WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2020) The entire US Senate returned to Washington this week to find no scheduled work on legislation to mitigate the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and that is exactly what they should be working on, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.
"There is no COVID-19 action scheduled this whole week. Leader McConnell brought us back to deal with ideological issues to appeal I guess to some hard right base but to ignore the huge crisis that the American people are facing," Schumer said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Democratic lawmakers sought and failed to pass legislation that would improve congressional oversight of more than $3 trillion in relief measures previously passed by Congress.
"We should be focusing on COVID-19, focusing on our oversight responsibility," Schumer said. "We hope maybe this week our Republican friends will reconsider. You have to have oversight."
At the very least, members of the Trump administration's task force, including National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, COVID-19 Coordinator Deborah Birx and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, should be testifying this week on efforts to step the pandemic, Schumer added.
Democrats are seeking hundreds of billions of Dollars in Federal aid for state and local governments that face the prospect of having to furlough police, firefighters, staff at public hospitals and other front-line responders with the economy stalled and revenue from taxes drying up.
Instead, the Senate agenda this week calls for confirming judicial candidates nominated by President Donald Trump and other unfinished business, Schumer said.
Republican lawmakers indicated that a relief package would not be coming soon. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said now is the time to take a "pause" and evaluate options.
Senator Roger Wicker, a McConnell adviser, said the bill is "weeks away," as quoted by The Hill.
