House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, told fellow GOP lawmakers that he opposes a Democrat-backed coronavirus stimulus bill that is scheduled for a floor vote Thursday.
According to Politico, McCarthy opposes the bill but is hopeful that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Sec. Steve Mnuchin could make amendments to the bill to appease Republicans before the vote.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the White House also opposes the bill, but did not specify what changes they are seeking. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, also voiced his opposition to the bill Thursday.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the Democrats' bill would require employers to give workers seven days of paid sick leave and an additional 14 in the event of a public health crisis, like the current coronavirus pandemic.
Federal law does not require employers to provide paid sick leave, and according to The Los Angeles Times, "only about a dozen states" do so.
The Democrats bill would also provide $1 billion in emergency grants to states to process unemployment benefits and provide $1 billion for food programs.
The bill is likely to pass the House of Representatives, but considering opposition by the White House and Trump, it would likely need significant changes to be approved by the Senate.
