Mitch McConnell Doubts A New Round Of Stimulus Will Happen Soon, Citing Election Tensions

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he does not expect a new round of COVID-19 relief stimulus to be passed anytime soon. Despite Congress returning from its latest recess soon, McConnell said that the looming general election has made lawmakers averse to appearances of bipartisanship.

“I don’t know if there will be another package in the next few weeks or not,” the Senate leader said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that relief is needed soon for American businesses and workers if the U.S. economy is to make a full recovery from the pandemic. However, after a recent phone call, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats and the White House are stuck on how much a new relief bill should cost.

“Sadly, this phone call made clear that Democrats and the White House continue to have serious differences understanding the gravity of the situation that America’s working families are facing,” Pelosi said.

Reports indicate that the Democrats want a relief bill of around $3.5 trillion and have offered to go as low as $2.2 trillion, while Republicans have not gone any higher than $1.3 trillion and are currently discussing a plan for as little as $500 billion.

Some Republicans oppose an outright stimulus.

Requiring 60 votes to pass, any package that is too low is likely to be blocked by Senate Democrats.