Companies in the United States will no longer be obligated to pay COVID-related sick leave for American workers due to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blocking a bill that would have extended the much-needed policy as the coronavirus continues to ravage states across the country

Under the CARES Act, which was passed in March, Congress incorporated legislation that gave employees the ability to receive up to two weeks worth of paid leave under a number of COVID-related circumstances including: “to care for a quarantining relative, and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to care for a child whose school or daycare is closed for COVID-related reasons.”

However, McConnell reportedly blocked that language from being included in the latest $900 billion stimulus package. According to Buzzfeed, “Republican and Democratic Congressional aides” noted that “the extension of paid leave was left out of the bill as a concession to Mr. McConnell, who had been pushing for it not to be included.”

While the paid sick leave mandate was blocked, the bill does offer an extension of the “refundable tax credit […]