Perdue and Loeffler Must End Senate Delay and Act Now on House-Passed COVID-19 Relief

Senate Republicans’ delay holds up critical aid for Georgia families like free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave, and nutrition assistance

ATLANTA — This weekend, as the House worked late into Friday to pass a bipartisan emergency aid package on COVID-19, Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler followed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s lead and took the weekend off — and now might push any action on this crucial relief until later in the week.

The House emergency aid package would enact critical measures like free testing, paid emergency leave, and food assistance to help families cope with the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even as the House worked late to pass this needed aid, Perdue and Loeffler are following McConnell’s lead and refusing to take immediate action to provide relief to Georgia families.

Perdue and Loeffler have already refused to commit to a guaranteed affordable vaccine for COVID-19 when available, nor have they disavowed the White House budget as the administration “doubled down” on a 15% cut to the CDC’s already strained resources. And to make matters worse, they still won’t disavow a Republican-backed lawsuit that would overturn the health care law, decimating critical protections for 1.8 million Georgians with pre-existing conditions and eliminating a key fund for the CDC.

“It’s time for Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler to step up and demand action after failing to swiftly act on a bipartisan emergency aid package last week,” said Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Georgia families can’t wait another day for Senators Perdue and Loeffler to act on crucial measures like free virus testing, emergency paid sick leave, and food assistance to provide relief as we continue to fight the spread of COVID-19.”

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