that this unanimous consent is basically a political stunt because it will not address the immediate need of small businesses in the legislation that we have passed,” Cardin said.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will not agree to small business loan funding.