The Senate on Monday will continue to try and pass a coronavirus relief bill held up by GOP provisions that help corporations over workers.
Raw Story reports: “One of the most contentious sticking points in rapidly moving negotiations over the Republican measure was its call for the creation of a $500 billion business relief program that would be controlled by the Trump Treasury Department, headed by former Goldman Sachs banker Steve Mnuchin. The fund would set aside around $58 billion for the airline industry and $17 billion for ‘sectors considered critical to national security.’ Democrats and progressive critics condemned the program as a corporate “slush fund” and demanded that any bailout money for businesses come with strict oversight and conditions, such as strong worker protections against layoffs and a permanent ban on stock buybacks.”
Roll Call adds: “McConnell’s effort to get 60 votes was hampered partly because of the pandemic itself: five GOP members of the Senate were not able to come to the floor because they were self-quarantining after possible exposure to people who’d contracted COVID-19, including Kentucky’s Rand Paul, who tested positive.”
