Sen. Cassidy says coronavirus relief bill will pass, encourages Americans to stay home
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks to 'America's Newsroom' before the Senate reconvenes to discuss a COVID-19 relief bill.
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After Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted a lack of support for hospitals among other industries, Senate Finance Committee member Bill Cassidy said on Monday that Senate Democrats need to be “honest” about their objections to the coronavirus relief bill.
“Clearly, there is money in there for health care,” Cassidy told “America’s Newsroom.”
Cassidy mentioned that he spoke to hospitals and health care CEOs and that there are "15 billion dollars" to be distributed as best needed and the amount of payment for coronavirus patients with Medicare increased by 20 percent.
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Cassidy went on to say, “There is going to be billions more going to states through Medicaid. I can go down another list of things that are pumping money into the system. So, the fact that Schumer would say that tells me that he is hiding what his real objection is. He’s got some other objection that he doesn’t think the American people will be sympathetic with so he kind of tries to distract with empty rhetoric.”
The GOP-controlled Senate on Sunday failed to move forward with considering the $1.4 trillion "Phase Three" stimulus package intended to help businesses and families devastated by the downturn over the coronavirus outbreak, as Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., blasted Democrats opposed to the plan.
Many Democrats had complained that the draft aid package did not go far enough to provide health care and unemployment aid for Americans, and failed to put restraints on a proposed $500 billion "slush fund" for corporations, saying the ban on corporate stock buy-backs are weak and the limits on executive pay would last only two years.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said the draft package "significantly cut back our hospitals, our cities, our states, our medical workers and so many others needed in this crisis."
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Cassidy said that he “hopes Democrats come to the table with good faith as opposed to hiding their cards” as well as recognize that any of the “short-term gains” that they’re trying to achieve are not worth it.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., urged colleagues to "take responsibility" as Democrats prepared their own draft. The House had just returned from a weeklong recess.
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