Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota told the PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff on Thursday that the Senate’s COVID-19 relief package is being pushed through the chamber without consultation with Republicans.
“This is a big wasteful, bloated bill,” he said. “We have tried to work with the Democrats to get them to come to the table and negotiate with Republicans on a more reasonable, targeted and fiscally responsible approach — but so far, to no avail.”
While Thune said both sides agree on the extension of unemployment benefits and direct checks for individuals, Republicans disagree with the bill’s allocation of $350 billion for state and local governments because “big states get the lion’s share of that money,” and many states don’t need the assistance.
“We are for fiscal responsibility,” he said.
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