WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement, urging additional bipartisan negotiation to improve the Senate’s phase 3 legislation to respond to the coronavirus pandemic:

“I could not vote to advance this bill because its misplaced priorities left too many working Americans behind. The bill includes a half-trillion dollar fund for large corporations, which will be administered at the Administration’s discretion, without nearly enough transparency or conditions. That’s simply unacceptable – we need to build much more accountability into these taxpayer-funded efforts, including limits on stock buybacks and executive pay.

“Even worse, this legislation does not deliver the protections that working Maine people need and deserve. The bill doesn’t have enough unemployment insurance for displaced workers who are already filing their first claims at no fault of their own, and not nearly enough SNAP or LIHEAP funding for families trying to make ends meet.  Those priorities are backwards – let’s put the American people first.

“I’ve never been someone who lets perfect be the enemy of good – but this legislation isn’t good, and we can’t rush through a bad bill just to say it’s done. I’m in direct contact with colleagues on both sides of the aisle urging further negotiations, and I’m ready to work with anyone to craft a better response to these unprecedented public health and economic threats to Maine people.”