Lindsey Graham says “go big” with new coronavirus relief plan

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Sunday that he opposed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $2.2 trillion COVID-19 package but thought that lawmakers should “go big” with the next round of coronavirus plan.
• Graham shared that there was a general agreement on developing a Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses as well as plans to support school funding.
• Pelosi on Sunday sent another stimulus proposal to the White House and gave a 48-hour deadline to get it passed in Congress before the November 3rd election.

Despite opposing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) believed that legislators should “go big” with the next round of coronavirus relief proposals.

“There are some Republicans who don’t want to spend anymore. I disagree,” Graham said in a pre-recorded interview on Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren that aired Sunday.

“I think we need more money… But we don’t need policy provisions as the House has,” he said.

Republican senators have criticized Pelosi for such a massive stimulus package.

“The $2.2 trillion coming out of the House has a mandate for ballot harvesting. What’s that got to do COVID?” the senator continued. “And the $1,200 payment, which I support, doesn’t require a Social Security number to get it, so a lot of the money would go to illegal immigrants.”

The senator said that there was a “general agreement in the making” of establishing a Paycheck Protection Program which would permit small businesses to secure an accessible loan. Lindsey also shared that there are several consensus plans on providing aid to schools.

The Republican lawmaker, though, opposed providing another $600 weekly assistance which expired last July 31, suggesting that people are being paid “more not to work than work.”

Graham’s remarks came following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement on Saturday that he would put a $500 billion bill package on the Senate table for voting on Wednesday.

According to The Washington Post, the GOP’s proposed bill, which does not include a new round of COVID-19 relief checks, would instead give assistance to health care and schools as well as liability protection, small-business ventures, and enhanced unemployment insurance lower than the $600 weekly aid.

McConnell, though, said that if Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would reach an agreement, the Capitol Hill “would of course consider it.”

On Sunday, Pelosi submitted a new coronavirus aid bill with a 48-hour deadline, should they want to have it enacted ahead of the November 3rd election.

Source: New York Post