Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi orders Capitol flags at half-staff to honor Ginsburg Ginsburg in statement before her death said she wished not to be replaced until next president is sworn in Democrats call for NRA Foundation to be prohibited from receiving donations from federal employees MORE (N.Y.) is pushing back on President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE’s anticipated request for economic relief for the airline industry, which has been hit hard by the spread of coronavirus and waves of flight cancellations.

U.S. airlines on Monday requested a $50 billion bailout to make up for the precipitous drop in air travel amid the coronavirus emergency. But Democrats are saying that priority should be placed on ordinary Americans who miss work instead of multibillion-dollar companies.

“If we’re going to follow up the House bill with another major economic stimulus package, which we must, our major focus cannot be based on bailing out airlines, cruises and other industries,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “We must first prioritize economic solutions that are focused on workers and their families.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Schumer urged Congress to instead focus on legislation to “fix our broken unemployment system,” shore up the public health system and get money to small- and medium-sized businesses facing a shortage of cash.

“Let’s remember, corporations are not people. People are people,” he said.

Other Democrats have also expressed skepticism about bailing out the airlines.

“We need to focus this on the people who are impacted,” said Sen. Jon Tester Jonathan (Jon) TesterPence seeks to boost Daines in critical Montana Senate race This World Suicide Prevention Day, let's recommit to protecting the lives of our veterans Filibuster fight looms if Democrats retake Senate MORE (D-Mont.). “I think you focus on the people who are unemployed then you take a look at the airlines."

“If they’re not domiciled in this country, we don’t bail them out,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump at a press briefing Tuesday doubled down on his request to help the airlines.

“The airline industry will be in great shape,” Trump pledged.

“We’re going big,” he later added. “We don’t want airlines going out of business. We don’t want people losing their jobs and not having money to live.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal United Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid House Democrats plan to unveil bill next week to avert shutdown MORE told reporters Tuesday morning that the airlines are in danger of grinding to a halt and said “we want to maintain for critical travel the right to have domestic travel.”