McConnell says he will not negotiate with Democrats on liability protections in coronavirus bill
Asked about a CNBC/Change Research poll that found a majority of swing-state voters oppose shielding corporations from lawsuits, McConnell said, “this is not just liability protection for businesses, although they are included like everyone else.” He noted that it would also cover doctors, universities and K-12 schools, who could not get sued unless they were “grossly negligent or caused intentional harm.”
McConnell spoke shortly before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., planned to meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for the second straight day. The group will try to hash out differences between Republicans and Democrats on how best to boost an economy and health-care system ravaged by the coronavirus.
Congress faces pressure to quickly approve new relief, as states stopped paying out the extra federal unemployment benefit last week. Roughly 30 million people are still receiving some form of unemployment insurance as coronavirus cases increase around the country.
A federal moratorium on evictions also expired last week.
In a joint statement Tuesday, Pelosi and Schumer said that “catastrophe is looming, and until Senate Republicans get serious, they must answer to every hungry child, every family that cannot make rent, every worker being denied their UI for their delays.”
“Democrats remain ready to work with Republicans on real solutions to bring immediate relief and save lives and livelihoods,” they said.
The GOP legislation would slash the jobless benefit to $200 per week from $600, on top of what recipients normally get from states, through September. The plan would then replace 70% of a person’s previous wages.
Democrats have warned reducing the extra benefit will leave millions struggling to cover costs and harm the economy by reducing household spending.
Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/28/coronavirus-stimulus-updates-mcconnell-defends-liability-protections.html