Mitch McConnell’s worst idea — maybe ever

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was dead-set against giving unrestricted funds to states and local governments in the covid-19 relief bill the Senate passed Tuesday. Instead, he wants states to be able to declare bankruptcy, which would mean pension plans, government contractors, union workers and a whole slew of other stakeholders would suffer. He blithely declares, after spending trillions of dollars on everything from airline bailouts to small-business loans to enhanced employment that we shouldn’t borrow to fund state and local governments. He might want to check back with the folks in Kentucky.

McConnell’s position is not only hypocritical but unsound and politically dumb. State and local governments employ millions of people around the country. If McConnell wants to reopen the economy and stem unemployment, the last thing he should do would be to let states and cities founder and institute painful cuts.

Many Republicans find his position daft. That may include President Trump, who purportedly told New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) on Tuesday that he would support state and local funding in the next big funding bill. Republican Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), whose home-state governor is also a Republican, objected: