US Senate passes coronavirus aid package. These SC congressmen voted against it
The U.S. Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would provide relief for workers negatively impacted by the coronavirus.
But many of South Carolina’s congressmen voted against the COVID-19 relief package.
On Wednesday afternoon, just minutes after the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced the Palmetto State had 60 presumed positive cases of the virus, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted in favor of the bill, but U.S. Sen. Tim Scott voted against it.
“In the War Against Coronavirus, ALL of us are key players,” Graham tweeted after the bill passed. “We are ALL soldiers in the fight!”
The bill, which passed the House on Friday, could help boost the U.S. economy, which has been staggering as COVID-19 spreads across the country and causes officials to close restaurants and bars and ban large gatherings.
The package would provide free COVID-19 testing, including for those who do not have insurance. It would also require employers to give paid sick leave, but the new regulation would only apply to companies with fewer than 500 employees.
The bill also gives $1 billion to states to help pay for processing and paying for unemployment claims, and provides about $1 billion for food assistance programs.
In all, 90 senators voted in favor of the package and eight voted against it.
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The measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives, with 363 congressmen voting in favor of the measure.
Most of the Republicans in South Carolina’s congressional delegation voted against the emergency coronavirus response bill.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rice of Myrtle Beach, and Demcratic U.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn of Columbia and Joe Cunningham of Charleston voted in favor of the bill.
Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson voted against the bill, saying he did not have enough time to read the full text, the Springdale Republican said in a statement after Friday’s vote.
“It was not possible to review the repercussions of this legislation especially as it relates to small businesses,” Wilson said in a statement. “I have always promised to be accountable to my constituents and I could not in good faith vote for a bill that could harm my community more than it helps.”
U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, said he was also concerned about not having enough time to read the bill.
“It was also a bill not solely focused on combating the coronavirus, and it lacked proper flexibility for small businesses regarding the paid sick leave provisions — not to mention we have no clue what it costs,” Duncan said in a statement after the vote. “Because of this, I unfortunately couldn’t support the legislation.”
Majority Whip Clyburn vowed that the House would continue to provide more aid on top of passing this bill and a more than $8 billion emergency spending bill to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
“This bill and the recently enacted supplemental appropriations are just the first steps that Congress will take to mitigate this pandemic, and we will continue to do everything possible to safeguard the economic security of working families,” Clyburn said in a statement after the bill passed the House.
After the Senate passed the bill, it was sent to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
