Biden mocks McConnell for touting benefits of relief bill – despite voting against it

No Republican Senator had supported President Biden’s relief bill in March

President Biden on Wednesday mocked Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell for touting benefits of the Covid-19 relief bill despite voting against it.

“Mitch McConnell loves our programmes. Did you see what Mitch McConnel said? He told me he wasn’t going to get a single vote in order to allow me to get, with the help of everybody here, that $1.9 trillion (£1.37 trillion) programme for economic growth,” Joe Biden told reporters in Illinois during a tour of McHenry County College on Wednesday.

“Look it up, man. He’s bragging about it in Kentucky. It’s amazing. Check out Mitch McConnell. You can even see it on TV,” said the US President.

In March, the Senate had passed President Biden’s Covid-19 relief bill with a 50-49 vote, with not one Republican senator voting for the sweeping package. The relief package provides direct payments to the majority of Americans and funding for states to distribute the Covid-19 vaccines.

On Tuesday, during an event in Kentucky, his home state, Mr McConnell admitted that although no Republican voted for the relief bill in the Senate, the people of Kentucky will get a lot more money because of the bill.

“But you’re going to get a lot more money. Cities and counties in Kentucky will get close to $700 [million] or $800 million. If you add up the total amount that will come into our state, $4 billion, that’s twice what was sent in last year,” said the Senate minority leader.

As expected, Democrats and several White House officials used Mr McConnell’s comments to highlight the benefits of the relief bill.

For instance, Andrew Bates, who is White House’s deputy press secretary, tweeted: “[Mitch McConnell] is absolutely right on all counts here” while quoting the Republican leaders remarks.

While John Yarmuth, who is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee and a Congressman representing Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District, tweeted and thanked Mitch McConnell for “highlighting the tremendous help President Biden and Congressional Democrats’ #AmericanRescuePlan is providing to cash-strapped state and local governments, hardworking American families, frontline workers, and those hit hardest by the pandemic.”