McConnell releasing ad tied to his role in virus rescue bill
Bruce Schreiner | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 7 months AGO
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. gives a thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, where a deal has been reached on a coronavirus bill. The 2 trillion dollar stimulus bill is expected to be voted on in the Senate Wednesday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
In this image from video, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks on the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. gives a thumbs up as he arrives on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Looking to capitalize on his leadership post during the coronavirus crisis, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is launching a campaign ad in his home state that touts his role in passing the $2.2 trillion economic rescue package.
The TV ad debuting across Kentucky on Wednesday boasts of the benefits going to cross-sections of Americans, and McConnell's role in orchestrating Senate passage of the sweeping aid measure.
“America’s in crisis like never before. And in times of crisis we look to leaders," a narrator says in the ad. “Mitch McConnell led the passage of the biggest economic rescue package in history.
The ad ends by showing McConnell with President Donald Trump, who remains a commanding figure in Kentucky politics.
The ad comes after rounds of sniping between McConnell's campaign and Democratic challenger Amy McGrath's campaign as the virus outbreak escalated. McGrath campaign spokesman Terry Sebastian called the ad “a brazen attempt to rewrite history."
“No ad is going to change the fact that during a public health crisis, he took a three-day weekend while families desperately needed action," Sebastian said in a statement. “And then, when finally taking up much-needed legislation, he fought more for corporate bailouts than prioritizing workers and providing critical supplies for hospitals."
In her latest ad, McGrath touts an initiative she launched to assist Kentucky residents during the virus outbreak. McGrath, a retired Marine combat pilot, is by far the best funded of the several Democrats vying to unseat McConnell, who is seeking a seventh term.
Kentucky's primary election, usually in late May, was pushed back to June 23 due to the virus.
The $2.2 trillion federal legislation will speed government payments of $1,200 to most Americans and increase jobless benefits for millions of people thrown out of work. Businesses big and small will get loans, grants and tax breaks. It will send unprecedented billions to states, local governments, and the nation’s all but overwhelmed health care system.