An emergency stimulus package to help companies and individuals weather the COVID-19 crisis will not be passed quickly in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday.
On March 20, Mr. McConnell said Republicans had reached an agreement with many of the same features as a $1 trillion White House proposal and that they would act quickly to work with Democrats for quick passage.
Negotiations broke down over the weekend as Republicans failed to get enough support to advance the package, which would require bipartisan support and 60 votes to pass before heading to the House of Representatives. If any senator objects to the proposal, it could take several days to get a final vote.
Senate Democrats objected to several provisions and called for more requirements to be attached to any of the federal aid designated for companies impacted by the crisis. The proposal so far is "a package that instead bails out big corporations with a slush fund without adequate safeguards to protect the public interest," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
