Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had a laugh when Amy McGrath, his Democratic challenger, jabbed at him for allowing the Senate to go on recess in August instead of working on legislation to address COVID-19.
“The House passed a bill in May, and the Senate went on vacation,” McGrath said during a debate with McConnell, who chuckled.
“I mean, you just don’t do that. You negotiate,” the Democratic candidate told a still-smiling McConnell. “Senator, it is a national crisis. You knew that the coronavirus wasn’t going to end at the end of July. We knew this.”
The GOP leader claimed that lawmakers could “use telephones.”
The Senate adjourned on August 13 without a relief bill for the pandemic and reconvened after Labor Day on September 8. GOP senators’ “skinny” COVID-19 bill failed to pass on September 10.
McConnell and the GOP caucus have been focusing on fast-tracking Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation on the Supreme Court, with hearings beginning on Monday.
Watch McConnell below:
McConnell laughs when Dem challenger Amy McGrath calls him out for going on vacation instead of working on COVID-19 relief bill. pic.twitter.com/zJTIZYeFxb
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 13, 2020
