Coronavirus: Mitch McConnell ripped as 'Marie Antoinette of the Senate' over state bankruptcy proposal

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell received forceful backlash from Democrats and even some Republicans for his comments on Wednesday suggesting states could file for bankruptcy instead of getting more federal aid to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

One of those Republicans was Congressman Peter King of New York, who dubbed the majority leader "the Marie Antoinette of the Senate."

In a string of tweets on Wednesday, Mr King wrote that Mr McConnell's comments to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that some states should pursue bankruptcy rather than ask for federal aid were "shameful and indefensible."

"To say that it is 'free money' to provide funds for cops, firefighters and healthcare workers makes McConnell the Marie Antoinette of the Senate," Mr King wrote.

Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution, notoriously said of starving peasants during the upheaval, "Let them eat cake," implying they would not get a handout from the monarchy.

Mr McConnell has said multiple times this week after the Senate passed a nearly half-trillion-dollar interim coronavirus relief package that he is pushing the "pause button" on spending more federal dollars on the crisis.

"This whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated," Mr McConnell said on Mr Hewitt's program on Wednesday, arguing that many states and localities had pre-existing budget problems stemming from their pensions programmes and otherwise profligate spending of local tax dollars.

“I would certainly be in favour of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route,” Mr McConnell said. “It’s saved some cities, and there’s no good reason for it not to be available.”

In another interview with Fox News' Bill Hemmer, the majority leader said Republicans were not interested in “solving [states'] pension problems for them. We’re not interested in rescuing them from bad decisions they’ve made in the past."

The Senate will not begin considering legislation for state and local governments until at least 4 May, when it is scheduled to return to session after more than a month-long hiatus due to coronavirus concerns.

Mr McConnell's statements did not appear in sync with Donald Trump's initial plans for the next phase of coronavirus relief.

Just one day earlier, Mr Trump announced an ambitious rough sketch for the next phase of coronavirus legislation, which lawmakers are calling “CARES 2,” to include more money for states and localities, payroll tax cuts, and a sweeping infrastructure deal that has eluded agreement between the parties for virtually his entire first term in office.

“After I sign this Bill, we will begin discussions on the next Legislative Initiative with fiscal relief to State/Local Governments for lost revenues from COVID 19, much needed Infrastructure Investments for Bridges, Tunnels, Broadband, Tax Incentives for Restaurants, Entertainment, Sports, and Payroll Tax Cuts to increase Economic Growth,” the president tweeted.

To be certain, most Republicans in Congress stood in solidarity with Mr McConnell.

"First of all, nobody's leaving anybody on the beach," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, referring to a comment earlier in the day by New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy panning Mr McConnell's comments.

"States like New Jersey were in dire financial straits prior to Covid-19. This isn't some new experience for some of these large states. And it's really high-tax states that were seeing their economic base erode," Mr Scalise said.

He continued: "So, to try to think that you can kind of mask problems you had before and blame it on Covid-19 and think you're going to get a federal bailout, that's, I think, where Senator McConnell was talking about."