As COVID Cases Spike in Kentucky, McConnell Adjourns Senate with No Aid

COVID-19 relief legislation has been sitting on McConnell’s desk for 165 days  

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sen. Mitch McConnell yesterday adjourned the U.S. Senate until November 9 without taking action to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis or to provide relief to Kentucky families, small businesses, schools or hospitals. Last week, Kentucky reported the highest number of weekly COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. 

The House passed a COVID relief bill in May and the president has repeatedly called for additional relief. However, McConnell refuses to bring the bill to the Senate floor for debate and refuses to negotiate. 

“Mitch McConnell is personally holding up aid to Kentucky families,” said retired Marine Lt. Col. Amy McGrath. “He has no serious plan to address this pandemic. Cases are spiking in Kentucky like never before, and his response is to just walk away and let this crisis get worse and worse. Kentuckians can’t afford to wait for leadership anymore from a man who just doesn’t care about them.” 

It has been 186 days since McConnell took any action to address COVID-19 or the economic recession. However, he rushed through a Supreme Court confirmation in 31 days. 

“Mitch's priorities have never been more clear, and Kentucky families are at the bottom of the list,” said McGrath. “He rammed through an undemocratic Supreme Court nomination in a month, threatening the health care of millions of Americans. Meanwhile, we’ve been waiting for six months for him to do anything at all to address the biggest national crisis in 100 years. Now he's going on vacation. It is an unconscionable dereliction of duty.”

McGrath’s plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes aid for schools, individual support, a testing and tracing program and protections for workers, can be found at https://amymcgrath.com/issues/covid-19/.