Iran Press/America: The US Senate Democrats on Sunday blocked a coronavirus stimulus package from moving forward as talks on several key provisions remain stalled.
Senators voted 47-47 on advancing a “shell” bill, a placeholder that the text of the stimulus legislation would have been swapped into, falling short of the three-fifths threshold needed to advance the proposal.
Hopes of a quick stimulus deal quickly unraveled on Sunday as the four congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to break the impasse. Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell from Kentucky also delayed the procedural vote for three hours as they tried to get a deal.
Democratic senators argue that the Republican Party bill includes several “non-starters” and walks back areas of agreement, such as expanding unemployment insurance, they thought they had reached with Republicans.
As coronavirus hits the Senate with one senator now diagnosed and several others self-quarantining tensions are running high on Capitol Hill. While Republicans are urging quick action, Democrats argue that Republicans are prioritizing corporate industry over American workers in the legislation.
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