SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is focusing on the fight against the coronavirus as he makes stops in Kentucky.
McConnell was in Shelbyville on Wednesday as part of a statewide tour talking about the impact of the federal COVID-19 relief package and what comes next.
The Louisville Republican said the CARES Act sent $12 billion to Kentucky, including $9 million to help Shelbyville Hospital. He said the next COVID-19 bill is going to focus on protecting hospitals and businesses from coronavirus lawsuits, shoring up unemployment insurance and getting students back to school.
McConnell said he's optimistic about a vaccine coming on line, but even under ideal circumstances, it's going to take months to develop, and the virus is surging.
"The spirit of competition is enormous across the country. People are rising to the occasion," he said. "But I think we need to be realistic here that we're going to be wearing masks and practicing social distancing well into the rest of the year. But it is important to learn to do this, because we can't shut the economy down again."
McConnell said it's undecided whether a second COVID-19 relief package will again include direct checks to the American people. But he said he will roll out details next week when Congress returns for a two-week session. He suggested it will include new funding for school reopenings, some unemployment benefits and money for health care providers.
Central to the GOP proposal is a five-year liability shield that McConnell wants to extend to businesses, hospitals, schools and others to prevent lawsuits from those claiming injuries during the pandemic and economic shutdown and reopening. Republicans are also considering new tax breaks for companies that reconfigure offices and work spaces to protect returning employees from the coronavirus.
McConnell acknowledged schools will need more money, especially as they reduce class sizes for social distancing and potentially stagger classroom shifts. Democrats have proposed $100 billion for schools in the House-passed bill.
The Republican package could have a price tag could hit $1 trillion. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been reaching out to GOP senators ahead of negotiations with Democrats, who already approved a $3 trillion House bill. While McConnell wanted to hit "pause" after the last big relief package in May, he now hopes to swiftly approve the new one in hopes of staunching the pandemic crisis and economic fallout.
As the nation's highest ranking Republican, McConnell was asked Tuesday if he would be attending next month's Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, a state with record-setting cases, McConnell said his "current intention" is to go, but that he would assess closer to the date.
The Senate Majority Leader also said he has absolute confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom the White House has been trying to discredit.
While in Shelbyville, McConnell also commented on the protesters that marched to the Louisville home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Tuesday. Protesters demanding Cameron wrap up the investigation into the March shooting of Breonna Taylor by Louisville Metro Police officers serving a no-knock warrant.
"Well, I think the Attorney General has got a tough job here," McConnell said. "He's pursuing this in a responsible way, and there are others who are impatient. Sometimes justice, in order to follow the procedures that are laid out to conduct an investigation in a responsible way aren't quick enough to satisfy some people."
McConnell said he supports Cameron and understands how having protesters on his lawn can be overwhelming.
"Some of us experience that from time to time," McConnell said. "I personally don't find it a way to influence me. But this is a free country, and provided you're not trespassing or engaging in inappropriate behavior, we're a country with a lot of robust voices, and we've certainly heard them lately."
LMPD said 87 demonstrators were arrested for refusing to leave Cameron's home. They were charged with "intimidating a participant in a legal process," which is a felony; disorderly conduct, and criminal trespassing.
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