McConnell said he would not bring up a coronavirus relief bill in the Senate that does not include liability protections.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he will not pass a coronavirus relief bill in the Senate which does not include liability protections. „We’re not negotiating over liability protection,“ he told CNBC’s Kayla Tausche as Congress looks to craft a pandemic rescue agreement. He noted, however, that the GOP is open to compromise on other issues. Senate Republicans released their coronavirus aid proposal on Monday. It includes a cut to the enhanced $600 per week federal unemployment benefit, another round of direct payments to Americans, liability protections for businesses and doctors and more funding for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans. Democrats have generally opposed the legal shield because it could take away a recourse for workers who return to an unsafe workplace as the pandemic spreads around the country. McConnell contended „there’s no chance of the country getting back to normal without it.“ Asked about a CNBC/Change Research poll that found a majority of voters in six swing states oppose shielding corporations from lawsuits, McConnell said, „this is not just liability protection for businesses, although they are included like everyone else.
