Schumer Says Almost Half of Senate Republicans Don't Want Any More Stimulus Money

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the reason the GOP's newly-proposed stimulus bill is "emaciated" is because almost half of Senate Republicans don't want to hand out any more coronavirus relief funds.

"The crisis and the pain of the American people in the pandemic get greater and greater and Republicans keep thinking smaller and smaller," Schumer told CNN's New Day. "The reason is very simple. There are 20 Republicans in the Senate who want no money. So McConnell had to, in a very cynical exercise, put together something that would check the box but left out so much."

Schumer warned that millions of local and state workers could be facing layoffs as a result. He said that the bill McConnell introduced Tuesday would also leave out children who need food assistance, tenants who cannot pay rent, rural areas that need broadband for virtual learning, the restaurant industry and hospitals.

"There's so much missing in the bill. I wouldn't call it skinny. Their old bill, which was about a trillion dollars, was skinny. This one's emaciated," the Senate Minority Leader added.

Senate Republican's new proposed coronavirus relief bill includes an extension of the small business loan program and jobless benefits from the CARES act. However, unemployment monies would be reduced from $600 to $300 a week and it would not offer stimulus checks for individuals or any aid to states.

Congress has been in negotiations over a second federal stimulus package for more than a month but Democrats and Republicans have been unable to come to any agreement.

The newly-proposed legislation is expected to cost roughly $500 billion, half of what the GOP proposed in their HEALS act earlier this summer.

On the other side of the aisle, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have pushed for $2.2 trillion with no sign of backing down.

"Our bill meets the needs of the American bill. Their bill meets the needs of a few ideologues who don't want to vote for anything but are feeling such pressure from the public, they have to come to the floor," Schumer said on Wednesday.

He said he is hopeful that a deal will be reached.

"There's a good chance that they will feel the pressure," he said. "Once they see that Democrats are not going to fold to this emaciated bill, which leaves so much out, the pressure will mount on them."

McConnell announced Tuesday he would force a vote "as soon as this week" on the new proposal.

Senate Republicans who are up for reelection are facing extra pressure. Without any agreement over a second stimulus bill, millions of Americans have been left empty-handed since July in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic's economic fallout.

"Their members are going home and hearing from Republican mayors, Republican governors, Republican hotel owners, Republican restaurant owners, 'Do something that helps us'," Schumer said. "Their bill doesn't."

Newsweek reached out to McConnell for comment but did not hear back before publication.