Mitch McConnell

===COVID-19 response===
In response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], McConnell initially opposed the [[Families First Coronavirus Response Act]], calling it a Democratic "ideological wish list".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/487235-mcconnell-house-coronavirus-bill-an-ideological-wish-list/|title=McConnell: House coronavirus bill an 'ideological wish list'|author=Carney, Jordain|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=March 14, 2020|archive-date=March 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314203349/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/487235-mcconnell-house-coronavirus-bill-an-ideological-wish-list|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The twisted politics of Washington's coronavirus response|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/twisted-politics-washington-s-coronavirus-response-n1156856|author=Allen, Jonathan|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=April 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402114359/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/twisted-politics-washington-s-coronavirus-response-n1156856|url-status=live}}</ref> He subsequently reversed his position when Trump endorsed the proposed package.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-holds-presser-on-round-3-of-coronavirus-legislation|title=McConnell tells GOP to pass House coronavirus bill: 'Gag and vote for it anyway'|author=Schultz, Marisa|work=[[Fox News]]|date=March 17, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804170935/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mcconnell-holds-presser-on-round-3-of-coronavirus-legislation|url-status=live}}</ref> The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 90–8.

McConnell also directed Senate Republicans in negotiations for two other COVID-19 response packages: the [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020]], and the [[CARES Act]]. The CARES Act was the largest [[economic stimulus]] package in U.S. history,<ref>Wire, Sarah D. (March 25, 2020) "[https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-25/vote-senate-on-2-trillion-economic-stimulus-package-coronavirus Senate passes $2-trillion economic stimulus package] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006074713/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-25/vote-senate-on-2-trillion-economic-stimulus-package-coronavirus/ |date=October 6, 2020 }}". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref> amounting to 10% of total U.S. [[gross domestic product]].<ref>Kambhampati, Sandhya (March 26, 2020). "[https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-26/coronavirus-stimulus-package-versus-recovery-act The coronavirus stimulus package versus the Recovery Act] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808105228/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-26/coronavirus-stimulus-package-versus-recovery-act |date=August 8, 2020 }}". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref> It passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support.<ref>{{Cite web|title=All of the COVID-19 stimulus bills, visualized|url=https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/03/11/covid-19-stimulus-how-much-do-coronavirus-relief-bills-cost/4602942001/|access-date=January 6, 2022|website=www.usatoday.com|date=March 11, 2021|language=en|archive-date=December 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230151440/https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/03/11/covid-19-stimulus-how-much-do-coronavirus-relief-bills-cost/4602942001/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Speaking on the [[Hugh Hewitt]] radio show on April 22, 2020, McConnell suggested that states should be able to declare bankruptcy instead of receiving additional COVID-19 aid funds&nbsp;— funds which he implied would be used to save insolvent state pension funds, instead of COVID-19 relief as intended. His comments were met with sharp criticism from various state and local officials. States currently cannot declare bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite news|title=McConnell Says He Favors Letting States Declare Bankruptcy|first1=Steven T.|last1=Dennis|first2=William|last2=Selway|work=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/mcconnell-says-he-favors-allowing-states-to-declare-bankruptcy|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929040047/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/mcconnell-says-he-favors-allowing-states-to-declare-bankruptcy|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the passage of the CARES Act, McConnell waited several months before advancing any additional COVID-19 relief measures in the Senate, saying in May "I don't think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately," and that Congress should "[hit] pause" to evaluate how the allocated funds were working before approving more.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/coronavirus-republicans-blowback-aid.html|title=With Go-Slow Approach, Republicans Risk Political Blowback on Pandemic Aid|author=Hulse, Carl|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 15, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918091015/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/coronavirus-republicans-blowback-aid.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In negotiations between congressional Democrats and White House officials for an additional aid package, McConnell was absent from the talks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/mcconnell-stimulus-talks-coronavirus.html|title=In Stimulus Talks, McConnell Is Outside the Room and in a Tight Spot|author=Hulse, Carl|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 5, 2020|access-date=August 13, 2020|archive-date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812124023/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/mcconnell-stimulus-talks-coronavirus.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/511554-mcconnell-time-to-restart-coronavirus-talks-amid-stalemate-on-deal/|title=McConnell: Time to restart coronavirus talks|author=Carney, Jordain|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=August 11, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922221616/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/511554-mcconnell-time-to-restart-coronavirus-talks-amid-stalemate-on-deal|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/510801-mcconnell-goes-hands-off-on-bill/|author=Bolton, Alexander|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|title=McConnell goes hands-off on coronavirus relief bill|date=August 6, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915150848/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/510801-mcconnell-goes-hands-off-on-bill|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 10, 2020, a pared-down COVID-19 relief bill crafted by McConnell failed to advance the Senate past a Democratic filibuster.<ref>{{cite news|title=Senate Democrats block $300 billion coronavirus stimulus package, leaving little hope for relief before November|work=[[USA Today]]|author=Hayes, Christal|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/10/coronavirus-senate-set-vote-bill-democrats-vow-block/5762727002/|date=September 10, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916194934/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/10/coronavirus-senate-set-vote-bill-democrats-vow-block/5762727002/|url-status=live}}</ref> Democrats panned the bill as "completely inadequate" given the scope of the crisis brought on by the COVID-19,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/10/coronavirus-stimulus-update-senate-relief-bill-fails.html|work=[[MSNBC]]|title=Senate Republicans fail to advance coronavirus stimulus bill as stalemate drags on|author=Pramuk, Jacob|date=September 10, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917212237/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/10/coronavirus-stimulus-update-senate-relief-bill-fails.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and as a partisan maneuver to help Republican senators up for reelection.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/politics/mitch-mcconnell-senate-majority/index.html|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=September 10, 2020|title=How McConnell is maneuvering to keep the Senate in GOP hands&nbsp;— and navigating Trump|author=Raju, Manu|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918020216/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/10/politics/mitch-mcconnell-senate-majority/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> McConnell called the bill a choice between "do[ing] something" and "do[ing] nothing",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/schumer-coronavirus-gop-stimulus-bill-cnntv/index.html|title=Schumer says Democrats won't fold to GOP's 'emaciated' stimulus bill|author=Stracqualursi, Veronica|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916225535/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/schumer-coronavirus-gop-stimulus-bill-cnntv/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and said he was holding the procedural vote to get lawmakers on the record about their willingness to compromise on COVID-19 legislation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-relief-bill-senate-republican-vote-fails/|title=Senate fails to advance slimmed-down GOP coronavirus relief bill|date=September 10, 2020|work=[[CBS News]]|author=Segers, Grace|access-date=September 18, 2020|archive-date=September 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200911085224/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-relief-bill-senate-republican-vote-fails/|url-status=live}}</ref>