Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish MORE (D-N.Y.) urged Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.) to bring up election security legislation after the GOP leader lashed out at critics who targeted him for blocking two bills last week.

"There’s an easy way for Leader McConnell to silence the critics who accuse him of blocking election security: stop blocking it. Leader McConnell doesn’t have to put the bills that we have proposed … or the bill the House has passed, there are bipartisan bills—and we can debate the issue," Schumer said Monday from the Senate floor.

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Schumer's comments came after McConnell hit back at high-profile critics, accusing them of "lying" and "modern-day McCarthyism" after they targeted the GOP leader late last week when he blocked two election security bills that are largely supported by Democrats.

Schumer asked for consent to pass a House bill, supported by one Republican, that would require paper ballots, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wanted to pass legislation that would require candidates, campaign officials and their family members to notify the FBI of assistance offers. McConnell blocked both of the bills.

“These pundits are lying, lying when they dismiss the work that has been done. They’re lying when they insist I have personally blocked actions which, in fact, I have championed and the Senate has passed. They are lying when they suggest that either party is against defending our democracy," McConnell said from the floor.

McConnell added that Democrats knew their bills would get blocked from passing the Senate without a formal vote, calling the objections "routine."

Republicans argue that they've done plenty to help secure elections including passing two related bills and including $380 billion in funding in last year's spending bills. They also credit with the administration with working to bolster the 2018 elections.

But Democrats contend that falls short in the wake of warnings from multiple current and former officials that Russia and other foreign governments will try to meddle in the 2020 election.

"If Leader McConnell doesn’t like being criticized on election security, I challenge him: let’s debate it on the floor with amendments. I challenge him: support additional appropriations for states to harden their election systems. In both cases, Leader McConnell has not done that," Schumer said.

He added that if McConnell "takes such umbrage at his election security critics, I challenge him: prove them wrong."