McConnell: Dems on 'partisan' path to COVID-19 aid

(2 Feb 2021) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4309124 Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said GOP senators who met with President Joe Biden outlined a framework for a potential bipartisan approach on COVID-19 relief, but he criticized the Democrats for pressing ahead on their own. He said he spoke to President Joe Biden ahead of his meeting with the 10 GOP senators.    “They've chosen a totally partisan path,” McConnell said. “That's unfortunate.” The goal is to have COVID-19 relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires. Biden told a group of 10 Republican senators during a lengthy two-hour meeting late Monday that he's unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal.    While no compromise was reached during the lengthy session, Biden's first with lawmakers at the White House, talks are privately underway on various alternatives. The president made it clear that he won't delay aid in hopes of winning GOP support. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...