US: Trump aside, McConnell becomes GOP's preacher on masks

Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell is emerging as GOP's mask spokesman, proselytizing about importance of wearing a face-covering during pandemic.

President Donald Trump may resist appearing masked in public. But in stops across his home state of Kentucky, highest-ranking Republican in Congress is t only showing up with his face covered. He is holding up his blue mask for cameras. Slipping straps behind his ears. And repeating over and over that it's single-most important thing Americans can do to stem surge of COVID-19 cases.

“Wear your mask,” McConnell said Wednesday in Winchester, in central part of state.

It's a smart political move for Republicans to peel away from a president who has turned mask-wearing from a simple public health guideline into ar weapon in culture wars, an us-against-m litmus test of support.

As country struggles to bring virus outbreak under control, Republicans approaching ir own reelection prospects alongside Trump in vember, including McConnell, kw y need to be seen as correct on health issues, showing voters y are leing a way out of crisis.

Promoting mask-wearing also helps GOP's efforts to prop up ecomy on its terms, reinforcing new-rmal of safety protocols — masks, social distancing — as an alternative to ar round of stay-home orders, shutdowns and costly federal aid.

"Our biggest threat w to ecomy is fact that COVID is surging again in certain parts of our country," McConnell said.

“We can’t shut ecomy down again — we don’t have eugh borrowing capacity to continue to prop up ecomy much longer — which is why mask is so important.”

Congress is out for a two-week recess, but lawmakers are set to consider a new virus relief pack when House and Senate resume on July 20.

McConnell is eyeing a $1 trillion pack, going where near $3 trillion proposal Democrats say is needed to meet health care challenges and ecomic fallout.

Mask-wearing is key to McConnell’s priority in bill, a five-year liability shield to protect schools, hospitals and businesses from lawsuits by those claiming to have suffered because of reopenings.

Along with liability shield, McConnell wants a new round of direct payments, a follow-up to $1,200 government sent in spring. But Republicans oppose continuing a $600 weekly unemployment boost and have offered plans to stem looming eviction crisis .

Democrats say extra jobless aid is a lifeline for Americans struggling to make ends meet. y also are offering $100 billion in rental assistance and $75 billion for homeowners paying mortgs. A 120-day federal eviction moratorium on certain rentals expires at end of July, and Democrats’ bill would extend it through March 2021.

McConnell has been promoting masks since he reconvened Senate in early May. Before senators returned, McConnell signaled importance of setting an example by wearing masks, tapping his chief of staff to convey to or senators' offices that he would be wearing one, according to a person who spoke on condition of anymity to discuss private conversations.

McConnell reinforced this mess last week by saying re should be “ stigma” to wearing a mask.

Most senators are, in fact, wearing masks during sessions at Capitol, with table exception of or Kentuckian, Sen. Rand Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican who has said he believes he is w immune from virus after having tested positive in spring.

Kentucky reported its second-highest day of new cases this week, reflecting rising caselos across red, rural states that avoided initial onslaught of COVID outbreaks in big cities along coasts.

Asked during his stop Wednesday about making masks mandatory, McConnell wouldn't go that far, saying it's up to goverr to decide.

But he said, while wearing a mask, “it's right thing to do.”

“It’s time for us to take responsibility for our own health and for ors,” McConnell said.

“ responsible thing to do is to put your mask on and practice social distancing and help us get through this.”