March 22, 2020 / Lauren Hirsch@LAURENSHIRSCH, Leslie Josephs@LESLIEJOSEPHS
A massive funding package to combat the impact of coronavirus did not get enough votes in a key Senate procedural vote Sunday evening.
The stalemate came hours after Democratic leaders warned that the bill did too much to bail out companies and not enough to help workers. Stock futures cratered as the two parties failed to agree on the terms of the package.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lambasted the Democrats.
“We’re fiddling with the emotions of the American people, fiddling with the markets, fiddling with our health care,” he said.
“Step up,” he added. “Help us reach an agreement so we can do what needs to be done for the American people no later than tomorrow.”
The final vote tally was 47-47, well short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the chamber, although several GOP senators, including Rand Paul, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, were not present to vote. Others, such as Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, were in quarantine as a precaution.
