McConnell says US Senate to vote on targeted COVID-19 relief bill next week

WASHINGTON - US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the Senate will vote on a targeted COVID-19 relief bill next week.

"When the full Senate returns on Oct 19, our first order of business will be voting again on targeted relief for American workers, including new funding for the PPP," McConnell said in a statement, referring to the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses.

"Unless Democrats block this aid for workers, we will have time to pass it before we proceed as planned to the pending Supreme Court nomination as soon as it is reported by the Judiciary Committee," McConnell said.

McConnell's statement came after White House officials on Sunday asked Congress to first pass legislation allowing President Donald Trump's administration to redirect about 130 billion US dollars in unused funding from the PPP while negotiations continue on a broader relief package.

However, the request is unlikely to advance in the Democrats-controlled House, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has rejected stand-alone legislation in favor of a comprehensive relief package to address the economic and health consequences of the pandemic.

In a letter to Democratic colleagues on Tuesday, Pelosi said the White House's latest relief proposal "falls significantly short of what this pandemic and deep recession demand."

"This weekend, the Administration issued a proposal that amounted to one step forward, two steps back. In fact, in some instances, it makes matters worse," Pelosi wrote.

"I remain hopeful that the White House will finally join us to recognize the needs of the American people, and take action to address the health and economic crisis in their lives," she added.

It is not clear whether congressional lawmakers and the Trump administration could bridge their differences and reach an agreement on the relief package before the presidential election on Nov 3.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has recently urged policymakers to provide more fiscal relief to households and businesses hurt by the pandemic, warning a prolonged slowing economic recovery could trigger typical recessionary dynamics.