Critics cry foul as GOP refuse to provide additional COVID-19 aid for suffering communities

"Communities of color can't wait for you to slow walk more coronavirus aid."

Despite an unprecedented and ongoing economic crash in the U.S. spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are refusing to consider further aid and stimulus until July at the earliest—a decision critics warn will result in misery and deprivation for tens of millions of Americans.

"Communities of color can't wait for you to slow walk more coronavirus aid, Senate Majority Leader" Americans For Tax Fairness executive director Frank Clemente tweeted Tuesday.

The economic crisis sparked by the coronavirus outbreak in March has put millions of Americans out of work. The nation's unemployment rate remains in the double-digits, though May's jobs report showed an uptick in employment—albeit one that some economists noted was based in faulty data and underreporting.

Nonetheless, Senate Republicans appear to believe that the economy is a winning issue that they can leverage for political gain in November. That risky move, Democratic consultant Tim Fullerton said, could backfire.

"Hanging their political lives on a jobs report with errors is a hell of a position to take," said Fullerton.

As Politicoreported, the refusal to act carries political risk and the delay could be devastating on the country's economy:

The confidence of Senate Republicans in the economy struck Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as unfounded and dangerous.

"I fear that the recent bump in the employment number, caused in large part because of the stimulus money we pumped into the economy, will create in Republicans a sense of complacency and the economy will get even worse," said Schumer.