March 22, 2020

TRANSCRIPT: Warren Takes Questions on Coronavirus Bailout and Stimulus Negotiations

"This is not a bipartisan proposal, this is a Republican-only proposal at this point, and it creates a slush fund for the big guys and no help for workers and no help for hospitals. I don't see how the Democrats can possibly support that."

Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took questions this afternoon regarding the coronavirus bailout and stimulus negotiations taking place in Congress today.

A full transcript of her exchange with members of the media is below.

Transcript:

ELIZABETH WARREN: People are very unhappy about what the Republicans have put forward. They have not given us details, but the overall view is that they want to create a slush fund for giant corporations. No help for employees and no help for the hospitals, and that cannot be where we are. 

Reporter: Do you plan to vote against cloture right now? 

EW: We don't have enough details from the Republicans, but, you know, in our caucus there is great unhappiness with how they're trying to advance a proposal that would be great for giant corporations and leave everyone else behind. We're not here to create a slush fund for Donald Trump and his family, or a slush fund for the Treasury Department to be able to hand out to their friends. We're here to help workers, we're here to help hospitals. And right now what the Republicans proposed does neither of those. 

Reporter: Did you get the sense from lunch that there's an opening to actually get an agreement sometime soon given what's happening economically? 

EW: You know, it appeared yesterday that the Republicans were negotiating with the Democrats, and at least moving on some issues, but this morning the report is that the Republicans have backed off things they've agreed to yesterday and have made their proposal much worse. This is not a bipartisan proposal, this is a Republican-only proposal at this point, and it creates a slush fund for the big guys and no help for workers and no help for hospitals, and I don't see how the Democrats can possibly support that. 

Reporter: Should Trump properties be excluded from any aid? 

EW: We're not even at that level of detail. We're at $450 billion slush fund that would go to the Secretary of the Treasury to help whoever he wants, including the Trump family, and that's not good enough. 

###