US Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana says the Heroes Act passed in the House of Representatives will not get Senate approval.
"It's not going to pass the Senate, nor should it,” Kennedy told Fox News “My fellow Republicans in the Senate have tried to see things from the speaker's point of view, but we can't get our heads that far up our rear ends."
In a news release he said he has a bill to help state and local governments by giving them more flexibility in using CARES Act funds.
Kennedy says he spoke with President Trump about the bill he’s introduced.
Politico reported, “A senior administration official confirmed the White House is ‘quite interested’ in the bill.”
Kennedy insists the House measure is more of a wish list for the Democrats than anything to help ease the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He told Fox the better idea is to keep opening the economy.
“It's no longer a debate between safe or soon. It's now safe and soon. We've got to do everything we possibly can to keep people safe. And we've got to do everything we possibly can to get this economy open safely."
The AP says the measure has no chance of passing the GOP-controlled Senate and has already drawn a White House veto threat. Passage sets up difficult negotiation with the White House and Senate Republicans over what's likely to be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the Democrat-backed bill would come up with more than $3 trillion for states and cities, “hazard pay” for essential workers, a new round of cash payments to individuals and other initiatives.
It would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined and deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.