Joe Kennedy III slams Mitch McConnel over refusal to see 'urgency' in COVID-19 response

United States House Representative Joe Kennedy III called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday over his refusal to 'act immediately' against the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the country. Stating that Coronavirus has killed more Americans than the decades-long the Vietnam War, Kennedy asked how many deaths will it take for McConnel to allocate funds for handling COVID-19 crises?

In a video message shared on Twitter, Kennedy also pointed out that despite two White House staff members testing positive for the virus, the administration has not felt the urgency to respond immediately against the pandemic. 

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READ | McConnell Hits Pause On More Coronavirus Aid

Mitch McConnel sees no urgency to act immediately

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is poised to unveil the next coronavirus aid package, encouraging Congress to “go big” on aid to help cash-strapped states and struggling Americans. Voting is possible as soon as Friday. The new financial package, the fifth since March, is expected to carry another eye-popping price tag.

President Donald Trump has signed into law nearly $3 trillion in aid approved by Congress. Its centerpiece is likely to allocate finances to states and cities that are struggling to avoid layoffs in the face of skyrocketing health care costs and plummeting tax receipts during the economic shutdown. But Senate Republicans are in no rush to spend what could be trillions more on aid.

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“I don’t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately," McConnell told reporters at the Capitol.

McConnell said he has been in close contact with the White House, assessing the aid Congress has already approved in response to the virus outbreak and the next steps.

The White House convened a call with Senate Republicans earlier Monday, senators and aides said. “If we decide to go forward, we’ll go forward together,” McConnell said. His priority is to ensure any new package includes liability protections for health care providers and businesses that are reopening.

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