McConnell thanks Trump for signing coronavirus relief bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) late on Sunday thanked President Trump for signing an omnibus bill that funds the government and provides an additional round of coronavirus relief after earlier suggesting he would veto it.

“I thank the President for signing this relief into law, along with full-year government funding legislation that will continue the rebuilding and modernization of our Armed Forces that his Administration has championed,” McConnell said in a statement Sunday. “His leadership has prevented a government shutdown at a time when our nation could not have afforded one.”

I applaud the President’s decision to get billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families. I am glad the American people will receive this much-needed assistance as our nation continues battling this pandemic. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/YSPYsPu2ct

— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) December 28, 2020

The president signed the $2.3 trillion package Sunday night from Florida. His signature came in time to avert a government shutdown but was hours after unemployment benefits had expired for millions.

He said he would send a “redlined” version of the bill back to Congress with some items to remove. 

The week before, the president had signaled he would not sign the bill unless its provision for $600 direct payments to Americans was expanded to $2,000, but the measure failed to advance with the needed unanimous consent in the House.

The House is set to vote Monday on a separate bill to increase the payments to $2,000, a proposal that enjoys the support of Democratic leadership, but the expansion is unlikely to receive the necessary support of enough Republicans in the GOP-controlled Senate.

McConnell did not address the proposed direct-payment increase in his statement.