WASHINGTON (NBC) - Partisan tensions erupted on Monday afternoon as the Senate failed for a second time to advance a massive stimulus package to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with lawmakers from each side accusing the other party of holding up negotiations.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., excoriated Democrats ahead of the vote saying, "this body can't get its act together and the only reason it can't get its act together is right over here on the other side of the aisle."
Democrats and Republicans had negotiated "furiously," McConnell said, to make progress on the bill, but the legislation now includes a number of changes requested by Democrats.
"Tax credits for solar energy and wind energy. Provisions to force employers to give special new treatment to Big Labor. And listen to this — new emissions standards for the airlines. Are you kidding me?" McConnell said.
Senate Minority Leader Schumer, D-N.Y., offered a more optimistic impression on the status of the talks, saying, "We're very close to reaching a deal — very close. And our goal is to reach a deal today."
The New York Democrat dismissed McConnell's criticisms, and said asking for protections for workers and labor "are not extraneous issues," but instead "a wish list for workers, nobody else."
Democrats and Republicans in Congress remained deadlocked Monday morning over the package with Democrats arguing the current version doesn't protect workers enough and is too lax on corporate bailout rules. Ahead of Monday's vote, members from both parties traded barbs over what needed to be done.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said, "We are in the midst of a crisis in our country, a crisis caused by the coronavirus. I cannot believe that the answer to this crisis as we move to address the economic consequences that are so severe for the people of this country — that the answer from our friends on the other side of the aisle is delay, delay, delay. No sense of urgency, no hurry."
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said, "This is a policy disagreement and I have an obligation as a representative of my state to stand up and say, when I don't think a $2 trillion bill is going to fix the problem. It may make a lot of people rich, but it doesn't have the resources in it today to take care of the most vulnerable in this country, and it's not going to do the primary job at hand, which is to stop the virus."
To try to break the stalemate, Schumer had been meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Monday morning to discuss a path forward. They negotiated late into the night Sunday with two phone calls around midnight.
To try to break the stalemate, Schumer had been meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Monday morning to discuss a path forward. They negotiated late into the night Sunday with two phone calls around midnight.
Rebecca Shabad, Kasie Hunt, and Julie Tsirkin contributed to this story for NBC News.
